After all that build up leading to the 2019 NFL Draft in Nashville, in three short days it’s all over.
The Pittsburgh Steelers had a strong draft, addressing a numbers of holes on the roster through three days. But you know what? So too did the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, and Cincinnati Bengals.
It’s time for the AFC North Day 3 recap.
In Baltimore, the Ravens came away with three players through the first two days of the draft in Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown, Louisiana Tech EDGE Jaylon Ferguson, and Notre Dame wide receiver Miles Boykin.
On Day 3, the Ravens continued to do really well, grabbing good players with great value in rounds 4 through 7.
Opening up Day 3, the Ravens grabbed Oklahoma State running back Justice Hill, breaking Steelers’ fans hearts everywhere. Hill is an open-field dynamo that will be a terrific counter to power backs Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards. I’d guess Hill will be the pass-catching threat early on.
Looking to add protection and punishment up front for Lamar Jackson and the run game, Baltimore grabbed Oklahoma guard Ben Powers at No. 123 overall. If you remember, I had Powers mocked to the Steelers in Round 6 in my two final mocks. I absolutely love the guy. He’s a mauler that can play left or right guard, and can play center in a pinch. He fits exactly what the Ravens are looking for in a downhill, power run game.
At 127th and 160th overall, Baltimore added to the defensive side of the ball grabbing USC cornerback Iman Marshall, and Texas A&M defensive lineman Daylon Mack.
Marshall could compete for playing time right away, while Mack provides depth, explosiveness and ridiculous power along the defensive line. I had Mack pegged to Pittsburgh in Round 5, so obviously this one hurts. The Ravens strike again.
Closing out the Ravens’ draft, Baltimore grabbed a personal fan favorite in Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley. McSorley isn’t a high-end quarterback, but he’s a perfect fit for what Baltimore is trying to do offensively. He is a great compliment to Jackson’s style and will allow the Ravens to not miss a beat stylistically should Jackson go down with an injury.
In Cincinnati, the Bengals came into Day 3 with a ridiculous ten picks. They didn’t finish with that many though, starting the day by trading up to draft NC State quarterback Ryan Finley at No. 104 overall.
Finley went before Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham, so that was a surprise, but Finley is steady and can provide depth and consistency behind Andy Dalton in new head coach Zac Taylor’s system.
After Finley, the Bengals grabbed Arizona State defensive tackle Renell Wren at No. 125 overall, and Ohio State center/guard combo Michael Jordan at No. 136 overall.
Cincinnati needs to rebuild in the trenches, and they did a good job on Day 3, grabbing an explosive defensive tackle in Wren to pair with Geno Atkins, and a versatile offensive linemen in Jordan who can slide all along the interior of the offensive line.
At No. 182 overall, the Bengals grabbed Texas A&M running back Trayveon Williams, finding their eventual replacement for Gio Bernard. I loved Williams’ tape and he makes a ton of sense for Cincinnati once Bernard leaves. He’s a dynamic running and receiver that should be a fun watch in Taylor’s scheme.
Rounding out the draft, the Bengals grabbed Auburn linebacker Deshaun Davis at No. 210 overall, Oklahoma running back Rodney Anderson at No. 211, and South Dakota State cornerback Jordan Brown at No. 223.
The name that should jump out is Anderson, who would likely have been a Day 2 selection if injuries didn’t cause him to miss 36 career collegiate games. He’s a dynamic dual threat running back when healthy, and should give the Bengals a ridiculously talented running backs room moving forward with Joe Mixon and Williams.
In Cleveland, after grabbing Greedy Williams and Soine Takitaki on Day 2, the Browns came right back on Day 3 and crushed the draft once again.
On Day 3, the Browns opened it up by grabbing Miami (Fl.) safety Sheldrick Redwine at No. 119 overall and Alabama linebacker Mack Wilson at No. 155 overall.
Redwine has experience at cornerback and safety and has really good ball skills. He should be a DIME backer type for Cleveland, giving the Browns a good piece to add to a potentially great defense.
Wilson was projected to be a Day 2 guy and even had some Round 1 buzz, but his tape caught up to him and he slid all the way to 155 overall. John Dorsey was happy to snap him up, and they should be at 155 overall. Wilson will need some work, but the Browns continued their trend of adding high-end talent at great value.
After the Redwine and Wilson picks, the Browns grabbed Oklahoma kicker Austin Seibert at No. 170 overall, Southeast Missouri State offensive lineman Drew Forbes at No. 189 overall, and Tulane cornerback Donnie Lewis at No. 221 overall.
Cleveland has had a ton of issues at kicker over the years, but Seibert is as steady as they come and should help the Browns fix that glaring hole. Forbes is a guy I’m really high on. I had him as a top 15 guard in this class. He’s a small-school guy, but he’s nasty in the trenches, is pretty athletic and can play guard or tackle. The Browns did a great job there.
I don’t know much about Lewis, but he’s another body with collegiate production to add to a talent cornerback room.
Outside of the draft, here’s whom each team added as undrafted free agents:
Ravens:
Juston Christian, WR, Marist
Gerald Willis III, DL, Miami (FL)
Ejodamen, Ejiya, LB, North Texas
Ronald Ollie, DL, Nicholls State
Charles Scarff, TE, Delaware
Otaro Alaka, LB, Texas A&M
Evan Worthington, S, Colorado
Cole Herdman, TE, Purdue
Bengals:
Stanley Morgan Jr., WR, Nebraska
Tyree Kinell, S, Michigan
Jake Dolegala, QB, Central Connecticut State
O’Shea Dugas, OL, Louisiana Tech
Sterling Sheffield, EDGE, Maine
Keaton Sutherland, OL, Texas A&M
Browns:
Jamie Gillian, P, Arkansas Pine-Bluff
David Blough, QB, Purdue
Spenser Thompson-Meyers, K, St. Norbert
Jermaine Ponder, DB, Saint Francis
Darrin Hall, RB, Pittsburgh
Brian Fineanganofo, OL, Idaho State
Jarrell Owens, DL, Oklahoma State
Stephen Carlson, TE, Princeton
Wyatt Ray, EDGE, Boston College
Choc Gray, RB, Miami (Fl)
Dorian Baker, WR, Kentucky
Dedrick Young, LB, Nebraska
Dougladson Subtyl, EDGE, Arizona State
Chris Osei-Kusi, WR, Queens
