2025 NFL Draft Grades: AFC North
By Julian Cordova
The 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone, leaving in its wake a fresh batch of talent headed to the AFC North. This breakdown assesses the draft classes of the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers. We’ll dive into their key selections, evaluate the potential impact of their picks, and assign grades to each team.
Baltimore Ravens
1 (27) – Malaki Starks | S, Georgia
2 (59) – Mike Green | EDGE, Marshall
3 (91) – Emery Jones Jr. | T/G, LSU
4 (129) – Teddy Buchanan | LB, California
5 (141) – Carson Vinson | T, Alabama A&M
6 (178) Bilhal Kone | CB, Western Michigan
6 (186) Tyler Loop | K, Arizona
6 (203) LaJohntay Wester | WR, Colorado
6 (210) Aeneas Peebles | IDL, Virginia Tech
6 (212) Robert Longerbeam, | CB, Rutgers
7 (243) Garrett Dellinger | G, LSU
Grade: A
I really liked the selection of Starks in the first round and that pick has the potential to create a lethal safety duo with Kyle Hamilton. The high-risk, high-reward pick of Mike Green also stands out as a potential steal.
In the developmental tier, Jones Jr. and Buchanan offer intriguing upside, even if they were taken a little earlier than I think they should have been. Special teams were addressed too with the addition of Arizona kicker Tyler Loop, who I think was one of the better kickers in the class. The later rounds saw some solid developmental depth pieces with Wester, Peebles, and Longerbeam, although I don’t think Dellinger will make the final cut.
In summary, Baltimore’s draft has the potential to deliver both immediate impact and future talent. Their undrafted free agent class also boasts some intriguing names, including Memphis LB Chandler Martin and Northern Iowa T Jared Penning, while training camp invites were extended to Iowa LBs Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson, James Madison LB Jacob Dobbs, and Wyoming K John Hoyland.
Cincinnati Bengals
1 (17) Shemar Stewart | EDGE, Texas A&M
2 (49) Demetrius Knight II | LB, South Carolina
3 (81) Dylan Fairchild | G, Georgia
4 (119) Barrett Carter | LB, Clemson
5 (153) Jalen Rivers | T/G, Miami
6 (193) Tahj Brooks, RB, Texas Tech
Grade: A
I can’t complain about anything here. This draft looks like a home run for Cincinnati; they secured players at positions that align well with their needs and draft value. There is potential that they come away from this draft with multiple contributors, and Shemar Stewart could develop into an elite edge rusher within a few seasons.
Knight appears to be a solid replacement for Davis-Gaither, and Fairchild has the potential to step into a starting role this year. Carter and Rivers provide valuable depth, while Tahj Brooks adds some power into the backfield, along with a solid pass blocking profile. I like this class a lot. Their post-draft additions also look promising too, with notable UDFAs including BYU T Caleb Etienne, Arkansas IDL Eric Gregory, Notre Dame IDL Howard Cross III, Auburn QB Payton Thorne, and Ohio State C Seth McLaughlin.
Cleveland Browns
1 (5) Mason Graham | IDL, Michigan
2 (33) Carson Schwesinger | LB, UCLA
2 (36) Quinshon Judkins | RB, Ohio State
3 (67) Harold Fannin Jr. |TE, Bowling Green
3 (94) Dillon Gabriel | QB, Oregon
4 (126) Dylan Sampson | RB, Tennessee
5 (144) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
Grade: B
Cleveland addressed immediate needs early in the draft, adding three players who should step into starting roles within the first two rounds. While Fannin and Sampson have defined skill sets and roles, I am not entirely sure how much of an impact they will make at the NFL level.
The selection of Dillon Gabriel in the third round was puzzling, particularly when they went and took Shedeur Sanders just two rounds later. They may have found a future starter, but I doubt that they will be anything more than a bottom-tier option. They then added a few intriguing UDFAs in TCU LS Brent Matiscik and Colorado State CB Dom Jones.
I actually like a lot of the players that Cleveland selected in this draft, but it is hard to shake the feeling that the overall direction of the franchise remains somewhat unclear.
Pittsburgh Steelers
1 (21) Derrick Harmon | IDL, Oregon
3 (83) Kaleb Johnson | RB, Iowa
4 (123) Jack Sawyer | EDGE, Ohio State
5 (164) Yahya Black | IDL, Iowa
6 (185) Will Howard | QB, Ohio State
7 (226) Carson Bruener | LB, Washington
7 (229) Donte Kent | CB, Central Michigan
Grade: A
The Steelers had a strong showing in the first four rounds. They added another disruptive force to their front seven in Harmon. Johnson offers a physical running style that lends itself well to Arthur Smith’s offense, and Sawyer projects as a reliable run defender at a minimum.
However, I felt that there were better options available for a number of their day three selections. I wasn’t a big fan of the Yahya Black selection and I don’t see Howard making any real impact for them. I did like a couple of their UDFA moves though. The acquisition of Pittsburgh K Ben Sauls and Iowa S Sebastian Castro are noteworthy. Overall, this is a good draft for Pittsburgh, securing high-caliber talent and injecting youth into key positions.