2010 NFL Draft: Scouting the AFC North

If there’s one thing any die-hard Cleveland Browns fan can tell you besides what positions the Browns need to draft this coming April, it’s what the other teams in the division need as well.

When analyzing your team’s chances of success or failure in any given year, knowing your competition is what helps a person rank their team’s respective chances.

The Browns need help on their defense first—this is not something any Browns fan is debating. Even though their still are huge questions at the quarterback position, the consensus among the fan base is that defense is priority number one. A quarterback is something to be considered later.

Turning to the other teams, the Steelers need help on their offensive line desperately, while both the Ravens and the Bengals could use some more offensive weapons for their quarterbacks to exploit.

Here’s a quick rundown of the positions and some names that AFC North teams will likely target.

Cincinnati Bengals

Carson Palmer needs more tools to work with. Chad Ochocinco is the only receiver who had more than 1,000 yards last year, with Laveranues Coles being the only other real threat down-field.

Despite two dependable wide receivers, Palmer was hampered in the short game by not having a quality tight end. Florida's Aaron Hernandez is a popular pick for the Bengals first round selection, and there’s no reason to change that now.

Going deeper into the draft, Rey Maualuga definitely is going to miss some time in the 2010 season because of the DUI charge, and the AFC North features Ben Roethlisburger and Joe Flacco at quarterback.

Look for the Bengals to take at least one defensive end to add more speed to their pass rush and another inside linebacker to add depth.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers' No. 1 priority in the 2010 draft is to improve their offensive line. This should have been their No. 1 priority last year, but a Super Bowl win made the front office blind to their real needs.

Roethlisburger is one of the league’s best quarterbacks, but his one drawback is he holds onto the ball too long. He takes sacks he should not be taking and never really has learned to throw the ball away.

The Steelers' offensive line is by no means among the worst in the league, but if your quarterback is determined to stand in there and make something out of nothing, they have to be a lot better than the 50 sacks they gave up in 2009.

If there’s to be any real draft surprise this year, I would expect it to be the Steelers trading up to try and grab Russell Okung. That’s a long shot, but if Okung falls out of the top five for whatever reason, it’s a gamble the Steelers should take.

The areas of focus for the Steelers definitely will have to be the defense. With Troy Polamalu missing significant time last year, gaping holes in their pass rush and secondary were exposed. Take your pick here—the Steelers need help all over the place.

Baltimore Ravens

Flacco had a sophomore slump. But if you’re not a Baltimore Ravens fan, try to name one wide receiver on that team besides Derrick Mason. Did you remember Willis McGahee also was a member of the Ravens?

If you didn’t, you can be forgiven because the guy only had 15 catches for 85 yards the whole year.

Thus, the Ravens will go with the best wide receiver available with their first pick. If Dez Bryant falls this low, he becomes their pick. Otherwise, it could be Brandon LeFell, Arrelious Benn or Golden Tate. Looking at how the Ravens got knocked out of the playoffs, another playmaker on the defense wouldn’t hurt, either.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns have so many holes to fill on defense that there are plenty of good players still available at the seventh pick for the Browns to take. Their second-round pick also should be a defensive one, unless Team President Mike Holmgren decides neither quarterback on the roster is the answer.

If Holmgren moves on from Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson—and he doesn’t address the quarterback position through free agency—then that need could be addressed in round two depending on which quarterbacks are still on the board.

Going deeper into the draft, the Browns have to address the lack of talent at their wide receiver position, tight end, and a right tackle wouldn’t hurt either.

With Joshua Cribbs now the premier kick returner in the league, plus the additions the team made to their special teams unit last year, don't expect any changes here going into 2010.

Senior Week is over and the Combine is coming. Get ready to adjust your draft boards accordingly.