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BALTIMORE RAVENS (13-4 Won AFC North, Lost AFC Title Game to Kansas City)- For years the Ravens have enjoyed the luxury of having an elite offensive line. That era of players has passed along now and Baltimore was compelled to retool a large portion of its OLine this off-season. Star linemen LT Ronnie Stanley and C Tyler Linderbaum remain, but the team had to replenish the other three positions. Virginia Tech LG Javontez Spraggins (3rd round), a trio of RTs in LSU's Emery Jones (4th round), Notre Dame's Jay Benson (3rd round), and Miami's Marvin Parker (4th round), and Oregon State RG Ben Rosenberg were all added via this year's draft in an obvious effort to regroup up front. Speedy WR Tez Johnson (Stanford) fell all the way to the 7th round where the Ravens scooped him up! QB LaMar Jackson, aging veteran tailback Derrick Henry, and top TE Mark Andrews all return to a unit that is hoping the line can provide the support it has in the past. If the line can get it done, Baltimore should stay right near the top of the league.
The defense got a major infusion of talent at the edge when the club took Penn State DE Abdul Carter with the 30th pick in the 1st round! Carter has the speed. acceleration, finesse moves, and pursuit numbers to become an elite pass rusher opposite Nnamdi Madubuike who is coming off an incredible 26 sack, 44 TFL, 2 FF campaign! Meanwhile, the interior of the Dline should be almost immoveable. Travis Jones (334 Lbs 94 Str) and 2nd round pick Ohio State rookie Tyliek Williams (327 Lbs 93 Str) should form one of the roughest inside duo's in the league and, with Madubuike and Carter, comprise one of the best, if not the best, Dline in all of football! The cornerback position remains a bit slower, but should thrive behind the over-whelming front seven. The linebacking unit is top notch led by Roquan Smith. SS Kyle Hamilton is elite as well.
Prediction: The only question mark is the play of the offensive line. Outside of that, though, this is an utterly loaded roster that should easily contend for a championship.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (7-10)-This may seem a bit of a leap for many to comprehend, but the Steelers made major upgrades in the off-season that could propel them to this lofty spot in one of the league's toughest divisions. There could be a quarterback battle between Justin Fields and Texas' rookie Quinn Ewers, although early signs are that Fields will be the starter. The team had issues running the ball over the past few seasons with the plodding Najee Harris (3.6 YPC last season). So they added a slightly quicker, but similar styled, back in Ohio State's Quinshon Judkins (3rd round) and Oklahoma State speedster Ollie Gordon (5th round) in the draft. The Steelers took possession wide Kobe Hudson (UCF) late in the 7th round. An excellent route runner and catcher of the football, Hudson's lack of speed may not be a factor if he is used mostly as an underneath target and chain mover. Ohio State C Seth McLaughlin (4th round) could become one of the real steals of the draft.
LSU rookie DE Sai'Vion Jones (5th round) could be another steal for the Steelers. Jones (6'6" 280 Lbs) is a big end who can move and has the tools to be able to defend the run and provide pass rush. The linebacker corps returns intact. The secondary got an instant upgrade with the addition of Nebraska CB Tommi Hill (2nd round) and it is hoped the defensive front seven can get enough pressure and hold up versus the run to let the secondary have success.
Prediction: This may be a bit of an ambitious jump up for Pittsburgh, but the team has addressed some key concerns. If Judkins and Gordon can instill some running to the offense, then the passing game should improve which, in turn, should aide the defense. Obviously, an awful lot goes into the success of the running game and much will be determined by the ulitmate decision of who plays quarterback,
CINCINNATI BENGALS (9-8)-Cinci did not make massive adjustments to its offense. They did, however, draft Michigan TE Colston Loveland (4th round) to upgrade the position. Loveland is a bit slow footed to be a downfield threat, but he can catch the ball, is a solid route runner, and can be an every down player spread wide or in-line as a very good blocker. A lot will be put on the shoulders of UCLA rookie LG Giovanni El-Hadl (3rd round). His overall numbers project well as an upfield blocker and pass protector, but he may lack the pure power to play a more physical style of play. TCU WR Jack Bach (6th round) brings some possession skills to the table.
The defensive line did not get a boost while the linebacking unit got a bit of help. Oklahoma State ROLB Collin Oliver (2nd round) should provide solid coverage skills within 3-4, 4-3, and 3-3 type defensive packages. Two more rookies, Kentucky's Jamon Dumas-Johnson (5th round) and UCF's UDFA Clyde Woodard, do not add much in the way of speed or coverage ability, but both can be utile in stopping the run especially Dumas-Johnson who has above average rookie AWR and will be able to ward off many IBLs (86). A weakness remains at cornerback as the unit, as a whole, has issues in man coverage with the best being Cameron Taylor-Britt (76). Ohio State rookie SS Sonny Styles is an impressive player who could be used in a variety of ways. At 6'4' 235 Lbs, Styles can be utilized in the box or as a sub-backer at times.
Predicition: Not sure Cincinnati has added enough at key spots to be able to match up with the Ravens and the club could struggle to stop power teams from running inside on them. The DT and MLB positions are not overly intimidating and, if teams can run on them, it will lead to the secondary getting exposed too often.
CLEVELAND BROWNS (8-9)-As has been the case in this division, picking any team to finish last here is, at best, an exercise in futility. Simply put, outside of Baltimore, this division is wide open. Still, Cleveland's obvious lack of trust in QB Deshaun Watson leaves one with a sense that the Browns may be in a state of flux. They still have top level players on their Oline with guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Tellers and RT Jack Conklin, but the Browns had to draft Arizona LT Jonah Savaiinaea (2nd round) and Florida C Jake Gator (4th round) to complete the line. Both players have the numbers to be very good at their roles. Cleveland went out and snared super fast Texas' WR Isiah Bond with the 13th overall pick in the draft. While the club wanted a quarterback, they did not feel the ones remaining on the board were worthy of this slot. Many pundits felt Bond was the top receiver in the draft despite his normal progesssion trait. The Browns would later add Bond's teammate, WR Matthew Golden as an UDFA. Golden has sure hands, but will need maturing as a route runner in order to be a top notch possession target.
The Browns did not improve along the defensive line, but did look for answers at linebacker in the draft. Minnesota's Devin Kendricks (6th round) looks to be the starter there. He lacks speed, but he might be good enough to play a bit in zone. There is a question mark about Georgia rookie MLB Smael Mondon (6th round) being able to hold up inside. At 6'2" 225 Lbs, Mondon is clearly undersized and, despite being a good tackler, he is vulnerable to being impact blocked (77) and lacks speed (81). Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome, and Martin Emerson form a solid trio at the CB spot although Emerson's lack of top end speed (89) is a bit of a concern. Utah rookie FS Antoine Billups (7th round) could be a steal for the Browns and could challenge veteran Juan Thornhill.
Prediction: The big question in Cleveland is who starts at quarterback. Watson is not in good standing with the coaching staff and Indiana rookie Kurtis Rourke might not be ready to take the reins just yet. In either case, the quarterback position is a huge worry spot for the team.
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