In the blink of an eye, two days of the 2025 NFL Draft have come and gone as players are seeing their dreams realized and teams are making major moves in an effort to try and improve their rosters ahead of the upcoming season.
Within the AFC North, there’s been a significant investment made on the defensive side of the football, while also focusing on adding toughness and physicality across the board. That matches the style of play in the AFC North.
The Cleveland Browns kicked things off Friday night by adding to the defense, landing a tackling machine at linebacker in UCLA’s Carson Schwesinger at No. 33 overall. The pick addressed a need at linebacker with Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and his injury concerns.
Last season at UCLA, Schwesinger recorded 136 total tackles, 18 pressures, 9 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks for the Bruins. Many had him as a first-round caliber linebacker, but he slipped to Day 2 and the Browns pounced.
In the scouting report of Schwesinger for Steelers Depot, Jim Hester compared the UCLA product to Lavonte David, giving the Browns a playmaker in the middle of the defense.
After the selection of Schwesinger, the Browns were on the clock again at No. 36 and added their workhorse running back, landing Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins. Following two great seasons at Ole Miss in 2022 and 2023 where he was first-team All-SEC, Judkins transferred to Ohio State and had a solid season with the Buckeyes.
He accounted for 1,060 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on 194 carries, helping the Buckeyes win the national championship. In the College Football Playoff, Judkins rushed for six touchdowns in four playoff games, scoring two touchdowns each against Tennessee, Texas and Notre Dame.
With Nick Chubb a free agent and Jerome Ford slated to be the starter, the Browns needed an upgrade at RB, and Judkins provides that.
Rounding out Day 2 for Cleveland, the Browns landed Bowling Green TE Harold Fannin Jr. at No. 67 overall in the third round, adding another weapon to the tight end room with David Njoku. Cleveland then made a shocking pick, selecting Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel at No. 90 overall. The Browns chose Gabriel over Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, who still remains on the board.
For the Cincinnati Bengals, after landing EDGE Shemar Stewart Thursday night in the first round, the team continued to beef up the fronts on either side of the football.
At No. 49 overall in the second round, the Bengals landed South Carolina linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr., giving Cincinnati a major upgrade next to Logan Wilson with Germaine Pratt on the trade block.
Knight, the cousin of long-time NFL cornerback DeAngelo Hall, recorded 82 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and an interception in 2024 for the Gamecocks. He was one of the more productive linebackers in college football. He’s 25 years old, though, certainly on the older side as a prospect after spending time at Georgia Tech, Charlotte and South Carolina across six seasons.
In the scouting report of Knight for Steelers Depot, Jonathan Heitritter ironically compared him to Pratt.
After the selection of Knight, the Bengals then landed Georgia guard Dylan Fairchild in the third round at No. 81 overall, shoring up the interior of the offensive line in front of star quarterback Joe Burrow.
Fairchild competed in the Senior Bowl after starting 23 career games at Georgia. He’s just 21 years old.
In the scouting report of Fairchild for Steelers Depot, Jim Hester credited Fairchild for his size, power and athleticism.
For the Baltimore Ravens, it remained a defense focus early on Day 2. After landing Georgia safety Malaki Starks in the first round Thursday night, the Ravens landed one of the better players in the draft in Marshall EDGE Mike Green in the second round at No. 59 overall.
Green was considered a first-round talent, but the concerns off the field due to multiple sexual assault allegations caused him to slide, leading to the Ravens pouncing.
Green was dominant at Marshall in 2024, recording 84 tackles, 17 sacks, three forced fumbles, and 23 tackles for loss. He then went to the Senior Bowl and put on a show, too. But the allegations are ugly and were seemingly a deal-breaker for many teams.
But not the Ravens, surprisingly, especially with them dealing with the Justin Tucker situation currently. But Green adds a major jolt to the pass rush for Baltimore moving forward.
After the Green selection, Baltimore addressed the offensive line, adding LSU OT Emery Jones Jr. at No. 91 in the third round. Jones is just 21 years old and started 36 games at right tackle for LSU, playing nearly 2,500 snaps. He allowed just one sack last season, and Heitritter compared him to Steelers’ offensive tackle Broderick Jones.
The Ravens lost some depth along the offensive line this offseason, so Jones is a sound investment in the third round for a run-heavy team that needs to create lanes for Derrick Henry and protect Lamar Jackson at all costs.
Things kick off on Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft within the AFC North with the 17th pick in the fourth round as the Bengals will be on the clock at No. 119 overall. Then, the Steelers will be on the clock at No. 123 overall, before the Browns pick at No. 126.
Baltimore holds the No. 129 overall pick in the fourth round.
