2020 NFL Draft: AFC North Should, Could, Will

This is the fifth in a series of eight 2020 NFL Draft posts that will cover who teams should, could, and ultimately will end up drafting in the first round. Today we look at the AFC North.

Baltimore Ravens

Should. Baltimore has the 28th pick. Eric Weddle has been gone for over a year. Earl Thomas III does not look like a long-term answer at safety. Selecting Jeremy Chinn or Grant Delpit would help solidify an already strong secondary for the Ravens. 

Could. The Ravens have quality players on both sides of the ball. They could opt to gain additional capital by trading out of the first round. If both Chinn and Delpit are taken before pick 28, this might not be a bad option. 

Will. This is a difficult team to predict. Depending on availability, Baltimore will select the best defensive player on the board at this spot. Yetur Gross-Matos, Neville Gallimore, and Patrick Queen are all potential options at this spot. 

2020 NFL Draft: AFC East Should, Could, Will

Cincinnati Bengals 

Should. The Bengals will kick off the 2020 NFL Draft. They should select Tua Tagovailoa. This team will likely not be in a position to select a generational QB talent next year. Andy Dalton is still under contract. Selecting Tua with this pick allows the rookie one year to learn and fully heal. It also allows Cincinnati to beef up the rest of the team before Tagovailoa takes over. 

Could. Joe Burrow. The only downside to this pick is that Burrow will be expected to play right away. While their skill sets are different, the results that Burrow will have would not be much different from those experienced by Josh Rosen in his first year with the Cardinals. The issue then becomes whether Burrow’s future would follow Rosen’s trajectory as well. 

Will. They will select Joe Burrow. 

NFL Shorts: Joe Burrow Player Comparison

Cleveland Browns 

Should. The Browns select 10th. Protection for Baker Mayfield is key. An offensive lineman has to be the pick. If the team is lucky, Jedrick Wills Jr. will still be on the board. If not, Andrew Thomas or Mekhi Becton should be the pick. 

Could. There is not much else that Cleveland could logically do besides trade down. This would make no sense given the scarcity of offensive line prospects. It is pretty cut and dry for Cleveland. 

Will. The Browns will select an offensive lineman. Andrew Thomas will likely be the pick. 

Pittsburgh Steelers

Should. The Steelers do not have a first-round pick this year. They traded that to Miami in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Given the talent available at this position in the draft, the team should not have done this. There are plenty of defensive backs that the Steelers could groom nicely with this pick. 

Could. Xavier McKinney could have been an outstanding selection at this spot. 

Will. The verdict is still out on Fitzpatrick. If he is not a Steeler for the next half-decade, this trade will go down as a mistake.