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Grading the Enemy Draft Picks

Artie Burns poses with a Franco Harris staue.
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Even if it took Cleveland trading down, the Ravens certainly hope that their first position among all AFC North divisional opponents in the 2016 NFL Draft will be an outlier. Baltimore wasted no time last night, selecting their left tackle of the future in Ronnie Stanley.

But almost every NFL city is excited this morning, as young stars were added to each roster (except New England). So let’s recap and grade each AFC North selection from last night.

Baltimore Ravens

Pick 6: Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame

The off-field issues for Laremy Tunsil likely left Ronnie Stanley as Baltimore’s top-ranked tackle. Stanley possesses quick feet and natural mirroring skill against the pass rush. He needs to develop more power and a bit of a mean streak to improve his run blocking, however.

Stanley is clean off the field and an elite talent at a position of need. So why does his selection feel ho-hum to many Baltimore fans? His position likely has a lot to do with it–left tackles just aren’t sexy. And with injury concerns to Myles Jack and the soap opera that was Tunsil unfolding before our eyes, the Ravens missed out on explosive talent, leaving Stanley as the conservative choice. Once Jalen Ramsey was taken by Jacksonville one spot ahead of the Ravens, Baltimore would probably have been best suited trading down, adding an extra pick, and selecting somebody ranked 10-15 on their board, but the trade calls just never came.

Grade: C+

Cleveland Browns

Pick 15: Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor

(After trading from pick 2 to 8, and from pick 8 to 15)

Perhaps Hue Jackson traded down twice–once last week and once last night–to try to dupe the casual NFL fan into thinking that by picking halfway into the first round, Cleveland is a middle-of-the-road team. Nevertheless, the Browns addressed a big need at wide receiver by selecting the explosive Corey Coleman.

First, in terms of the trades: I question their willingness to forfeit the #2 selection and surrender a chance at a potential franchise quarterback (with only fellow-Baylor Bear RG3 at the position). But they received quite a bit in return from Philadelphia and the same can be said of their draft-day trade with fellow cellar-dweller Tennessee, all in an effort to stockpile picks and infuse the Cleveland roster with talent.

Now to Coleman: there are concerns about his average size and the limited route tree ran at Baylor (although he ran more routes than people think). But Coleman is a fantastic athlete and elite after the catch. He’ll likely have to line up primarily in the slot but could bounce around inside, outside, and even in the backfield–the Browns will hope Coleman becomes what a guy like Percy Harvin was supposed to be. Some will argue that Cleveland picked the right position but the wrong player and that they should have selected Josh Doctson or Laquon Treadwell.

By the way, doesn’t Coleman look a bit like Ray Rice?

Baltimore Spin: I was worried that Coleman would end up in a dynamic offense like Cincinnati so I’m relieved that he’s headed to talent-starved Cleveland. We’ve often seen singular talents emerge in Cleveland’s offense (Peyton Hillis, Josh Gordon, etc.), but the Browns rarely assemble a multifaceted offensive attack–even an average Ravens defense should still be able to contain them in 2016.

Trade Grade: B+

Draft Grade: B-

Cincinnati Bengals

Pick 24: William Jackson III, CB, Houston

This is a quality pick. William Jackson III is a long, rangy athlete who ran a 4.37 at the NFL Combine and saw his draft stock rise tremendously throughout the past few months. Tall, long, instinctive, and productive, Jackson has the look of a complete corner with a knack for making explosive plays as he returned two of five interceptions for touchdowns in 2015.

Corner wasn’t a huge need for Cincinnati as they have Dre Kirkpatrick and Pacman Jones locked in as starters, but Jackson will add quality depth and develop into a starter sooner rather than later. Cincy definitely has a need at receiver, and they will urgently try to find one in Round 2 or 3 tonight, but they didn’t reach with four receivers already off the board when they were on the clock. It’s never a bad idea to add a high-upside player at the cornerback position.

Baltimore Spin: Jackson will add length to a Cincinnati secondary that already does a stellar job of covering the Ravens’ receivers. Breshad Perriman working against Jackson should be a fun matchup to watch as the two superb athletes grow up together.

Grade: A-

Pittsburgh Steelers

Pick 25: Artie Burns, CB, Miami

Burns was a reach here.  The secondary is far and away Pittsburgh’s biggest need, and they surely think that their roster is just a few players and a few less injuries short of a Super Bowl berth. But Burns’ value at 25, to me, was subpar.

Odds are, Pittsburgh was crushed when the Bengals took Jackson one spot ahead of them, and then simply picked the next best corner on their board. Burns is another player who has seen his stock rise in recent weeks, as he possesses the length, speed, and raw tools to become a quality starter. But his tape runs hot and cold, he grabs receivers too much which will lead to penalties in the NFL, and he doesn’t turn his head around quickly enough. I like the pick for team need, but I just don’t like the player enough to justify the first-round selection.

Baltimore Spin: Pittsburgh has now gone defense in the first round for four straight years with mixed results. I don’t think Burns is an instant solution to the secondary problems, and hopefully he’s not, because Baltimore will need to score a ton of points to keep up with the Steelers’ offense.

Grade: C-

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