Monday, April 26, 2010

The 2010 NFL Draft - AFC North

I don't have time to do the AFC South, but here's the North!

Ravens: Baltimore is pretty solid everywhere - their biggest problem is age/injury and its effect on vets like Todd Heap and Ed Reed. Although the Ravens did not draft a successor for the great safety, they did add two first round defensive talents in Sergio Kindle and Terrence Cody despite not picking until Day Two. They drafted two top tight ends and a wide receiver to help out Joe Flacco, and they added a talented developmental project in Barbados-native offensive lineman Ramon Harewood during round six. I like picking up Syracuse defensive tackle Art Jones in round five - before his injury last season, he was a potential top-50 pick. Overall, I give the Ravens credit for taking good players at appropriate times. The biggest concern is that they didn't address their secondary concerns, particularly at cornerback, but they would have had to either take a lesser cornerback or sacrifice one of their more talented targets, such as Cody. They clearly stuck to their board, and I respect that.

Bengals: Jermaine Gresham is an excellent tight end, and it's becoming more and more apparent how big an impact such a player can make. Cincinnati needed help with the passing game, and they got it in Gresham, productive slot receiver/return man Jordan Shipley, and Kansas star Dezmon Briscoe. I think Briscoe was one of the top 4 receivers in the draft and a second round talent, so picking him up in the 6th is an absolute steal. He dropped because of a crummy combine, but I saw the guy play against Oklahoma, and he's got the tools to be successful. They also added depth at every level of an already good defensive unit - I love the Carlos Dunlap selection round 2. Cincinnati could be incredibly good next year, as they may boast the NFL's best defense and a much more powerful offense than last year.

Browns: What's not to like about Cleveland's draft? They didn't bow to the pressure and take Jimmy Clausen with the 7th overall pick - they opted for the talented and skilled cornerback Joe Haden, who thoroughly warranted the high slot. In the second round, they again passed on Clausen and stayed focused on the secondary by taking safety T.J. Ward. While not the most gifted safety available to them, Ward is just a good football player - he's highly productive playmaker who works hard and plays smart - and I like it when teams pick those kind of guys. They made other good picks (Carlton Mitchell in round 6 was a steal), but the story is obviously Colt McCoy going in round 3. Now, I know McCoy isn't very tall and he doesn't have a great arm, but the fella is tough, smart, and decent, and he makes plays that win football games. Eventually, production should trump all. I really like Cleveland's draft because they believed in that principle.

Steelers: Much as we might like to see him get pounded, Pittsburgh needed to get better protection for Ben Roethlisberger. They got that in interior lineman Maurkice Pouncey, a physical player who should contribute as a rookie. The Steelers focused heavily on their pass rush and receiving corps, and I particularly like 4th-rounder defensive end/outside linebacker Thaddeus Gibson. Getting Georgia Tech star Jonathan Dwyer in the 6th was miraculous, as Dwyer is every bit the player that legitimate 2nd-rounder Toby Gerhart is. He reads holes well (you have to in an option system) and hits them hard, and that kind of work ethic is always admirable in Steel City. They might have been wise to draft a quarterback in the middle-to-late rounds, as I can't imagine Roethlisberger will be in a Steelers uniform for very many years.

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