Ranking every AFC North team's NFL Draft class: Browns, Ravens plug holes

The 2026 NFL Draft was a real barn-burner, with a bunch of trades and even more surprises as teams navigated a weaker, more balanced class than usual.

It's impossible to overstate the importance of this draft for the AFC North in particular. Not a single team from the division feels great about how last season ended. And now we have three new head coaches, a bunch of quarterback uncertainty and more potential for drama than your mother's afternoon soaps. There's a whole lot riding on how this weekend shakes out, so let's rank how each front office did.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

• Round 1, pick 21: Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State
• Round 2, pick 47: Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama
• Round 3, pick 76: Drew Allar, QB, Penn State
• Round 3, pick 85: Daylen Everette, CB, Georgia
• Round 3, pick 96: Gennings Dunker, OT, Iowa
• Round 4, pick 121: Kaden Wetjen, WR, Iowa
• Round 5, pick 169: Riley Nowakowski, TE, Indiana
• Round 6, pick 210: Gabriel Rubio, DT, Notre Dame
• Round 7, pick 224: Robert Spears-Jennings, S, Oklahoma
• Round 7, pick 230: Eli Heidenreich, RB, Navy

Overall, this wasn't half-bad from the Steelers. There is a clear alignment between the front office and new head coach Mike McCarthy, as Pittsburgh spammed critical areas of need on offense. Max Iheanachor was a last-second panic selection after the Eagles swooped out of nowhere to draft USC wideout Makai Lemon — Pittsburgh was literally on the phone with Lemon already — but he should improve what is a flawed O-line and possesses tons of upside long term.

The most exciting picks are probably wideouts Germie Bernard and Kaden Wetjen, both of whom will get a chance to break out in a weaker Steelers position room. Behind DK Metcalf and newcomer Michael Pittman, Pittsburgh lacks a clear-cut third receiver who can slice over the middle and add that extra layer of threat. Bernard in particular feels like the clubhouse favorite to claim that role.

Eli Heidenreich, Pittsburgh's final selection, will defer his Naval service to try and win a job with the Steelers. He has a real shot, too, as plenty of late-round running backs catch on in the NFL. Heidenreich is interesting in that he's basically another receiver: He put up almost twice as many receiving yards (941) as rushing yards (499) as a senior slotback, averaging a whopping 18.5 yards per catch. He's a fun gadget player with whom McCarthy can get creative.

Drew Allar was the only real source of controversy in Pittsburgh's class — and probably my least favorite selection. The Steelers are drafting another in-state quarterback with major flaws, big whoop. A third-round pick isn't the end-all, be-all for a draft class, but we knew the QB quality dropped off dramatically after Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson. Allar has every physical tool you could want in a quarterback, which is all fine and dandy, but he's wildly inaccurate and deeply inconsistent as a processor. He fits into the Anthony Richardson/Joe Milton category of QB, which almost never pans out. Will Howard and Mason Rudolph are already on the roster; Aaron Rodgers probably re-signs eventually. Allar might be QB3 or QB4, without much of a path forward.

3. Cincinnati Bengals

• Round 2, pick 41: Cashius Howell, Edge, Texas A&M
• Round 3, pick 72: Tacario Davis, CB, Washington
• Round 4, pick 128: Connor Lew, C, Auburn
• Round 4, pick 140: Colbie Young, WR, Georgia
• Round 6, pick 189: Brian Parker II, C, Duke
• Round 7, pick 221: Jack Endries, TE, Texas
• Round 7, pick 226: Landon Robinson, DT, Navy

We should probably credit the Bengals for turning the No. 10 pick into Dexter Lawrence, but their draft class technically started on Day 2. Cincy did a lot to reinforce what is still, on paper, a competitive roster with a real chance to claim the AFC North crown.

Cashius Howell was a first-round talent available in the second round (No. 29 on FanSided's NFL Draft big board). He fell because of arm length, which is what it is, but Howell's talent should overcome his measurables. He's explosive off the edge, and while he can struggle against the run, he's going to put relentless pressure on opposing QBs. He's a fine complement to Lawrence on the defensive front.

The Bengals also addressed their needy secondary with Tacario Davis, a big-time athlete at corner. Cincinnati has put up points without issue in recent years; what they really need is a less sieve-like quality from their defense. By sheer volume and intention, this class should help solidify the Bengals on that side of the football.

It was not an all-defense class, however. Connor Lew fell because of injury, making for a nice upside swing in the fourth round. He's a stout pass protector who can help give Joe Burrow the precious time he's been lacking in the pocket in recent years. Brian Parker is even more trench insurance, which is something the Bengals frankly cannot get enough of.

If Colbie Young and/or Jack Endries can break out as a complementary weapon in an already-explosive Bengals pass attack — and if Lawrence is up to his usual tricks as a pass-rush extraordinaire — Cincy fans will come away from this class satisfied.

2. Baltimore Ravens

• Round 1, pick 14: Olaivavega Ioane, OG, Penn State
• Round 2, pick 45: Zion Young, Edge, Missouri
• Round 3, pick 80: Ja’Kobi Lane, WR, USC
• Round 4, pick 115: Elijah Sarratt, WR, Indiana
• Round 4, pick 133: Matthew Hibner, TE, SMU
• Round 5, pick 162: Chandler Rivers, CB, Duke
• Round 5, pick 173: Josh Cuevas, TE, Alabama
• Round 5, pick 174: Adam Randall, RB, Clemson
• Round 6, pick 211: Ryan Eckley, P, Michigan State
• Round 7, pick 250: Rayshaun Benny, DT, Michigan
• Round 7, pick 253: Evan Beerntsen, OG, Northwestern

Vega Ioane did not allow a single sack or QB hurry at Penn State last season. He's a 6-foot-4 mountain with pristine footwork and incredible physicality. He's going to start for the Ravens in Week 1 and provide a major layer of insulation on the O-line, helping free up Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, two of the most explosive playmakers in football.

Zion Young dealt with off-field issues, including a DWI this offseason, but the Mizzou edge is a sensational talent. He figures to work opposite newcomer Trey Hendrickson, beefing up what is hopefully the most robust pass rush in the division. Baltimore's defense dramatically underperformed a year ago, but new head coach Jesse Minter should help in that regard.

The Ravens overwhelmingly focused on offense, however, which is where more of their personnel deficits existed. Ja'Kobi Lane was the vertical complement to Makai Lemon in USC's wide receiver room; now he can work off of a similarly speedy, physical slot receiver in Zay Flowers. Elijah Sarratt, meanwhile, was Fernando Mendoza's favorite red-zone target for the national champion Hoosiers, with 15 touchdown catches last season. He's a great route-runner with a chance to far outperform his draft slot.

Matthew Hibner and Josh Cuevas give the Ravens a ton of versatility and optionality in a deep tight end room. Meanwhile, Adam Randall is a highly underrated running back with a chance to provide crucial support behind Henry on the depth chart. He's another forceful downhill runner, so the Ravens are stacking power on power, true to form.

The Ravens made a lot of picks and addressed a lot of needs. In totality, it's hard not to feel like Baltimore aced this draft.

1. Cleveland Browns

• Round 1, pick 9: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
• Round 1, pick 24: KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
• Round 2, pick 39: Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
• Round 2, pick 58: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
• Round 3, pick 86: Austin Barber, OT, Florida
• Round 5, pick 146: Parker Brailsford, C, Alabama
• Round 5, pick 149: Justin Jefferson, LB, Alabama
• Round 5, pick 170: Joe Royer, TE, Cincinnati
• Round 6, pick 182: Taylen Green, QB, Arkansas
• Round 7, pick 248: Carsen Ryan, TE, BYU

The Browns improbably nailed the draft, doing what they always do: trading back and taking as many bites at the apple as possible. Spencer Fano is arguably the best offensive lineman in this class, with a superhuman blend of size and mobility up front. He will need to clean up his fundamentals, but Fano's ability to recover from mistakes and to potentially function at multiple positions should help the Browns protect whomever lines up under center.

KC Concepion and Denzel Boston were both first-round talents at the receiver position. Cleveland really needs to figure out the quarterback situation, but if Shedeur Sanders is about to start football games again, the only way it works is if this team can put actual weapons around him. The receiver room in Cleveland last season was a joke; Jerry Jeudy is a skilled and experienced pass-catcher, but he's not a true No. 1. Concepion is an explosive vertical threat who can turn on the burners after the catch. Boston is a big, physical wideout who's bound to become [Insert Browns quarterback here]'s favorite red-zone target.

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is the fourth top-50 FanSided prospect in Cleveland's haul. He received a first-round grade. He can play a bit recklessly, but he's a huge athlete for the safety position with a propensity for highlight-reel interceptions and thundering open-field tackles. He spent his college years in the MAC at Toledo, but he came up with 5.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and three forced fumbles last season. The talent is big-time.

Cleveland really hammered the offensive line in the later rounds, which is mission-critical to any hope of success next season. Taylen Green as their sixth-round QB dart throw isn't a bad idea either. He's a fun dual-threat athlete who, on pure physical talent alone, could conceivably blow past Dillon Gabriel (and even Shedeur Sanders) on the depth chart within a year or two.

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