AFC North rookie grades Steelers young defense improving

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AFC North rookie grades: Steelers' young defense improving Published: Feb 15, 2017 at 05:00 AM Baltimore Ravens Round 1: (No. 6 overall) , OT, 12 games/12 starts. Round 2: (42) , LB, 9 games/1 start. Round 3: (70) , DE, 0 games. Round 4: (104) , CB, 16 games/11 starts; (107) , WR, 15 games/0 starts; (130) , OG, 10 games/8 starts; (132) , DT, 0 games; (134) , RB, 12 games/0 starts. Round 5: (146) , LB, 14 games/0 starts. Round 6: (182) , WR, 0 games; (209) , CB, 4 games/0 starts. Notable undrafted FAs: , LB, 11 games/1 start; , DT, 16 games/1 start. A mix of good and bad, this draft cla s was about reenergizing their proud defense, and on some levels, they managed to succeed. I was particularly high on and coming out, , but only Young really grabbed the bull by the horns. The fourth-round pick out of Temple started 11 games and appeared in all 16. He knocked down eight balls and picked off two. For a team desperate to find cornerback help, this pick was a godsend. First-rounder was good, and a no-complaints tackle on Day 1 was exactly what Baltimore was hoping for. Fourth-round pick also stood out and should be a good-to-very-good third-down back again this year, as he was down the stretch in Baltimore. While this draft may have failed to produce a game-changing weapon for QB , it had a Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot Jersey foundational feel, a suming Correa can come out of his shell and win an inside linebacker spot this summer. GRADE: B- Combine/free agency focus: Teams win in the AFC North by getting after the quarterback. This draft, , is full of good pa s rushers. But Baltimore also has some other fish to fry this winter and spring. The retirement of leaves a glaring hole at the wide receiver position, and their offensive line is still one guard away from being complete. The found themselves entirely too reliant on the arm of Flacco and need to find greater balance on offense, something that might happen with a smart addition or two in free agency. Cincinnati Bengals Round 1: (No. 24 overall) III, CB, 0 games. Round 2: (55) , WR, 16 games/2 starts. Round 3: (87) , LB, 16 games/0 starts. Round 4: (122) , NT, 0 games. Round 5: (161) , OG, 0 games. Round 6: (199) , WR, 8 games/4 starts. Round 7: (245) , S, 16 games/0 starts. Notable undrafted FAs: , WR, 16 games/0 starts. First-round pick had to go under the knife during training camp and, because of a long line of injured players, did not get selected to return off injured reserve. That, I feel, leaves this draft grade as incomplete. The team could very well lose this offseason, giving Jackson a chance to show off his skills. had a good rookie season with 54 catches for 603 yards and a touchdown, but the rest of the cla s fell largely silent. This was a veteran-laden team that was stocked with good players from previous Marvin Lewis drafts, so it's hard to knock him too much when we won't know the full extent of their talent for years to come. GRADE: C- Combine/free agency focus: This section feels odd, because the aren't a big free agent team. There are some solid veteran pickups they could make, but would they? Perhaps being picked apart again in free agency could motivate a coaching staff under fire, but this is a team that operates on a budget and sticks to its philosophy. Are the good enough to make the playoffs as currently constructed? Po sibly. Could they use another cornerback, defensive tackle and a pair of offensive linemen? Absolutely. Can they get that all in this year's draft? No. Cleveland Browns Round 1: (No. 15 overall) , WR, 10 games/10 starts. Round 2: (32) , DE, 16 games/16 starts. Round 3: (65) , DE, 14 games/3 starts; (76) , OT, 7 games/0 starts; (93) , QB, 9 games/8 starts. Round 4: (99) , OLB, 16 games/4 starts; (114) , WR, 16 games/3 starts; (129) , S, 12 games/5 starts; (138) , TE, 12 games/2 starts. Round 5: (154) , WR, 4 games/0 starts; (168) , OG, 16 games/9 starts; (172) , WR, 16 games/0 starts; (173) , DB, 1 game/ Tyler Johnson Jersey 0 starts. Round 7: (250) III, LB, 0 games. Notable undrafted FAs: , LB, 14 games/0 starts; , CB, 14 games/6 starts; , DE, 11 games/0 starts; , S, 15 games/3 starts; , FB, 9 games/3 starts. The next five years for this franchise will be determined by its ability (or inability) to secure a foundation in 2016 and 2017. After one year of one draft cla s, the results were largely mixed. The focused on intelligence and production in the draft this past year, securing players who could come in with a chip on their shoulder and contribute right away. Some, like first-round pick , second-round pick , third-round pick and fourth-round pick , simply had to, given the lack of talent on the roster when new head coach Hue Jackson arrived. How did they fare? Coleman mi sed six games but finished with 33 catches for 413 yards and three touchdowns, which projects to 53 catches for 660 yards and seven touchdowns over 16 games. This is not bad for a team that started a clearly still-declining Robert Griffin and a rookie in this season. Ogbah led the team in sacks (5.5), Na sib finished tied for third in sacks (2.5) and Kindred, who may have shown up more pro ready than any of his rookie counterparts, added 32 solo tackles and five pa ses defensed. While this is all to news for rookies operating on a threadbare team that provided no help, the did select three other receivers and a wideout/tight end hybrid other than Coleman. And only one, Ricardo Lewis, saw significant snaps. GRADE: C Combine/free agency focus: While I understand the ' plan to spend responsibly and build carefully, this offseason presents a unique opportunity if certain players hit the open market. is a game-changing run defender and only 28 years old. is 25 and may be the best cornerback on the market. is 26 and so is , who the will almost certainly not be able to afford but who could pair beautifully with emerging defensive tackle . The are deep-pocketed this offseason with no players other than to re-sign. Some of this money will have to go in free agency, and there is a smart way to do it without falling back into Cleveland's vicious cycle of overpaying aging, unmotivated players in decline. As for the draft, the plan seems fairly obvious: Should the hold on to the No. 1 overall pick, take the best player available in and ignite the defense. Use the second first-round pick in a trade for or to select the best remaining quarterback on the board. Pittsburgh Steelers Round 1: (No. 25 overall) , CB, 19 games/12 starts. Round 2: (58) , S, 19 games/12 starts. Round 3: (89) , NT, 18 games/16 starts. Round 4: (123) , OG, 0 games. Round 6: (220) , OLB, 0 games. Round 7: (229) , WR, 2 games/1 start; (246) , LB, 19 games/0 starts. Each of Pittsburgh's first three picks played moderate to significant snaps in 2016 and performed at a level above rookie expectations. Cornerback was tied for the team lead in picks (three), was second in pa ses defensed (13) and was fifth in tackles. played more than any other safety, save for , was fourth on the team in tackles and added 1.5 sacks, five broken up pa ses and an interception. As for third-rounder , he started 13 games, logged a pair of sacks and recovered a fumble in the end zone. There are teams that go an entire draft and don't get this level of production out of player, so it was encouraging to see Pittsburgh bolster its recovering defense so quickly. GRADE: B Combine/free agency focus: If 's unhappine s is due to a , then it might be time to pull a circa 2015 and surround him with stoic veterans who can lead by example. The addition of players like Jerricho Cotchery and helped immeasurably back in 2015, and similar moves could do the same for going forward. His window is rapidly closing, and while the temptation to rebuild around him is there, perhaps it is time Rodions Kurucs Jersey to scour the boom-or-bust realm of available aging players. Currently on the market: sure-handed, workmanlike wide receivers like and , game-changing defensive ends like and and age-defying cornerbacks like . If the window truly is closing and is already thinking about retirement, spend whatever money is left over from franchising and signing now. As for the draft, look for them to load up on physical, nasty pa s rushers like always. This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be mi sing content or contain faulty links. 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