The 2016 NFL Draft marched on into Day Two, where for the most part the AFC North stayed put, but the Browns stood out with four picks in the two rounds, trading the final in order to bulk of for Day Three. Both the Browns and Ravens have a wealth of draft picks stockpiled for today’s final four rounds of the draft, with the Browns holding seven picks in the fourth and fifth rounds and the Ravens holding six.
Once again, the theme of the day was a mixture of need and value, though the Steelers in particular seemed able to find a happy medium between the two with their picks at safety and defensive tackle. The Browns and Ravens both worked to address their front seven, particularly their edge rushers, while the Bengals finally got their wide receiver that they missed out on in the first round after a run of them came off the board just ahead of them. Now we set up the table for the final day of the draft for the AFC North.
Cleveland Browns:
Selections: 4 (99), 4 (100), 4 (129), 4 (138), 5 (168), 5 (172), 5 (173), 7 (223)
Needs: LB, OL, CB, S
Strategy: The Browns continued to move yesterday, adding a couple of pass rushers, a tackle, and a late-third-round quarterback. The one area that they have not addressed yet that I thought they would early is inside linebacker. The draft still has a number of talented safeties yet, and it would be wise to address that area as well. They have no shortage of picks, with four in the first (including the first two) and another three in the fifth.
Baltimore Ravens:
Selections: 4 (104), 4 (107), 4 (130), 4 (132), 4 (134), 5 (146), 6 (182), 6 (209)
Needs: CB, LB, WR, RB
Strategy: Like the Browns, Baltimore has a comical number of Day Three picks. They spent yesterday bolstering the perimeter of their front seven with an edge rusher and a defensive end, but they have a weakness at one of the triangle positions at the heart of the 3-4, as they only have one solid starting inside linebacker. They have also yet to address needs at cornerback and wide receiver, but they have two early picks today to do so.
Cincinnati Bengals:
Selections: 4 (122), 5 (161), 6 (199), 7 (245)
Needs: DL, S, OL
Strategy: The Bengals are the most boring team in the division this draft, simply having all of their natural draft picks at the 24 spot in each round. They addressed two key needs yesterday at wide receiver and linebacker on Day Two. today figures to be about depth, of course, and there are still quality safeties available, as well as defensive linemen.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
Selections: 4 (123), 6 (220), 7 (229), 7 (246)
Needs: WR, ILB, OLB, OL
Strategy: The Steelers went hard at addressing their defensive needs, adding a safety and a lineman on Day Two, which leaves open some breathing room to address the other side of the ball with their one mid-round pick on Day Three, as they have a long wait between the 123rd overall pick to the 220th in round six, a compensatory add. Figure on an offensive lineman and a linebacker of some sort being among those picks as the team likely finishes with at least two offensive players again as they did last year.
