2025 NFL Draft Grades: AFC North

2025 NFL Draft Grades: AFC North

It’s grade szn! The 2025 NFL Draft is in the books, and it’s about that time to review the AFC North? We’re going over everything you need to know in terms of the Ravens, Browns, Bengals, and Steelers. I have some thoughts, and we’re going to dive into all of them. As I mentioned in the post on the AFC East, the content plan will be featured at the bottom of all the grades posts.

Baltimore Ravens: Grade A

Round 1: No. 27 – Malaki Starks, S, Georgia (Profile)
Round 2: No. 59 – Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall (Profile)
Round 3: No. 91 – Emery Jones Jr., T, LSU (Profile)
Round 4: No. 129 – Teddye Buchanan, LB, California
Round 5: No. 141 (from TEN) – Carson Vinson, T, Alabama A&M
Round 6: No. 178 (from TEN) – Bilhal Kone, CB, Western Michigan
Round 6: No. 186 (from NYJ) – Tyler Loop, K, Arizona
Round 6: No. 203 – LaJohntay Wester, WR, Colorado (Profile)
Round 6: No. 210 (Compensatory) – Aeneas Peebles, DT, Virginia Tech (Profile)
Round 6: No. 212 (Compensatory) – Robert Longerbeam, CB, Rutgers (Profile)
Round 7: No. 243 – Garrett Dellinger, G, LSU

Notable UDFAs: Jahmal Banks, Kisean Johnson, Xavier Guillory, Jared Penning, Jayson Jones, Diwun Black, Nash Hutmacher, Chandler Martin, Jay Higgins, Marquise Robinson, Desmond Igbinosun, Collin Schlee, Thomas Perry, Isaac Bunyan,

I was very close to handing out an A+ here, but couldn’t quite do it because there are definitely going to be some blown picks in the middle rounds here. Beyond that, this draft was classic Ravens in a good way, to the point where it felt like they gave the keys back to prime Ozzie Newsome.

Look, the Vinson pick was trash, and a few of these middle round picks were blown opportunities. Outside of that, Eric DeCosta knocked this puppy out of the park. Sitting there at 27 and snagging Malaki Starks, who is a top 5 talent in this draft, is comical in a good way.

Mike Green in the second round feels like a risk worth taking. It’s a good organization who should be able to lion tame the player. Emery Jones in the back of round three is fantastic. Even some of these late round picks. I’m telling you this right now, Robert Longerbeam will help them. Peebles is a nice piece for the D line. It wasn’t perfect, but I’d go as far as to say this is DeCosta’s best draft yet since taking the keys over. Baltimore isn’t going anywhere, and if anything, they’re going to be better this year.

Cincinnati Bengals: Grade F

Round 1: No. 17 – Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M (Profile)
Round 2: No. 49 – Demetrius Knight Jr., LB, South Carolina (Profile)
Round 3: No. 81 – Dylan Fairchild, G, Georgia (Profile)
Round 4: No. 119 – Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson (Profile)
Round 5: No. 153 – Jalen Rivers, T, Miami (Profile)
Round 6: No. 193 – Tahj Brooks, RB, Texas Tech (Profile)

Notable UDFAs: Payton Thorne, Quali Conley, Jordan Moore, Rashod Owens, Kole Taylor, Seth McLaughlin, Caleb Etienne, Eric Gregory, Howard Cross,

This draft stinks, and there’s no way around it. Forget about classic Bengals, where they just don’t trade (because that also happened). The Shemar Stewart thing is a total joke. Drafting him in that spot should have been considered a non-starter for several reasons. I’m sure rewarding bad behavior will probably work out for them!

Demetrius Knight did nothing for four years and was picked three rounds too high. Credit to them for getting a couple dinky guards. Other than that, this draft was a total failure. Tahj Brooks was also one of my least favorite backs in this draft, for what that’s worth.

Cleveland Browns: Grade B-

Round 1: No. 5 (from JAX) – Mason Graham, DT, Michigan (Profile)
Round 2: No. 33 – Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA (Profile)
Round 2: No. 36 (from JAX) – Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State (Profile)
Round 3: No. 67 – Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Green (Profile)
Round 3: No. 94 (from BUF) – Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon (Profile)
Round 4: No. 126 (from MIN via JAX) – Dylan Sampson, RB, Tennessee (Profile)
Round 5: No. 144 (from NE via SEA) – Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado (Profile)

Notable UDFAs: Ahmani Marshall, Gage Larvadain, Dom Jones, Donovan McMillon

I’m not sure I would have had the stones to trade away from Travis Hunter. The positive is that they didn’t waste the picks they traded down with (for the most part). Mason Graham is about as safe as it gets. Hard to go wrong with that pick. Definitely not a perfect draft. I thought the UCLA linebacker was a total reach in that spot. They also picked two quarterbacks, and I have no idea how it’s even possible to split up the reps to develop those guys, given what’s on the roster.

Putting that aside, Judkins is a nice get and gives them a real back. Doubling down and adding Sampson is a really nice thunder and lightning approach that should pay dividends. Fannin should help as a receiving threat too.

Not a perfect draft but they did cash in on the trade down so I can’t totally fault them for what they did.

2025 NFL Draft Grades: AFC East

Pittsburgh Steelers: Grade D-

Round 1: No. 21 – Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon (Profile)
Round 3: No. 83 – Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa (Profile)
Round 4: No. 123 – Jack Sawyer, EDGE, Ohio State (Profile)
Round 5: No. 164 (from DET via CLE, PHI & KC) – Yahya Black, DT, Iowa (Profile)
Round 6: No. 185 (from CHI via SEA) – Will Howard, QB, Ohio State (Profile)
Round 7: No. 226 (from CAR via KC) – Carson Bruener, LB, Washington
Round 7: No. 229 (from ATL via PHI) – Donte Kent, CB, Central Michigan

Notable UDFAs: Roc Taylor, Blake Mangelson, Sebastian Castro, Ben Sauls

I have no idea how you leave this draft with Will Howard and Mason Rudolph, but that’s exactly what the Steelers did. It’s incredibly obvious that Mike Tomlin and the rest of the staff in Pittsburgh have no idea how to evaluate the quarterback position. Even putting that aside, most of this draft absolutely stinks.

I don’t care what anybody says… Harmon is not a round one player. They gave up their two in the idiotic Metcalf deal. Kaleb Johnson is fine, but he probably gives them exactly what they had with Najee Harris. The Jack Sawyer pick was cool and prevents this puppy from being an F. The Iowa guy, Black stinks too.

Good luck with this, Steelers fans! This upcoming season is already a lost season.

*Still on the horizon*

2025 NFL Draft Grades along with a few stragglers left behind on the individual profiles.

The film studies for the East-West and Senior Bowl practices will be published soonish.

The 2026 NFL Draft way-too-early position rankings will be posted after the grades.

Fantasy rookie rankings for each position will come out after the way-too-early 2026 list.

Then, Trey is going on hiatus for a few days. Make sure to share the links around, and feel free to comment. If you’re here, thanks for your support, and I hope I helped make everyone smart this draft season!

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