2016 NFL Draft Grades – AFC North

Baltimore Ravens

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11 Draft Picks

As usual Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens had a solid draft, getting Notre Dame's Ronnie Stanley with the sixth pick will help solidify an offensive line which was inconsistent last season. I also like adding Cincy receiver Chris Moore who will give Joe Flacco the deep threat he's been waiting for since Torrey Smith left town. Third round pick Bronson Kaufusi from Brigham Young University is a bit of a risk given that he'll be a 24 year old rookie, but given his NFL bloodlines (father Steve played for the Eagles) he should be a productive pass rusher. Nebraska product Alex Lewis is another risk given his character concerns but the Ravens have had success with redemption projects.

Grade: B

Cleveland Browns

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14 Draft Picks

One thing is clear for the Browns first draft of the Paul DePodesta era; Moneyball has finally made it's way to the NFL. I like how Cleveland was able to get a lot of value by trading down and ending up with 14 picks. There are a lot of holes in the Browns' roster which makes the cost controlled nature of rookie deals even more valuable. Picking wide out Corey Coleman out of Baylor was a solid move, he needs to learn route running, but before his selection all of Cleveland's Wide Receivers were shorter than me at 5'10”. I love the pairing of Southern Cal Quarterback Cody Kessler with Hue Jackson who played a role in the development of Pro Bowlers Joe Flacco and Andy Dalton. However the Browns had the chance to pick more polished signal-callers earlier. The selection of Shon Coleman was a great story and he should be able to contribute soon on the offensive line.

There were a number of decisions which Cleveland made that confused me. I realize that the Browns receiving corps was thin, but picking five seems like overkill. I'm also wondering why Cleveland waited until the third day to address their secondary. This team faces A.J. Green and Antonio Brown two times a year so you'd think they would make that a priority. Overall the Browns got a lot of picks but I don't know how many impact players they added.

Grade: C+

Cincinnati Bengals

(photo credit: bengals.com)

Seven Draft Picks

The Bengals probably had the best draft of any team in this division, former Pitt Panther Tyler Boyd and A.J. Green will form a receiving duo who'll terrorize Defensive Backs for years to come. Houston's William Jackson III was considered one of the top 4 Cornerback prospects in the draft. His selection is probably for the future but he can probably help in nickle situations next year. Most of their third day selections were made to add depth to the reigning division champions. The Bengals are looking to make the Super Bowl next season and their picks reflect that.

Grade: B+

Pittsburgh Steelers

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Seven Draft Picks

The biggest hole with Pittsburgh's squad last year was it's secondary. Game after games their corners and safeties would get burned for big plays. It was good to see the Steelers address these needs on the first two days of the draft picking Cornerback Artie Burns and Safety Sean Davis from Maryland. Neither player is considered a polished product but Mike Tomlin's background as a Defensive Backs leads experts to believe they'll be quality starters soon. Pittsburgh also added depth to their Defensive Line on the third day taking a gamble Javon Hargave out of small South Carolina State. This could turn out to be a great draft for the Steelers, but the jury is out.

Grade: B-