AFC North Draft Needs

This division has the possibility of being one of the most competitive in the league this year. The Super Bowl Champion Steelers look to reload and capture there seventh title in franchise history, but the Ravens, Bengals and the Browns look to change that.

Lets start with the Champions, The Steelers. Pittsburgh does not have a lot the need to do to help this team, so much like the Patriots, they should draft for depth. On the defensive side of the ball we have to start at the line.

Keisel and Smith are both in their 30's, so how much more do they have in the tank?

Drafting a defensive lineman with the 32nd pick is the smart choice here to add depth and build for the future. The secondary needs some young talent injected into it, especially at the corner spot.

The Steelers released McFadden during the offseason so they need to draft a fast, physical corner. Taylor and Townsend will hold down the secondary this year but who knows how much more they have in them.

On the offensive side I really feel like the Steelers biggest need is on the line. They can use late draft picks to get some depth. The only other need is at receiver. I really think that the Steelers need to find one more receiver that can really stretch the defense.

Plus, as much as I love him, Ward is getting to the end of his career so it wouldn't be a bad idea to pick up a receiver to start to groom. Sweed will fit into the second or third receiver spot but I really still feel that they need one more.

Next we will go to the team that was hit hard in free agency, the Ravens. Starting on the offensive side we will start at receiver. Mason is a great receiver, and I love his toughness, but he is 35 so again how many years does he have.

Drafting a receiver would be smart for the Ravens, they can get him experience so he will be ready to step into that starting role, plus the Ravens really need to give Flacco a deep threat.

So taking a receiver is a good beat for this team. Lets go to the defensive side now. The Ravens lost a lot in free agency, mostly to the Jets, so they have a lot of holes to fill.

Starting at the inside line backer spot and the departure of Scott. The Ravens have others that can fill in the vacant spot, but I'm not sure if any of them can really do it.

Mclain might have the best chance to start here, but if the Ravens feel like they need to get a upgrade I wouldn't be surprised to see a backer selected with their first pick.

If they feel that they have the personnel already in place, then I wouldn't be surprised to see the Ravens get some depth in the later rounds. At defensive end, Pryce is on the decline after only getting six total sacks in his last 24 games so the Ravens should start to think about getting an upgrade at this position to groom for the future.

This is a big year for the Bengals, and Marvin Lewis. They have a lot of needs to fill on this team if they want any chance of making a playoff push. Starting on the offensive side the Bengals need help on the offensive line.

Andrews was lost to free agency, leaving a injury prone line very thin. The Bengals have to use the draft to add depth to this unit, or Palmer and Lewis will be in big trouble this year.

At the running back position the Bengals no real starter in my option. Benson has not lived up to potential, even though he started to come on at the end of the year, and Perry has been a bust to this point. The Bengals need to take a running back with their first pick to help this offense move.

On defense we will start with the line. In 2008 the Bengals had a total of 17 sacks, 17! They need to draft defensive lineman who will get to the quarterback and take the pressure off of a suspect secondary.

There is plenty of great lineman in this years class so they should be able to find one to help the defense. Moving to the secondary now and the safety spot. Jackson left the Bengals in the off season and from what they have left on the roster, I don't see a impact safety on this roster.

They will have to draft a play maker for this spot in the draft. In my opinion, the defense is the biggest needs in this draft for the Bengals. However, the defense does this team will do so if it struggles then the Bengals are in huge trouble.

The Browns are a mess, and have a lot of holes to fill. On the offensive side the Browns need a tackle. Tucker is starting to be slowed with injuries and there is not a lot of depth to this line, so the draft is needed to help fix that.

Whoever the quarterback is, they will need receivers, which leads me to the next need I believe this teams has. The Browns released Jurevicious in the offseason, and now Stallworth is a question mark so this leaves Cribbs, and Edwards as the only weapons for this offense.

The Browns have to get receivers in the draft to keep defenses honest, instead of rolling coverage over to Edwards. On defense we will start at linebacker. McGinest is going to retire, thinning the defense out even more.

The defense will need to find a backer who will fit into their desire to get pressure on the quarterback. In 2008 they only gathered 18 sacks, so they need to grab a physical backer. The secondary is a problem for this team.

The right corner is in good shape with Wright, but the other corner is still up for grabs as no one has stepped up. The Browns need to get a corner that can start right away and provide relief for this defense especially if they want to make any kind of run to the playoffs