Luke's AFC North Mock Draft 3.0
- Luke Yates
- Apr 19, 2023
- 3 min read
Round 3 of AFC North mock draft's trying out new players in new spots.
Steelers
17: Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr.
No team in the league values history and family like the Steelers, they drafted Cam Heyward’s brother Conner, signed TJ Watt’s brother Derek and had both Edmunds brothers on their roster all in just the last couple of years. Here, the Steelers get the son of one of their franchise greats, Joey Porter Sr. Not only will the Porters be happy to not have to be Ravens fans, the Steelers will get one of if not the best press corners in the draft.
32: Pittsburgh DT Calijah Kancey
The other thing the Steelers love to do is draft locally, and Kancey fits that mold perfectly. Kancey is a very atypical body type for a DT but the pass rush upside is very real. Pittsburgh gets a fantastic rotational player right out of their backyard.
49: TCU G Steve Aliva
The Steelers need to rework their offensive line for what feels like the 4th year in a row. And while tackle is the most pressing need, having a good body in the interior like Aliva is vital to reshuffling an offensive line. Aliva has the versatility to play all 3 interior offensive line positions and did so at a high level in his collegiate career.
80: LSU WR Kayshon Boutte
Pittsburgh has been a WR factory for years at this point, and Boutte has quite the skill-set that can be molded into something prolific. Not only does Pittsburgh have the resume of development, LSU has the resume of talent. Boutte will be a good body to have next to George Pickens and Diontae Johnson.
Ravens
22: UGA EDGE Nolan Smith
Nothing makes Ravens GM Eric DeCosta happier than athletic freaks on defense, and Smith is that pound for pound. The Ravens have an underrated need at EDGE and Smith will be a good speed complement to the power of David Ojabo and Odafe Oweh.
86: Iowa State WR Xavier Hutchinson
Size at the WR position is a premium in this year's draft class, and Hutchinson is one of the few WRs who provide a larger frame. The Ravens now have two WRs in Rashod Bateman and Odell Beckham Jr. who can win one-on-one in press, now they need a player that can win 50/50 balls in the air, and Hutchinson can do that for them.
Bengals
28: Tennessee OT Darnell Wright
Despite a Twitter spat with a popular Bengals content creator, I still think Wright’s best spot in the draft is in Cincinnati. RT is the spot on the offensive line that needs filling for Cincy and Wright is an experience player at that position. With Orlando Brown Jr, the Bengals will finally have some bigger, physical, tackles who will help their run game become a more prevalent part in their already stellar offense.
60: Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs
Gibbs is an interesting prospect, and I think a team like Cincinnati where he doesn’t have to be the main ball carrier is the best fit for him. Let him be a weapon for Joe Burrow in the quick screen game. The Bengals take a lot of checkdowns, and they use their WRs for a lot of them because they are the best threats they have, adding a legit tackle breaking threat from the backfield will take some of the load off.
92: Alabama TE Cameron Latu
3rd straight offensive player and 2nd straight Bama player but Latu fills a pretty serious need at TE. Hayden Hurst was a big part of Cincinnati’s attack and I am not fully confident in Irv Smith Jr, given his injury history. Here the Bengals get another Bama TE to add next to Smith Jr. and give Burrow a reliable big body to find in the redzone.
Browns
74: Stanford CB Kyu Blu Kelly
No more Greedy Williams for the Browns and Denzel Ward struggles with staying on the field for full seasons. Kelly in most other classes (ones without 15 amazing corner prospects) would be long gone by this pick, but Cleveland lucks out and gets a valuable starter at a vital position to new DC Jim Schwartz defense.
96: Ohio State EDGE Zach Harrison
Just like the Steelers who love to get guys from their backyard, the Browns also love to. Here the Browns get a very nice defensive role player in Harrison. The biggest thing they need is an infusion of talent in the front-7 and Harrison gives them a solid piece.
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