The 2009 NFL Draft was an interesting one for teams in the AFC North as those teams (aside from the Steelers) make every attempt to try to overtake the Pittsburgh Steelers and make every attempt to win the division. Some teams did pretty well while others left a lot on the table and holes to fill at some point prior to the start of the 2009 NFL season. There is still some work to do but these teams have started to gear up and take a shot at the Steelers.
The following is a team by team look at how each team in the AFC North drafted during the 2009 NFL Draft with draft grades provided.
Baltimore Ravens-The Ravens went into this draft with some specific needs on offense and a few on defense and came out of it with some solid players that will help them out in the future. Offensive tackle Michael Oher is going to be an All-Pro at some point and is a huge boost to their offense. Defensive end Paul Kruger and linebacker Jason Phillips have a lot of promise. Cedric Peerman could contribute at some point. The other picks are merely picks for depth. Grade: A-
Cincinnati Bengals-I think that one of the biggest steals of the draft came when the Bengals nabbed defensive end and all around good athlete Michael Johnson in the third round. Johnson could be one of the real surprises of this draft. While they might have rolled the dice a bit on Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith, if he manages to keep himself out of trouble, he could be big. Rey Maualuga was another player that the Bengals took that had character concerns leaving many to wonder why the Bengals continue to draft players with problems. If everything works out though, this could be one of their better drafts in recent memory. Grade: B-
Cleveland Browns-The Browns traded up and down the draft to try to get some players to help fill their needs and they ended up with some good players but not great ones. Alex Mack will be helpful as will both Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi but guys like David Veikune and Kaluka Maiava were a bit of a reach. The depth at the wide receiver position was helped out a lot though and this was important because of the situation with Braylon Edwards. It’s just confusing why they did some of the things that they did in the late rounds. Grade: C
Pittsburgh Steelers-The Steelers really needed some help on their offensive line and they failed to address it in terms of getting some players that can step in and start right away. They did grab Kraig Urbik and he will provide them depth but getting center A.Q. Shipley was kind of confusing being that he may not even have the physical build to play in the league. Wide receiver Mike Wallace was a pretty good pickup and will push Limas Sweed. Cornerback Joe Burnett is also a good pickup that may pay off for them in the future. Grade: C
By Bryan Dietzler
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