Grading the NFL Draft for the AFC North

Well the draft has come and gone once again. Having covered the draft for years the conclusion I have come to is that this was a very weak year.

Most experts will tell you that you can't evaluate a draft until the three years after the fact so keep that in mind when reading the comments below. The following is only my opinions on how the teams fared with no definitive conclusions

PITTSBURGH STEELERS-B

Well the Steelers followed their reputation for taking players they can develop down the road that fit their system. I believe they drafted well in the Mid to late rounds but missed early on.

Ziggy Hood may have been the top man on their board but I believe he doesn't fit their system. He twists and turns and slithers thru holes. A 3-Technique. He belongs in a penetrating agp shooting defense not a system where he has to absorb blockers. 

He has tremendous upper body strength but can't anchor and gets pushed around and often sealed. He reminds me alot of Kendrick Clancy, a former 2nd Round pick by the Steelers.

I admire the fact that the Steelers acknowledge that they needed to add youth to that defensive line. They have not drafted a Defensive Lineman on the first day in the last 8 years of the Draft.

The Steelers didn't see any Offensive Lineman they liked in Round 2 so they traded down and still got the best on the board with Badger Keith Urbik. Urbik will probably play Guard for the Steelers but he fits better as a Right Tackle.

He's big, strong, and tough but lacks lateral agility and could struggle in pass protection. He's a solid pick.

Mike Wallace is a WR with blazing speed and will try to replace the departed Nate Washington as a downfield threat for Big Ben but is a leading candidate for return duties. Wallace averaged 20 yards per catch in college but never caught more than 37 passes in a season so his hands are a little shaky. I think he'll be a bust, (much like Fred Gibson was) but for now I will give the scouts the benefit of the doubt.

Keenen Lewis is a better athlete than player. He can run with Wideouts but is slow to support the run and has poor hands. Joe Burnett is a kid I love. He was in the top 10 as both a punt and kickoff returner and he has great all skills and could fill in well when they go to the Nickel.

Rashon Harris showed some flashes late in the year but he'll end up on the Practice squad. AQ Shipley was a steal taken so late. He doesn't look like much but he finds a way to get the job done.

Summers is a short yardage tree stump and David Johnson is a great athlete who can develop as an HBack. Overall, a pretty good draft unlike last year.

BALTIMORE RAVENS-B+

Okay they didn't draft that "Big Play" Reciever they needed but they did an excellent job adding depth which will serve them well in years to come. Its too bad they have to dink and dunk when they have a QB with Flacco's arm but maybe they can still trade for a veteran.

Regardless, the Ravens traded up to get OT Michael Oher. He is an outstanding run and pass blocker but has maturity issues. He has overcome alot in his life but if he has a positive role model he may be the best OT in this draft. Paul Kruger kicks ass with the best of them and is relentless like Jared Allen.

He may need time to adjust to the scheme but he'll be a good one. He has only one kidney which scared off alot of teams. Webb can return punts and has the makings of an excellent dime corner right away. Jason Phillips is coming off a major injury but has a high motor.

The Ravens are loaded in the front 7 so I doubt they'll miss Bart Scott. Barnes, Gooden, and these picks will make them strong for years to come.

Davon Drew is a Tight End that can get down the field but needs coaching help to reach his potential. Cedric Peerman is a high character RB who makes everyone around him better.

They helped themselves after the draft picking up some great non drafted players. Daniel Ellerbe was thought to be a 2nd Round draft pick but dropped due to character issues. Willie VanDesteeg of Minesota is an outstanding pass rusher with 10 sacks and 20 tfl.

DE Will Allen of Michigan is a true 5-technique with explosive power to control blockers and the remaining free agents are decent as well. Still, they lack that 1 Big Play Reciever that can put them neck and neck with Pittsburgh. The clock is ticking .

CLEVELAND BROWNS-C+

Cleveland traded down quite often in this draft and I admire that but this was not the draft you wanted to trade down in.

Center Alex Mack lacks lower body strength but has all the makings of an All Pro Guard. Brian Robiske was the most polished Reciever in the draft and has great hands but lacks explosion out of his breaks.

Mohammed Massaquoi benefitted by playing in a Pro style Offense and having Matt Stafford as his QB. He makes great catches but lacks speed and lower body explosion. Kaluka Maiave at times played better than the overated Ray Maualuga, but he lacks height and may have to spend years as a special teams player.

Both Cornerbacks Donald Carey and Coye Francis were steals by Cleveland in the later Rounds and both could develop into starters in time. They both play Man better than Zone. Francis had a off field incident which was considered an abberation.

Finally James Davis of Clemson was a value pick in round 7. Great college Running Back with limited Pro potential. He'll make it as a backup in the NFL but I'll be shocked if he starts. His teamate CJ Spillner has much more potential

CINCINNATTI BENGALS- C+

Nothing shocking here. 3 big gambles in the firat 3 rounds with boom or bust potential. I really like Andre Smith and despite weight and maturity issues I think he'll be an All Pro Left Tackle if he keeps his weight under control.

If you watch his games on tape he really dominated. Rey Maualuga was expected to go in Round One but the more scouts watched tape on this kid the more flaws they saw. Absolutely no gap control. Poor tackling, doesn't carry out his assignments, and had so much talent around him at USC his flaws were covered up.

That Defense was designed to give him a free lane which enabled him to make those "Big Hits". If you get him in space you can see how bad he is.  Forget the Junior Seau comparisons. This guy couldn't hold Seau's jockstrap.

Another boom or bust guy is DE Michael Johnson who was taken in RD No. 3. Basketball build, straight line runner who can easily get sealed by any OT and he has no other moves. He's useless against the run and was strictly a "designated rusher" until his final season.

Both he and Maualuga spend more time on the ground than any of the top prospects in this draft. Johnson has character but also plays too nice and thats not good.

Chase Coffman is coming off a major injury but is a great TE with outstanding hands. He played in Missouri's spread with wide splits which helped him get open but he has to bulk up to make it as a blocker.

Jon Luigs was one of the better Centers in this draft and could start as a rookie. So should Punter Kevin Huber. Running Back Bernard Scott ran for 95 Touchdowns in 3 years and nearly 7,000 yards in Division 1AA. Not bad considering he has been arrested 6 times and kicked off of 3 teams.

Of course he'll get his counseling with all the other Bengals who have more arrests than Touchdowns.