2023 NFL Draft Notebook: Previewing the AFC North heading into 2022

2023 NFL Draft Notebook: AFC North predictions, five wide receivers to watch out for, and more!

This week’s NFL Draft Notebook continues our division previews as we take a look at the AFC North. This division is led by Joe Burrow, who in just his first healthy season in the NFL, led the Cincinnati Bengals to the Super Bowl. The divison also includes several other franchise level quarterbacks in Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson.

In addition to taking a look at the AFC North, this week’s NFL Draft Notebook also takes a look at the following

• Five wide receivers to watch in the 2023 NFL Draft
• Why the Chicago Bears should already be scouting next year’s offensive line class
• A rookie to watch for each AFC North team
• And much more

AFC North Preview

*Please note teams are listed in the order I predict them to finish in the AFC North.*

Cincinnati Bengals
Last season we saw the Cincinnati Bengals make one of the biggest turnarounds in NFL history as they went from 4-11 in 2020 to the Super Bowl. This year looks like it should be another strong year for Cincinnati since they are led by several young, promising stars on the offensive side of the ball. This includes quarterback Joe Burrow, wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and running back Joe Mixon. The Bengals should be able to do a much better job of protecting Burrow as well since they add three new starters on the offensive line in free agency.

Last off-season, Cincinnati bet big on free agents on the defensive side of the ball with their biggest pickup being Trey Hendricks. The other star on the defensive side of the ball is Jessie Bates III, who is one of the best safeties in the NFL. Cincinnati also has one of the best young kickers in the NFL, Evan McPherson, who nailed several clutch kicks in the playoffs and was able to connect on 12 kicks from over 50 yards as a rookie.

Overall, Cincinnati is a team who should be able to be a Super Bowl contender for years to come. If they can stay healthy and protect Joe Burrow with their new and improved offensive line, they should make a deep run in the playoffs and win the AFC North.

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns made one of the boldest and somewhat questionable moves this off-season when they traded three first-round picks for Deshaun Watson and signed him to a $230 million guaranteed contract. This is a questionable move as Watson is facing a six-game suspension this year and has yet to reach that elite level of QB play. On the positive side, he will be playing with a better supporting cast. Led by running back Nick Chubb, who should take some of the pressure off Watson and open up things in the play-action game. He will also be playing behind a better offensive line than he had in Houston.

The Browns’ defense kept improving last year in part to several young players making an impact including cornerback Greg Newsome II and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Cleveland also has one of the best pass rushers in the NFL in Myles Garrett who recorded 16 sacks last year. If the Browns can see a few more players develop as pass rushers this season, they should be solid on this side of the ball.

The 2022 season could be another disappointing season for the Browns due to the suspension of Deshaun Watson, and the drama that will surround him this year. Luckily, Cleveland should have enough in the running game and on the defensive side of the ball to stay competitive when Watson is out. Look for the Browns to have a season close to .500 and finish second in the AFC North.

Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore’s offense was decimated by injuries last year with quarterback Lamar Jackson, running back J.K. Dobbins and offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley missing significant time. If these players can stay healthy, it should improve their overall offensive production which ranked 17th in scoring offense. The Ravens’ offense will once again be led by their running game, with three players who are a threat carrying the ball in Jackson, Dobbins, and Gus Edwards. The passing game could struggle though, especially after the team traded Marquise Brown to Arizona.

Unfortunately for the Ravens, the offensive side of the ball was not the only one to suffer serious injuries last season. These injuries were part of the reason Baltimore finished 25th last year which was their lowest ranking since 1997. One player the team will look to build around is Odafe Oweh, who had five sacks as a rookie last year. The team is also set at the safety position with three players who are capable of starting in Marcus Williams, Kyle Hamilton, and Chuck Clark. A couple of positions the Ravens still could stand to upgrade include linebacker and cornerback.

On special teams, Baltimore has one of the best kickers in NFL history in Justin Tucker, who connected on 95% of his field goals last year, including one from 66 yards. They also have Devin Duvernay as a return man and all he did is lead the NFL with a punt return average of 13.8 yards last season.

The Ravens will try and out-muscle teams this year with their run-heavy approach and hopefully a much better defense. While John Harbaugh has only had two losing seasons in 14 years, he likely will have his third this season. In order for a one-dimensional running team to be successful in the NFL, they have to have one of the best defenses in the NFL, which is not the case with Baltimore.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh could be in for a rebuilding job now that Ben Roethlisberger has moved on. The team will look to free agent signing Mitchell Trubisky and first-round pick Kenny Pickett to replace him. Whoever takes over this job will likely be the worst quarterback in the AFC North. The team’s passing game won’t see a big boost from its receiver crop either, although they do have a couple of young players who could develop into solid starters down the road. The biggest bright spot on the offensive side of the ball is second-year running back Najee Harris who rushed for 1,200 yards last season.

The biggest positive with the Steelers’ defense is its ability to get after the passer, having led the NFL in sacks for five straight years. This pass rush is led by T.J. Watt, who had 22.5 sacks last season. On the negative side, though, the defense ranked dead last in rush defense, giving up an average of 146.1 yards per game. The team hopes they addressed this issue with the additions of Larry Ogunjobi and Myles Jack.

When projecting how the Steelers will do this year, it is hard seeing them finishing higher than fourth in the AFC North. This is partly due to the fact they play in a tough conference and partly due to the questions they have on both sides of the ball.

Five Wide Receivers to Watch in the 2023 NFL Draft

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
Jaxon Smith-Njigba put on one of the best performances in all of college football last year when he caught 15 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns in the Rose Bowl. While it will be impossible for him to keep producing at this rate, he should be one of the most productive wide receivers in college football next season. Some of the reasons you can count on him putting up big numbers next season are: his ability to make plays after the catch, that he plays with C.J. Stroud who is one of the top-two quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he plays in wide receiver-friendly offense.

Quentin Johnston, TCU
Last season, Johnston only accounted for 33 receptions but when he did have the ball in his hands he made things happen. He used his 6-foot-4 size to routinely bully corners, which allowed him to average18.5 yards per catch last season. If TCU sees better quarterback play this season look for Johnston to see his numbers skyrocket, which could land him in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Jordan Addison, USC
Former Pittsburgh wide receiver Jordan Addison won the Biletnikoff Award last season after posting 100 receptions for 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns. This off-season, though, Addison decided to move out west and joined the USC football program. He will look to team with another transfer in quarterback Caleb Williams to give Trojans one of the best passing games in the Pac-12.

Ronnie Bell, Michigan
A big school wide receiver who is being overlooked is Ronnie Bell of Michigan. The main reason people are looking past him is that he missed all but the season opener of the 2022 season with a torn ACL. Despite this injury though, Bell is setting personal records when it comes to speed and explosion in the weight room. If Bell can come back stronger than ever, look for him to earn a day two grade.

Xavier Gipson, Stephen F. Austin
A small school wide receiver to watch is Xavier Gipson of Stephen F. Austin. Gipson’s top trait is the ability to make plays with the ball in his hands, both on offense and special teams. Last season, he averaged 18.5 yards per catch on 74 receptions and also compiled 170 punt return yards on just 15 punt returns. While Gipson likely won’t be drafted until day three of the 2023 NFL Draft, he could be an impact rookie next season.

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AFC North Rookies to Watch

Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens may have gotten a steal when they took Isaiah Likely in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. At Coastal Carolina, Likely was one of the most productive tight ends in college football, hauling in 59 passes in 2021. He has continued his strong play in the passing game with the Ravens, having already made several spectacular catches. Look for him to make an impact this year for the Ravens as a backup tight end.

Cincinnati Bengals
One of the few rookies who will likely make an impact for the Bengals this year is Dax Hill. Hill will likely see plenty of time at safety this year and has the speed to be a true playmaker in the secondary.

Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns did not have a pick until the third round this year so expecting much from this rookie class is a stretch. However, the player who will likely make the biggest impact is wide receiver David Bell. Bell was extremely productive at Purdue, catching 93 passes last year, and with the Brown’s current receiver group, he will need to make an impact in Cleveland. If he can rebound from his foot injury, look for him to finish in the top ten in receiving yards among this year’s rookie class.

Pittsburgh Steelers
All eyes in Pittsburgh this year will be on rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett. While Pickett will likely not start the season opener, it would be a surprise if he doesn’t end the season as the starter. Pickett needs to show he is someone the Steelers can build their franchise around in the future.

Scouting Notes

— One rookie who should have a big role this season with the New York Giants is wide receiver, Wan’Dale Robinson. The Giants have already used him in several ways so far in training camp, including finding ways to hand him the ball and playing him in a more traditional wide receiver role. This is a perfect fit for Robinson, who saw a lot of his snaps at running back while playing for Nebraska his first two seasons in college, before switching to being a pure slot receiver at Kentucky last year.

— While Central Florida Johnny Richardson will never be an every-down back in the NFL due to his lack of size (5-7,170), he could be a dangerous offensive weapon. The main reason he possesses such a threat is his blazing speed, which makes him a threat to score anytime he touches the ball. This speed makes him very dangerous when he is in the open field and a creative offensive coordinator should be able to scheme touches for him in this area. In addition to being a threat on plays like a jet sweep or on bubble screens, he can also help out on special teams. In this area, he is a proven return man and shows the skillset to return punts and kickoffs at the next level.

— Last week the Chicago Bears signed offensive tackle Riley Reiff to a deal that could pay him close to 12.5 million dollars this year. This move shows just how unsettled the offensive line is in Chicago and why it could be a top need in the 2023 NFL Draft. Former second-round pick Teven Jenkins is proving why he was one of the more overrated players in the 2021 NFL Draft and the other three projected starters on the offensive line are all at least 29 years old and are average at best NFL starters. Look for the Bears to address the offensive line extensively next offseason.

— Kansas State’s Deuce Vaughn will likely be the smallest player drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft coming in at only five-foot-six. Despite his lack of size though, he has the talent to play at the next level. As a runner, he plays with elite vision and has the speed to break off the long run and the power to run in between the tackles. As a receiver, he shows consistent hands and versatility, having seen plenty of time at slot wide receiver. While Vaughn may lack the size to be an every-down back, look for some team to use him as a multidimensional back at the next level.

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— It will be interesting to see where NFL scouts see South Carolina tight end Jaheim Bell playing at the next level. Bell is an extremely athletic tight end who shows elite body control for a player his size. He also has the speed to stretch a defense, evident by the two catches he had last year that went for over 65 yards. However, he could be limited by his lack of size and blocking ability. Bell comes in only six-foot-three, which is on the small side for a traditional tight end. He also is only an average blocker and doesn’t show much power in this area. This limits his possibility as a fullback or in-line tight end. I view him as an H-back prospect but think his lack of size and strength as a blocker could see him slide in the 2023 NFL Draft.

—NFL coaches are going to fall in love with Iowa fullback Monte Pottebaum. Pottebaum is your classic throwback fullback in that he is an excellent lead blocker who will likely be the highest graded run blocking fullback on most team’s draft boards. In this area, he shows good strength, the ability to stick on his blocks and overall toughness. While he will never be a playmaker with the ball in his hands, he does show the ability to be a powerful runner who can be counted on in short-yardage situations. Some power-based running team will likely consider Pottebaum in the sixth or seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Prediction of the Week

For the first time in six years, the Pittsburgh Steelers won’t lead the NFL, or the AFC North, in sacks.