Now that the dust has settled from the 2022 NFL Draft, it’s time to assess how each team did in the AFC North. After several months of insights, storylines and excitement, the Pittsburgh Steelers had their seven selections, the Baltimore Ravens had 11 selections (the most out of the entire division), the Cincinnati Bengals held the least number of picks with six, and the Cleveland Browns had nine.
Let’s review each team’s selections from the AFC North
Pittsburgh Steelers:
Round 1 (20): Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
Round 2 (52): George Pickens, WR, Georgia
Round 3 (84): DeMarvin Leal, DE, Texas A&M
Round 4 (138): Calvin Austin III, WR, Memphis
Round 6 (208): Connor Heyward, TE/FB, Michigan State
Round 7 (225): Mark Robinson, LB, Mississippi
Round 7 (241): Chris Oladokun, QB, South Dakota State
After selecting Pickett in the first round in what could potentially be the ultimate successor to Ben Roethlisberger, Kevin Colbert, general manager, continued to search for offensive talent. He and the Steelers used four of their remaining picks on the offensive side of the ball, even adding depth to the quarterback room with Oladokun.
Memphis Tigers receiver Calvin Austin III celebrates his catch during their game against the SMU Mustangs at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium on Saturday Nov. 6, 2021.
The best pick of their draft actually may not be Pickett. Calvin Austin III has already had comparisons to Tyreek Hill for his blazing speed (4.32 40-yard dash). Austin III will presumably be a feature in the offense early on to stretch the field and take pressure off Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson.
The narrative has officially changed in the AFC North. What was a team whose Super Bowl window was closing with an aging Roethlisberger is now wide open with an offense that’s young, loaded with potential, and a defense that is primed to get back to its championship ways.
Draft Grade: B+
Baltimore Ravens:
Round 1 (14): Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
Round 1 (25): Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa
Round 2 (45): David Ojabo, EDGE, Michigan
Round 3 (76): Travis Jones, DT, UConn
Round 4 (110): Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota
Round 4 (119): Jayln Armour-Davis, CB, Alabama
Round 4 (128): Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State
Round 4 (130): Jordan Stout, P, Penn State
Round 4 (139): Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina
Round 4 (141): Damarion Williams, CB, Houston
Round 6 (196): Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri
Is quantity better than quality? That depends on the product. The Ravens saw the departure of Marquise (Hollywood) Brown during the draft, leaving many questioning what the team would do to fill his void. In 2019, the wide receivers accounted for 21% of the Ravens’ offense with names including Brown, Willie Snead IV, Seth Roberts, and Miles Boykin. With none of those players on the roster heading into the 2022 season, the weight falls on the shoulders of Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, and James Proche II. It appears the offense will continue to live or die by the hands of Lamar Jackson and the running game once again.
Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum surveys the field during a football game between No. 18 Iowa and No. 17 Indiana at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021. The Hawkeyes defeated the Hoosiers 34-6/ Jerod Ringwald
The Ravens’ appeared to ignore focusing on one specific position and instead opted for the best available player with each pick. Hamilton and Linderbaum are by far the best selections, both holding the best grades in their respective positions, per Pro Football Focus. Ojabo will work his way back from the Achilles injury he suffered during his pro day. These three players saved what was otherwise a weekend for the Ravens that felt like it flew under the radar.
Draft Grade: B+
Cincinnati Bengals:
Round 1 (31): Daxton Hill, S, Michigan
Round 2 (60): Cam Taylor-Britt, CB, Nebraska
Round 3 (95): Zach Carter, DT, Florida
Round 4 (136): Cordell Volson, G, North Dakota State
Round 5 (166): Tycen Anderson, S, Tulsa
Round 7 (252): Jeffrey Gunter, EDGE, Coastal Carolina
Coming off a Super Bowl loss, there aren’t going to be many glaring needs, but it’s clear the Bengals wanted to bolster their defense; using five of their six selections on defensive players.
Cam Taylor-Britt at Nebraska celebrating a play.
Their cornerback room is loaded with Eli Apple, Chidobe Awuzie, Tre Flowers, Mike Hilton, and they now welcome their second-round selection, Taylor-Britt, a former three-year starter with Nebraska with an aggressive style of play, per NFL.com.
Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates III already man the back end of the defense and now welcome first-round selection, Hill, to the group. Hill was the second safety off the board and will fill in nicely with Bell and Bates III in nickel packages.
Draft Grade: B
Cleveland Browns:
Round 3 (68): Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State
Round 3 (78): Alex Wright, DE, UAB
Round 3 (99): David Bell, WR, Purdue
Round 4 (108): Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma
Round 4 (124): Cade York, K, LSU
Round 5 (156): Jerome Ford, RB, Cincinnati
Round 6 (202): Michael Woods II, WR, Oklahoma
Round 7 (223): Isaiah Thomas, DE, Oklahoma
Round 7 (246): Dawson Deaton, C, Texas Tech
No first-round picks? No problem. With the addition of Deshaun Watson, the Browns were afforded the flexibility of focusing on building depth throughout their roster.
Emerson, their first selection, figures to slide into a backup role behind Greedy Williams, Denzel Ward, and Greg Newsome II. It appears the same will happen for both Wright and Thomas to provide depth to Myles Garrett and Chase Winovich.
Purdue Wide Receiver, David Bell, celebrates during game versus Notre Dame. Bell was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Bell may be the dark horse of their draft. In his senior year at Purdue, he finished as a First Team Associated Press All-American, earned Big Ten Conference Receiver of the Year honors, and was a Biletnikoff Award finalist. What he lacks in speed, he makes up with precision. If developed correctly, he could be the possession receiver that Jarvis Landry was for the past few seasons.
Draft Grade: B
Overall, all teams in the AFC North had solid grades. The new-look Steelers, now one of the younger teams in the league, will continue to remain competitive heading into 2022 while the Browns, Ravens and Bengals will focus on returning to the playoffs.
How do you think the Steelers did compared to the rest of the division? Share your draft grades in the comments below.
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