The dust has settled on the 2023 NFL Draft and it is time to look back at every team’s haul to assess how they did. The AFC North was one of the most interesting divisions heading into draft weekend and it sure didn’t disappoint. Here are my grades for all four teams.
Baltimore Ravens
| Pick | Players |
| 1.22 | Zay Flowers – WR, Boston College |
| 3.86 | Trenton Simpson – LB, Clemson |
| 4.124 | Tavius Robinson – EDGE, Ole Miss |
| 5.157 | Kyu Blu Kelly – CB, Stanford |
| 6.199 | Sala Aumavae-Laulu – IOL, Oregon |
| 7.229 | Andrew Vorhees – IOL, USC |
The Ravens had another good draft and I am sure that will come as a surprise to absolutely nobody. Their ability to consistently extract value from their picks was on full display and started with the selection of Zay Flowers in the first round. With Lamar Jackson returning and a shift in offensive identity under Todd Monken he gives them the dynamic YAC weapon from the slot that this team needs.
The selection of Trenton Simpson in the third round was another smart piece of business, giving them a nice running mate for Roquan Smith at the heart of their defense. Simpson is still developing as a processor but he is physically gifted and has shown the ability to be a playmaker in all phases of the game. Keep an eye on seventh rounder Andrew Vorhees too. A torn ACL means he is likely to miss most of his rookie season, but he has legitimate starting potential at the next level.
Grade: B+
Cincinnati Bengals
| Pick | Player |
| 1.28 | Myles Murphy – EDGE, Clemson |
| 2.60 | DJ Turner – CB, Michigan |
| 3.95 | Jordan Battle – S, Alabama |
| 4.131 | Charlie Jones – WR, Purdue |
| 5.163 | Chase Brown – RB, Illinois |
| 6.206 | Andrei Iosivas – WR, Princeton |
| 6.217 | Brad Robbins – P, Michigan |
| 7.246 | DJ Ivey – CB, Miami |
What’s that sound you hear? That’s the Bengals getting a step closer to lifting the Lombardi Trophy. They smashed this draft class out of the park and managed to find the perfect blend of studs at the top and exciting developmental prospects and role players in the later rounds. In Myles Murphy they land a very talented edge rusher with the dream combination of size, power, and athleticism. His production might not have matched these traits consistently in college, but there aren’t many better defensive coaches to learn under than Lou Anarumo.
With their next two picks they added some quality depth to their secondary. DJ Turner brings elite athleticism and likely represents the long term successor to Mike Hilton in the slot, whilst Jordan Battle’s versatility at safety should go some way to mitigating the loss of Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates. Charlie Jones’ route running and safe hands make him a perfect candidate to replace Tyler Boyd, who hits free agency in 2024. Don’t be surprised to see Chase Brown get some action early either.
Grade: A
Cleveland Browns
| Pick | Player |
| 3.74 | Cedric Tillman – WR, Tennessee |
| 3.98 | Siaki Ika – IDL, Baylor |
| 4.111 | Dawand Jones – OT, Ohio State |
| 4.126 | Isaiah McGuire – EDGE, Missouri |
| 5.140 | Dorian Thompson-Robinson – QB, UCLA |
| 5.142 | Cameron Mitchell – CB, Northwestern |
| 6.190 | Luke Wypler – IOL, Ohio State |
The Deshaun Watson trade left the Browns without any picks in the first two rounds for the second consecutive year. Despite working with limited assets, it is fair to say that this class rivals what some teams managed with much more draft capital. Tillman gives them a prototypical X receiver who would have gone far earlier had injuries not impacted his 2022 season. He can be an immediate contributor alongside Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore.
The selection of Ika was smart too, giving them the run-stuffing nose tackle that they so desperately lacked last season. They added another behemoth on the other side of the ball in Dawand Jones, who many (myself included) had projected as a potential first round talent. They also got perhaps the steal of the draft with the selection of Luke Wypler in the sixth round. Wypler needs to add some more functional strength but he has the technique and athleticism to develop into a good NFL starter.
Grade: A+
Pittsburgh Steelers
| Pick | Player |
| 1.14 | Broderick Jones – OT, Georgia |
| 2.32 | Joey Porter Jr – CB, Penn State |
| 2.49 | Keeanu Benton – IDL, Wisconsin |
| 3.93 | Darnell Washington – TE, Georgia |
| 4.132 | Nick Herbig – EDGE, Wisconsin |
| 7.241 | Cory Trice – CB, Purdue |
| 7.251 | Spencer Anderson – IOL, Maryland |
Things started off well for the Steelers with the selection of Broderick Jones in the first round, trading up to get ahead of the Jets and spending just a fourth round pick to do so. Jones is a little raw as you might expect for a one-year starter, but his size, heavy hands and smooth movement skills give him perhaps the highest ceiling of any offensive tackle in this class.
It got even better in the second round as they were able to pick up a hugely talented cornerback in Joey Porter Jr. Aside from the obvious familial connections with the Steelers, Porter offers some of the best tape in this year’s class – there’s a reason he was a top ten player on The Athletic’s Consensus Board. Keeanu Benton should bolster what was often an underwhelming run defense last season and they got a bargain with Darnell Washington, who slid to the third round due to injury concerns. Even their other three picks all offer the potential to be legitimate contributors at the next level.
Grade: A+
