As we know, the NFL draft is only the beginning of the journey for the league's newest members. There is an inherent sense of accomplishment in having been drafted in the first place, but then the pressure to earn a roster spot and remain relevant in the long term begins. 

Some players make a lasting impression on their team—however, it's not always positive. For every future Hall of Famer who takes the field there is another player taken in the draft who fails to make an impact.

Here are the biggest studs and duds from the Cincinnati Bengals' last five draft classes. 

Stud: DT Geno Atkins, 2010, Fourth Round

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Cleveland Browns CEO Joe Banner said in radio interviews earlier this week that second-year quarterback Brandon Weeden will begin the offseason program as the starter, but that he'll need to compete for it to stay that way.

With the team bringing on free agent Jason Campbell, Weeden will face some serious pressure from an established veteran—a veteran who could do more than push him to become a better quarterback. Campbell could realistically beat Weeden out for the job.

While Weeden certainly has the edge to continue to be the Browns' starter, the presence of Campbell cannot make him feel completely secure.

Though Campbell has only once in his career surpassed the 3,385 passing yards Weeden amassed in 2012—in 2009, with the Washington Redskins, he had 3,618—and has played a total of just 12 games in the last two years, Campbell's experience and adaptability make him capable of taking Weeden's job if Weeden's offseason progress doesn't go as quickly or smoothly as hopes.

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In an unprecedented sweep of housekeeping, the Baltimore Ravens followed up their Super Bowl win by letting go of a number of their biggest veteran names. First linebacker Ray Lewis retired, then the team traded wide receiver Anquan Boldin for a sixth-round draft pick after he refused a pay cut. The team also released safety Bernard Pollard and let fellow safety Ed Reed head to the Houston Texans in free agency. 

All of a sudden, it appeared that the Ravens were on the brink of suffering a crisis of leadership, with their most vocal and well-known players joining other teams or hanging up their cleats. However, the situation is far less dire than some may think.

Being vocal and in the spotlight aren't necessary qualities of leadership, though some leaders certainly possess them. In fact, sometimes those two traits can be an issue in an NFL locker room, splitting a team into factions instead of one united group.

That could have been the case when it came to Reed and Pollard. After head coach John Harbaugh announced in October the team would have a padded practice, Reed and Pollard openly complained, leading to what Yahoo! Sports' Michael Silver characterized as a "near-mutiny" led by the two safeties, before Harbaugh got the situation under control. 

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When the Baltimore Ravens landed free-agent pass rusher Elvis Dumervil, it was thanks to a perfect stroke of luck. Their signing of safety Michael Huff, however, was a calculated move that meets a need at precisely the right price. In signing Huff, they fill the hole at free safety left by Ed Reed and buy time with just a near-negligible salary cap hit.

For just $6 million over three years, the Ravens have themselves a veteran safety who can start immediately and who, if they manage to draft or sign a better, younger player in the years to come, won't be too expensive if they need him simply in a support role. 

Huff, who spent the last seven years with the Oakland Raiders, played strong and free safety and started 14 games at left cornerback in 2012 after injuries depleted their depth. As such, his most recent season wasn't his best, but a return to free safety in Baltimore should better highlight his skills. 

Huff has a career total of 438 combined tackles, 5.5 sacks (four of which came in 2010, his best season by far, in which he was the Raiders' starting free safety for all 16 games), four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 11 interceptions. He's as strong in coverage as Reed and slightly better against the run—he had just eight missed tackles in 2012 to Reed's 21 (subscription required), and comes at a mere pittance of $2 million per season. 

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With very little salary cap room to work with, the Pittsburgh Steelers were predictably quiet in free agency. The bulk of their roster-building this year will have to come via the NFL draft. 

The Steelers have a number of positions they need to address in the draft, to varying degrees. They'll likely seek to improve their pass rush with one of their first two picks, but in the middle rounds they will need to add more than just depth. They must find some bargains at certain positions who can prove capable of starting in their rookie seasons.

Here are a few players the Steelers may give close consideration to in Rounds 3 through 5 of this year's draft. 

RB Johnathan Franklin, UCLA

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Is Antonio Brown a true No. 1 wideout? The Pittsburgh Steelers appear to have little choice but to find out. 

As expected, the Steelers let receiver Mike Wallace leave in free agency, where he then landed with the Miami Dolphins. That makes Brown the Steelers' best wideout currently on the roster and he's almost certain to have an increased workload in 2013 now that Wallace is gone.

In 2012, Wallace was the Steelers' most-targeted receiver, with 119 passes thrown his way. Brown, however, also saw his fair share of targets, with 105. With 14 fewer targets, Brown also managed to catch more passes than Wallace, notching 66 receptions to Wallace's 64.

There's little concern that Brown will be able to handle having increased attention from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. In fact, Brown had 123 total targets in 2011, more than Wallace in 2012. 

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While the Cleveland Browns still have a lot of salary-cap cash left, they also have a young roster that will command more money in the coming years.

New veteran additions aren't out of the question between now and April's NFL draft—they just signed quarterback Jason Campbell to a two-year deal (via the Cleveland Plain Dealer) to provide competition and potentially back up Brandon Weeden—but the bulk of their attention will now shift to the crop of would-be rookies available next month. 

The Browns have the sixth-overall pick in the first round, which will has been and will continue to be dissected to death. However, with no second-round pick after grabbing receiver Josh Gordon in last year's supplemental draft, what the Browns do with their middle-round selections are nearly as important as what they do in the first. Here are a few players they could consider in rounds three through five.

CB Logan Ryan, Rutgers

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To say the Baltimore Ravens are a team with many needs to be met in this year's NFL draft is an understatement. Though they filled the hole at outside linebacker by signing Elvis Dumervil and brought on Chris Canty to help boost their defensive line, the Ravens still need to find young players who can contribute immediately and develop into long-term solutions at myriad positions.

The Ravens aren't wanting for draft picks, however. They have their full complement of seven rounds' worth of picks as well as additional, compensatory picks in Rounds 4 through 7, one apiece. This makes the middle rounds of Baltimore's draft especially crucial ones for its long-range roster-building plans. Here are a few mid-round prospects who could very well be on the Ravens' board this year.

ILB Nico Johnson, Alabama

With Ray Lewis retiring and Dannell Ellerbe choosing to head to the Miami Dolphins as a free agent, the Ravens need to address the inside linebacker position more than once in this year's draft. They need a starter in the middle, to be sure, but the two departures also deplete their depth, so it's quite possible the Ravens use both their first-round pick and then another later on to boost the interior of their linebacking corps.

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