AFC North NFL Draft Recap

2012 - Bengals Draft


2011: The Bengals did something last season that few people thought they could do at the beginning of last year, and that was make it to the playoffs. The Bengals lost their franchise quarterback (Carson Palmer) and star wide receiver(Chad Ochocinco). After recognizing that they will not be having these players for the 2011 season, the Bengals responded with drafting wide receiver A.J. Green in the first round and quarterback Andy Dalton in the second. Other than those two, the other rookies didn't help the Bengals very much, and will need to have a better class in the 2012 season.

2012:
CB Dre Kirkpatrick's biggest red flag is character and off-field issues. If it wasn't for the character issues, Kirkpatrick may be the best corner back prospect in this class. He possesses very good zone instincts and is a physical hitter. Kirkpatrick can also play special teams as a gunner and a jammer. Only three career interceptions, but quarterbacks tend to look the other way when he was covering. Great pick for the 17th overall pick.
OG Kevin Zeitler is a good sized interior lineman at 6'3 and 315 pounds. High motor type guy and use to be a wrestler. Really good on the interior of the line and improves this Bengals offense line automatically. Controls the man that he blocks, and has good balance foot work. Only big downside is he has a bit of a history with ankle injuries. Really can't complain where they got at 27th overall.
DT Devon Still is a great young player from Penn State. As injuries have always been a bit of a problem with Still, but he has a good motor and determined to be a success at the next level. Socked to see him slip as far as he did down to 53, so the Bengals definitely cashed in at value here. His 2011 season was his best season, and needs to have productive seasons like that in the pros.
WR Mohamed Sanu seems to be another really good pick by the Bengals. Fills a need after losing Jerome Simpson. Catches very well with his hands and will have success at the next level. Will also take some pressure of of A.J. Green. Good body control along with awareness. Not the fastest on the field, but will make plays.
DT Brandon Thompson is a good pick along side of Devon Still. Both players improve this defensive line.Has good size and powerful which is key on the interior of the defensive line.  Not a rush passer, but is a good run stopper. Motor questions that he will need to answer. I know a lot of teams were interested in Thompson before the draft. The Bengals was the team to snag him.
TE Orson Charles will fill in nice and help this Bengals passing attack. Will be second string TE, but might see him in a lot of passing formations because of receiving skills. He is very versatile, but blocking situations is not his thing.
CB Shaun Prater is a 3-year starter from Iowa with 7 career interceptions.Doesn't shy away from contact. He fills a big need. Not very bug, but can still get it done.
WR Marvin Jones is a favorite of mine. Senior Bowl week made scouts look at Jones a little more as he had a sensational week of practice and a good game. In 2011, he started all 13 games at split end and got career highs in catches (62) and in receiving yards(846). Think he could become one of the best receivers on this team.
FS George Iloka is a fast free safety at the next level, but tackling problems that coaches will need to help him with. Quick feet and flexible. Also needs to learn to make bigger plays on the ball.
RB Dan Herron is a Bob-and-weave type runner. Can run through tackles but can also take it around the edge  and turn on the jets. Although, his receiving game needs work.

Overview: All-in-all, a very good draft. I think it was my favorite throughout the league. My only problem was their biggest need was running back in my opinion. Not having Cedric Benson on the roster and not having draft one until the sixth round in  Dan Herron. I think if they addressed this need a bit earlier, they could have gotten a more gifted back. Other than that, they filled all their team needs and are looking to have a good 2012 season.
GRADE: A-



2012 - Browns Draft




2011: Rookies got a lot more playing time than probably coaches would have wanted, but have found some good players in who they drafted because of it. Phil Taylor shows promise at dominating the middle for years to come. Jabaal Sheard showed that he could rush the passer. Greg Little shows signs of being very good. All of this leading them to a 4-12 record in 2011.

2012:

RB Trent Richardson is an answer to a lot of prayers in Cleveland. Fans believe he is their next great for years to come. As the Peyton Hillis relationship didn't last, they make up for it by moving up one pick to take Richardson. Looks the part and is the arguably the most physical back in this class along with being the best.

QB Brandon Weeden is a 28-year old rookie that Browns' fans are crazy about. I am a big Weeden fan. That being said, I think it was a big stretch to get him that early. I was fine with him getting drafted in rounds two or below. Has a great arm, and good mechanics. He is very mature and is a leader on and off the field.

Mitchell Schwartz is a big team need that the filled. A pug and play type gut and will most likely start from day one. Will play the right tackle position at the next level. Has great size and is durable. Started all four years at California. You know exactly what you are getting with him.

DT John Hughes is a fast defensive tackle being that he weighs about 304. Good strength, but isn't as versatile as other lineman at his position. Another stretch early.

WR Travis Benjamin is a gifted athlete and can be dangerous with the ball in his hand. Could be a good punt returner at the next level if given the opportunity. Has a bit of a problem with dropping the football.and not a good blocker. Runs a 4.35, and has blazing speed. Something this team really needs. A good versatile player that can take it to the house with the ball in his hands.

LB James-Michael Johnson has very good instinct. Has a lot of upside with little downside. Great character and is very smart when it comes to the game of football. Biggest problems with Johnson is coverages, but that is something that he can improve on with coaching.

OG Ryan Miller is huge to say the least. 6'6 and 326 pounds. With that excellent size, he is a dedicated weight room type of gut. Very strong which helps him open up running lanes which he also does very well. Needs work with his mechanics, but will get better as he goes.

Compensatory Picks: In rounds six and seven, were all comensatory pick for the Browns. With these picks they drafted Emmanuel Acho, a LB from Texas that has good upside and his brother is a LB for the Cardinals. Billy Winn a DT from Boise State that has more talent and upside than John Hughes in my opinion. CB Trevin Wade that could step up and be a good nickel back at the next level. FB Brad Smelley who is like a lot of Alabama players, physical.

Overview: Definitely a couple reaches that I was not a fan of with the Weeden and John Hughes picks. All very talented athletes, but will need to improve this Browns team as the division is getting stronger, and leaving the Browns behind. Really like the Richardson pick as it filled a hige need for them. They did a good job of filling their team needs as well.

GRADE: C

2012 - Ravens Draft

2011: Well the Ravens really can't complain too much about their 2011 season. They were e AFC North Champions, they defeated their biggest rival Steelers in both match ups, and made it all the way to the AFC Championship but falling short to the New England Patriots. The Ravens' rookies from last year didn't really impact too much besides WR Torrey Smith. I think that is what they wanted though. Good teams like the Ravens and Steeler let their rookies sit and learn the game before throwing them out there. CB Jimmy Smith only started three games, but is progressing to be a better corner. Also showing some promise is OT Jah Reid and DE Pernell McPhee.

2012:

OLB Courtney Upshaw was my highest rated outside linebacker. Seeing that they got him in the second makes up for the fact that the Ravens did not have a first round pick. Big body and very physical as a lot of Alabama players are. Ravens really happy getting Upshaw on top of Terrell Suggs tearing his achillies tendon playing basketball. Good pass rushing ability and will now probably start day one.

OL Kelechi Osemele is a big guy at 6'5 and 333 pounds. Has a good powerful base. Can change between playing guard or tackle. Versatile athlete. Is a bit sloppy with footwork.

RB Bernard Pierce a confident runner with thousand yard seasons in two out of his three seasons at Temple. Also ran for double digit touchdowns in all three seasons with his most coming in the 2011 season with 27. Runs hard and has a good burst up the hole. A lot of upside but durability and pass protection seem to be his two biggest factors.

OG Gino Gradkowski is probably the biggest reach in my opinion for the Ravens. He wasn't the highest on my board at that time, but is a good athlete and will be in competition for taking over Ben Grubbs' place on the line.

FS Christian Thompson was a solid pick in my opinion. The Ravens definitely needed depth here at safety. Good speed with good range. Very athletic, but takes wrong angles at times. Character issues, but going into a strong locker room.

CB Asa Smith Stands out when you watch film but comes from small football college of Cal Poly. Does not impress me with instincts. Did not show much at senior Bowl. Had a productive college career, but wondering if it can progress into the NFL.

WR Tommy Steeter is an exciting player from Miami University. Big guy standing at 6'5, and long-armed. Hands are not as consistent as you would like to see from a body like this. Can be a deepth threat. Guys like Anquin Boldin will teach him to be a better receiver.

DE DeAngelo Tyson is a good sized guy that the Ravens will try to make a solid 3-4 DE. Maybe progress into a starter one day. Opportunity increased with Cory Redding no longer there.

Overview: Filled most of the team needs. Really got some good talent with their selections. Upshaw seems to be the best pass rushing OLB in this class in my opinion and they are going to need him. Bernard Pierce can take some pressure off of Ray Rice and help in the receiving game as Rice does well at catching the ball too. Interested to see if any of the late rounders make a big splash on this team. Failed to get a quility center. Matt Birk is getting up there and age and they need to find a replacement soon.

GRADE: B

Click Link for transcript. In description - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzleiKEr7kQ



2012 - Steelers Draft




2011: The Steelers had a powerful regular season as the team finished 12-4, but towards the end of the season started to fall off their trail a bit. Much of it had to do with injuries and the age of the team. So after the Steelers suffered a dramatic loss to the Denver Broncos in overtime in the wild-card round of the playoffs, the Steelers front office took control and cleaned house. Basically getting rid of players that are responsible for two more Super Bowl wins and three Super Bowl appearences for this franchise. The team let go of Veterans Aaron Smith, James Farrior, and most famous Hines Ward. Chris Hoke also retired. Also, on top of that, the Steelers basically told Bruce Arians he isn't going to be back as the offensive coordinator. The 2011 rookies show hope for years to come.

2012:

OG David Decastro was like a gem to the Steelers that happened to fall to the 24th overall pick and Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin were very pleased to take Decastro. He is football smart. Dominates his man at the point of attack. Good run blocker. Can pull and do a way better job at it than former Steelers OG Chris Kemoeatu. Excellent moving skills and already being compared to Alan Faneca. Automatically makes this offensive line better.

OT Mike Adams was a solid pick. For anyone that says it is not, look again. My third highest rated tackle and will most likely be a starter at right tackle from day one. This will help last year's rookie Marcus Gilbert focus on becoming the starting left tackle. Adams is a giant to say the least. 6'7 and 323 pounds. Yes has his problems off the field, but growing up a life long Steelers fan, he promised the Steelers to stay away from trouble if they drafted him. Which put Adams back on their board. Athletic, but needs to work on his work ethic. Technique could use work.

LB Sean Spence was another solid pick for the Black and Gold. Not sure where exactly they will line him up, but is extremely talented. If he bulks up, he could take an ILB role next to Lawrence Timmons and Larry Foote. Seeing that James Harrison is over 30, they may keep him at OLB. Missed one game in 2011 due to NCAA suspension. Good tackler with good covering ability.

DT Almameda Ta'amu was a great pick by the Steelers during the draft. A big fan of Ta'amu. He will be the Casey Hampton replacement in a couple short years if all goes as planned. He reminds you of Hampton when he plays too. Strong at the point of attack. Can fill gaps with ease. Has a good character and is football smart. Made 109 tackles in his career at Washington and recorded 7.5 sacks. Concerned with weight issues. Has been reported that hes been all the way up to 390 pounds.

RB Chris Rainey is a speed demon from Florida. Very quick and explosive. Is a play maker with the ball in his hands. Is a good receiving back. Probably the best in this class. Makes good cuts, and will have success. Durability is his biggest issue. Pass protection is not his thing. Has character issues, and needs to mature. 

WR Toney Clemons from Colorado will be a guy to come in and try making the team with this good group of wide receivers. Seeing that Mike Wallace is holding out, his play time will be increased. Good size at 6'2 and decent pass catching ability.

TE David Paulson is a good sized TE at 6'3 and 243 pounds. Good hand-eye coordination. Good hands. Knows how to make a clutch catch. Not the best at blocking. Great character.

CB Terrence Frederick will help with special teams. Can be a gunner. Might develop into a nickel back if he gets the opportunity.

OG Kelvin Beachum is a good sized guard from MU at 6'3 and 303 pounds. Needs work in all areas. Might be a good reserve lineman.

Overview: I love the draft by the Steelers. I liked almost every single pick on a talent level. If all goes well, after what seemed to be a little bit of a rebuilding year for the Steelers, they are right back in there with discussions of best in the AFC. Really like the First four selections by the Steelers. They filled all team needs. Only downfall is a lot of players they took have some character problems and off-field issues. That makes their grade drop a little in my opinion.

GRADE: A-

To view other division recaps 

NFC North - http://247sportszone.blogspot.com/2012/05/nfc-north-draft-grades.html