photo: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
While the Ravens were hard at work bolstering their aerial attack by selecting deep threat Breshad Perriman, their AFC North opponents were busy adding some young talent of their own.
Part of the fun of the NFL Draft is how, in the span of just a few hours, these talented prospects instantly transform from possible cornerstones of the Ravens franchise to rivals worthy of contempt.
Ravens Nation: once the Natty Boh bottles from your draft party are thrown away, and after you are done scouring YouTube for Perriman’s highlight reels, take a look at the rookies who will be suiting it up for our divisional foes this year:
Cleveland Browns
Pick 12: Danny Shelton (NT, Washington); Pick 19: Cameron Erving (C, Florida State)
For the second year in a row the Browns held two first-round picks. In sharp contrast to 2014, however, the Browns went “meat and potatoes” last night and struck gold with both selections. Danny Shelton is a premier interior defender who will anchor the nose tackle position in Mike Pettine’s 3-4 base defense.
I do not find Shelton to hold the upside of a Haloti Ngata, to whom he is often compared, but he offers good quickness and both run stuffing and pass rush potential.
Cameron Erving was another great pickup. He can play all five positions along the offensive line and thus offers tremendous versatility. Projecting best as a center, he can learn under one of the best in the league in Alex Mack (whose contract expires after this season), and will likely see some playing time somewhere else along the Browns’ line this season.
Cleveland did not address a muddled quarterback situation nor add perimeter playmakers on offense, but they took two of the best players available with both selections, so although surprising, the Browns had the best first round in the division.
Grade: A-
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Cincinnati Bengals:
Pick 21: Cedric Ogbuehi (OT, Texas A&M)
The Bengals may be the AFC North team who entered the draft with the fewest roster holes. They chose Texas A&M’s Cedric Ogbuehi, a pick that left me scratching my head a bit. Opinions are split on Ogbuehi, who has good size and potential, but some say he lacks sufficient power and pass protection technique for the NFL level.
Ogbuehi also suffered an ACL tear in December. Luckily, with two talented tackles already on the roster, he will have time to rehab and refine his technique over the next season or two.
Also interesting to note is Bengals tackle Andrew Whitworth’s recent comments essentially daring the Cincinnati front office to draft his replacement…..well, they did. Whitworth commands a lot of respect in the locker room as one of the team’s most seasoned veterans so it will be interesting to watch how the team embraces Ogbuehi this year.
I did not find this selection to be a great value at 22, especially when tackle D.J. Humphries was still available.
Grade: C-
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Pittsburgh Steelers:
Pick 22: Bud Dupree (OLB, Kentucky)
For the third straight season the Steelers come away with a first-round linebacker of some kind. Dupree represents fantastic value at pick 22, and he seemed to be a prospect that the Ravens really wanted to fall a bit further to 26. Dupree was projected to be a top-10 pick by some, as he is a dynamic athlete with elite measurables.
Still raw and inconsistent, I would be surprised if his first year or two are outstanding from a statistical perspective, but with proper coaching, he certainly possesses the potential to be a dynamic pass-rushing force along Pittsburgh’s historically strong defensive front.
Even with defensive end Jason Worilds’ retirement, I think the Steelers would have preferred to add a defensive back with their first pick, as they lack overall talent in that area, so that is why I do not consider this pick to be a slam dunk.
Grade: B+
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The Ravens will have to contend with these talented young players for years to come. How would you grade our rivals’ selections?