FanPost

AFC North Round 1 Draft Grades

Ok, So I've seen similar posts on other sites, but I don't see one here at BTSC, so I figured I would type one up real quick to get some community thoughts on Round 1. After the long anticipated arrival of the 2001 NFL Draft, I wanted to see how everyone feels about the Day 1 picks of the Steelers' divisional rivals....

The Bengals, with the 4th overall pick, decided to stay put,and instead of drafting the overrated Gabbert to fill the shoes of potentially-retired Carson Palmer, they brought in the best offensive weapon in the draft, AJ Green. This pick makes total sense to me, as the Bungles have a young and pretty good defense, but the offense is truly something to laugh at. But with reports of the 3 biggest names on the offense leaving town ( TO, Ocho, Palmer), the Bengals did themselves right (surprise!) by taking a true receiving weapon. Some still think they should have gone with a QB, but I think this might be some underlying Mike Brown ploy to make Carson complacent enough to shut up and play football- Grade: A-

The Browns decided to rape Atlanta for all they're worth instead of Drafting Julio Jones for themselves, and their FO moves really make me think the Browns want to make the rivalry relevant again. By trading back, and then trading up again to select Phil Taylor, the Browns stockpiled some good picks and took a major need on their defense, especially after saying goodbye to Shaun Rogers. Maybe not THE biggest need, but a very good choice to anchor the defense, and I young man I would have loved for the Steelers to draft. If the Browns keep a level head throughout this draft, I see greener pastures ahead for them- Grade: A

The Ratbirds are aging on defense much like the Steelers, have quite a few potential Free Agents, and they also have a big need for WR on the offensive side of the ball. with their pick, they took Jimmy smith, who dropped farther than he should have because of his inability to pass drug tests and other personal issues. However, he is a corner in a safety's body, and his talent on-field is exceptional, something any team would covet. Im sure the Ratbird's FO is hoping the likes of Ray Ray and Ed Reed can teach the kid that "Drugs are bad, mkay!," and IF he stays out of trouble, he could very well have his own 'island' sooner rather than later- Grade: B+

And Finally, our beloved Steelers- I've seen 30 different names that people wanted to be drafted in the first round, along with the option of trading up and trading down. But in true Kevin Colbert fashion, he held strong at #31, and picked a young man who wants to be a Steeler and who will be a very solid contributor in the near future. I was hoping for an OLine pick here, someone to help keep Ben upright, extend his career, and to open holes for Mendy, but my second option was DL youth, and I was pleasantly surprised when Cam Heyward fell to us, as I've seen him going anywhere from the 16-24 range. Everyone was yelling for a Corner here, but I just didn't see the value or a guy good enough for 31, and apparently Colbert agreed. As is the FO's MO, not the flashiest or biggest name pick, but a solid, dependable guy in the first round- B+

I know this is a day late, I wanted to post it while at work this morning, but they run IE6 (stone age shit), and I was unable to post it. I will do one of these for rounds 2 and 3 and post it soon!

The opinions shared here are not those of the editorial staff of Behind the Steel Curtain or SB Nation. These posts are not approved in any way by the editorial staff of this web site.