The best division in football has added some serious talent in the 2023 NFL Draft. As each team in the AFC North fights to dethrone the Cincinnati Bengals, who added the best players and addressed positions of need to compete in 2023 and beyond? This installation of 2023 NFL Draft grades features an in-depth breakdown of each team in the AFC North.
2023 NFL Draft Grades: AFC North
Baltimore Ravens: C+
Players Added: Zay Flowers, Trenton Simpson, Tavius Robinson, Kyu Blu Kelly, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Andrew Vorhees
If we include Lamar Jackson signing his contract over draft week, the Ravens get an A+. Unfortunately, that doesn’t count. Zay Flowers plays a duplicate style to Odell Beckham Jr. and Rashod Bateman. Good receiver rooms have different body types and play styles, and right now the Ravens have three clones. Flowers is a solid prospect, but the team is lacking a true X to put on the outside.
Trenton Simpson, Tavius Robinson, and Andrew Vorhees are 2024 plays. The Ravens are excellent at drafting for next year’s need, not this year. Simpson can slot in if Patrick Queen leaves. Vorhees could be the replacement for Ben Cleveland. Robinson is currently a speed-to-power rusher with heavy hands. He needs to add to his bag of tricks to be anything more than a rotational rusher. None move the needle much this year but can grow into solid starters.
Kyu Blu Kelly and Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu are slightly above-average athletes, who are going to work to make the bottom of the roster. Blu Kelly’s biggest strengths on tape are his athleticism, which isn’t enough to succeed at the next level. A 4.52 40 is great for Stanford, but in the AFC North, he’s going to be chasing around Tee Higgins and Amari Cooper. If they both are on the roster in 2025 they were solid picks that late in the draft.
Cincinnati Bengals: B-
Players Added: Myles Murphy, D.J. Turner, Jordan Battle, Charlie Jones, Chase Brown, Andrei Iosivas, Brad Robbins, D.J. Ivey
The Bengals added a serious pass-rushing threat in Myles Murphy. Early in the pre-draft process, Murphy was mentioned as one of the top three pass rushers in class. He was even mocked to go in the top ten, so the Bengals got a steal here. With Trey Hendrickson set to be a free agent soon, this is a hedge if the two cannot come to an agreement.
D.J. Turner, D.J. Ivey, and Jordan Battle all bolster their secondary. Turner and Battle are more finished products at this point and should be able to keep up with some of the firepower added to the AFC North. They both bring a hard-hitting mentality to the secondary, but Turner is a bit undersized to match up with some bigger receivers. Ivey is an interesting prospect, posting top 25 percent athletic testing at an already athletic position.
Is Ivey a lock to make the roster for Cincinnati? https://t.co/4UyZK3Mayr
— FF Mike Kash (@FFMikeKash) April 30, 2023
Charlie Jones and Adrei Iosivas are both opportunities to strengthen a strength. The Bengals were snubbed from the top wide receiver rooms ranking, and Chase and Higgins will be a problem for a while. But if Higgins decides to walk, and with Boyd getting older, Jones and Iosivas are set to compete for the number three in Cincinnati in 2023, and maybe number two in 2024.
With rumors swirling of Joe Mixon being cut or suspended, the Chase Brown pick makes sense. He was solid at Illinois, but then had a sub-par Senior Bowl and fell into the Bengals lap. The Bengals selected Brad Robbins in the sixth. If he’s a pro bowler for years to come, cool. But it’s likely he won’t see the field much with this prolific offense.
Cleveland Browns: C
Players Added: Cedric Tillman, Siaki Ika, Dawand Jones, Isaiah McGuire, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Cameron Mitchell, Luke Wypler
This grade probably isn’t fair, the Browns didn’t have any premium picks. They added three players that have a serious chance to start in 2023, which helps their 2023 AFC North draft grades. Tillman can compete for reps with Elijah Moore and Donovan Peoples-Jones. He is a similar player to DPJ, but a more polished receiver already as a rookie.
Ika, Jones, and Wypler all bolstered the trenches. Much needed bodies and Jones was a steal. He was ranked 20 on the rookie big board due to his run blocking prowess, and the Browns grabbed him late in the draft. In the meat and potatoes part of the draft, the Browns did well.
McGuire and Dorian Thompson-Robinson are serious head-scratchers. McGuire is a little too light in the pants to play the seven technique in the Browns base 4-2-5 defense. At 268, he needs to put on another ten pounds and could lose some of the athleticism that got him drafted. DTR isn’t polished enough to be a back up, and the Browns mortgaged their life savings for Watson so they aren’t looking for a project starter. At any rate, those are two borderline wasted picks.
How’d he fall so far in the draft? pic.twitter.com/R2xqPUlCPL
— FF Mike Kash (@FFMikeKash) April 30, 2023
Mitchell and Wypler are both solid. Mitchell should be able to contribute on special teams. Wypler is a nasty run blocker. He projects to start sooner than later.
Pittsburgh Steelers: A+
Players Added: Broderick Jones, Joey Porter Jr., Keaanu Benton, Darnell Washington, Nick Herbig, Cory Trice Jr., Spencer Anderson
The Pittsburgh Steelers have addressed every major team need in either the draft or free agency. This draft was a slam dunk by all measurements. They added a stellar left tackle prospect in Jones. He will be an immediate starter and help keep Kenny Pickett upright.
Joey Porter Jr. is the son of a former player who plays a position of need. Nick Herbig is the little brother of a current player who plays a position of need. The stars aligned for Pittsburgh and they added two solid playmakers to their defense with family ties.
The AFC North has a history of hard-hitting, big-bodied players with mean streaks. The Steelers added a “goon” in Keaanu Benton and the best tight end in the class in Darnell Washington. Spencer Anderson played all five positions on the line at Maryland and provides much-needed depth to the offensive line. If Matt Canada can’t figure out how to score with all of these big men, he needs to be released.
A bit of a hot take, Cory Trice Jr. might be the better corner in this class. He is also freaky long and has some impressive press tape. The Steelers added grown men to play a grown-man style of football. This is the best draft class Pittsburgh has had in years. For that reason, they top the 2023 AFC North NFL draft grades.
Pittsburgh got a possible starting corner in the late rounds pic.twitter.com/N2L2kStEX8
— FF Mike Kash (@FFMikeKash) April 30, 2023
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
