2021 NFL Draft Grades: AFC North Edition
Part 8 of the series finale — The 2021 NFL Draft Grades Series concludes with the AFC North.
SPOILER ALERT! As you can probably tell by the main photo of this article, the Baltimore Ravens had the best 2021 NFL Draft class. The question is who else in the AFC North Division had themselves a great Draft? Who had the worst Draft in the Division?
In this 2021 NFL Draft Grade Series Finale, we'll take a look at all four teams in this Division and break down how they did in the Draft.
As you know by now, the grading scale for this review will be 1–10 (10 being the best and 1 being the worst). Each Franchise in this article will be ranked from best to worst.
2021 NFL Draft Review:
NFC Draft Grades: East, North, West, South
1. Baltimore Ravens
Draft Picks:
Minnesota WR Rashod Bateman (27th Overall), Penn State LB Jayson Oweh (31st Overall), Georgia OG Ben Cleveland (94th Overall), SMU CB Brandon Stephens (104th Overall), Oklahoma State WR Tylan Wallace(131st Overall), Ohio State CB Shaun Wade (160th Overall), Notre Dame DE Daelin Hayes (171st Overall), Michigan FB Ben Mason (184th Overall)
Overall Draft Grade: 9/10
Summary:
After going on a rant about the Wide Receivers on the roster, Ravens General Manager Eric Decosta addressed the position in the 2021 NFL Draft. Rightfully so. It would’ve been foolish for the Ravens to believe they had no holes at the Wide Receiver position. Getting Rashod Bateman at 27th overall was a steal. Bateman is the tall (6'2) possession Receiver that the Ravens have longed for since Lamar Jackson took over the reins as the Starting Quarterback.
The Ravens added another deep-threat Receiver in the 4th Round in Tylan Wallace. Ben Mason and Ben Cleveland will help immensely in pass-protection. There’s no doubt that the Ravens did their best to try and surround Lamar Jackson with talent on the offensive side of the ball.
On defense, the Ravens added some nice pieces as well. Cornerback Shaun Wade fell to the 5th Round and is a player that was projected to be a 1st Round pick before the start of the 2020 College Football season. Getting a player like Wade in the 5th is a great value.
2. Cleveland Browns
Draft Picks:
Northwestern CB Greg Newsome II (26th Overall), Notre Dame LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (52nd Overall), Auburn WR Anthony Schwartz (91st Overall), Cincinnati OT James Hudson (110th Overall), Ohio State DT Tommy Togiai (132nd Overall), West Virginia LB Tony Fields II (153rd Overall), Georgia S/CB Richard LeCounte (169th Overall), LSU RB Demetric Felton (211th Overall)
Overall Draft Grade: 7.5/10
Summary:
The Browns did some nice things on all 3 days of the Draft. The value they found on day 3 was impressive. James Hudson is a mammoth Offensive Lineman that doesn’t quite have the footwork to be a Left Tackle but has some upside and physical tools to play Guard.
Defensive Back Richard LeCounte fell further than I thought he would and was the second-best Defensive Back coming out of Georgia behind Tyson Campbell. The Drafting of Greg Newsome II in the 1st Round stabilizes a solid defensive 2021 Draft Class for the Browns.
3. Cincinnati Bengals
Draft Picks:
LSU WR Ja’Marr Chase (5th Overall), Clemson OT/OG Jackson Carman (46th Overall), Texas DE Joseph Ossai (69th Overall), Tulane DE Cameron Sample (111th Overall), LSU DT Tyler Shelvin (122nd Overall), East Carolina OT D’Ante Smith (139th Overall), Florida K Evan McPherson (149th Overall), Georgia C Trey Hill (190th Overall), Michigan RB Chris Evans (202nd Overall), Kansas State DE Wyatt Hubert (235th Overall)
Overall Draft Grade: 6.5/10
Summary:
Passing on Penei Sewell is a decision the Bengals will regret for years to come. With the amount of depth that there was at the Wide receiver position in this 2021 NFL Draft Class, to pass on a Franchise-changing Left Tackle, was puzzling. After Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater, there was a significant drop-off in talent at the Offensive Tackle position.
Ja’Marr Chase is a special Wide Receiver Prospect, but there were a plethora of talented Receiver options to be had in the 2nd Round. Perhaps the defining moment of the Bengals Draft Class was Drafting a Kicker in the 5th Round, which is still relatively early to take one.
All in all this Draft Class will be defined by how good Ja’Marr Chase’s career turns out because the Bengals passed on a future Hall of Famer at Left Tackle for him. If Ja’Marr Chase isn’t a Hall of Famer at the end of his career, this whole Draft is a failure for the Bengals.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
Draft Picks:
Alabama RB Najee Harris (24th Overall), Notre Dame TE Pat Freiermuth (55th Overall), Illinois OG Kendrick Green (87th Overall), Texas A&M OT Dan Moore Jr. (128th Overall), Texas A&M LB Buddy Johnson (140th Overall), Wisconsin DT Isaiahh Loudermilk (156th Overall), Miami (FL) LB Quincy Roche (216th Overall), Oklahoma CB Tre Norwood (245th Overall), Georgia Tech P Pressley Harvin III (254th Overall)
Overall Draft Grade: 6/10
Summary:
The only pick that made any sense for the Steelers was Pat Freiermuth, a terrific all-around Tight End with Pro-Bowl potential. With that being said, taking Najee Harris in the 1st Round was surprising. With Travis Etienne being taken with the very next pick, the Steelers passed on the best running back in the Draft Class. Harris may end up being a good player, but the Steelers didn’t get great value for their pick.
Harris isn’t a Top 25 player in this Draft class in my opinion and the Steelers should have traded back to acquire more picks if they wanted to take Harris. For the most part, I have the same philosophy when it comes to taking Running Backs in the 1st Round, as Mel Kiper. They should not be taken in the 1st Round.
There are exceptions. Unless you’re a transcendent talent at the Running back position, like a Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliot, etc., there’s no need to draft one in the 1st round of an NFL Draft. Harris isn’t a transcendent talent.
Jeffrey Genao is a Writer and Contributor for Top Level Sports, Basketball University, and Kitchen Tales. You can read more of his Content at Top Level Sports, Basketball University, Kitchen Tales, and the Official Basketball University website https://officialbballuniversity.com/author/jeffrey-genao/.
