Cincinnati QB Joe Burrow may be the best player in the AFC North, but does his two-time division champion team still rate No. 1 on paper? (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Who’s the best team on paper in the AFC North? Our point system produced a shocker
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Now that the transaction season is 98 percent complete, who has the best roster ON PAPER in the AFC North?
Our point system will decide.
We’ll rank every position group in the division. Top group receives four points, next gets three points, etc. Then we total the points to determine the top rosters going into OTAs, which start next week.
The depth charts listed are projected at this time and not necessarily in the exact order that will begin the regular season in September.
Quarterbacks
1. Bengals (4 points): Joe Burrow, Trevor Siemian, Jake Browning.
Burrow’s career passer rating is 100.4 despite 124 sacks in 42 games.
2. Ravens (3 points): Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley, Anthony Brown.
Jackson’s .737 career win percentage is second in the NFL to Patrick Mahomes’ .800.
3. Browns (2 points): Deshaun Watson, Josh Dobbs, Kellen Mond, Dorian Thompson-Robinson (r).
Watson’s career passer rating “fell” to 102.3 after his rusty six-game stint last season.
4. Steelers (1 point): Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky, Tanner Morgan (r).
Pickett’s 7-5 record as a rookie starter was better than expected.
Running backs
1. Browns (4 points): Nick Chubb, Jerome Ford, Demetric Felton, John Kelly.
Among pure running backs, Chubb’s 5.2-yard career average matches Jim Brown, tied for third all-time behind Marion Motley (5.7) and Jamaal Charles (5.4).
2. Ravens (3 points): J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Justice Hill.
In only 23 NFL games (nine starts), Dobbins’ 5.9-yard average is freaky good and inflated by Jackson’s threat to run.
3. Steelers (2 points): Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, Anthony McFarland Jr.
Harris has been a consistent workhorse through two seasons.
4. Bengals (1 point): Joe Mixon, Chase Brown (r), Trayveon Williams.
Mixon’s future appears to be in the past.
Wide receivers
1. Bengals (4 points): Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, Charlie Jones (r), Trenton Irwin.
This could be the last season of keeping the band of three together.
2. Steelers (3 points): Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, Allen Robinson, Gunner Olszewski.
Pickens’ growth in Year 2 could thrust him into elite level.
3. Browns (2 points): Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Elijah Moore, Cedric Tillman (r).
This should be Browns’ most improved position group.
4. Ravens (1 point): Odell Beckham Jr., Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, Zay Flowers (r), Nelson Agholor.
A healthy Beckham could lift this group higher.
Tight ends
1. Steelers (4 points): Pat Freiermuth, Zach Gentry, Darnell Washington (r).
Washington is a dominant blocker and a 6-7, 270-pound locomotive with the ball in his hands.
2. Ravens (3 points): Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar.
A three-time Pro Bowler, Andrews might be more effective alongside an improved receiving corps.
3. Browns (2 points): David Njoku, Jordan Akins, Harrison Bryant.
Maybe this is the year Njoku approaches 1,000 yards and 10 TDs.
4. Bengals (1 point): Irv Smith Jr., Devin Asiasi, Drew Sample.
Nothing special here.
Offensive line
1. Browns (4 points): Jedrick Wills, Joel Bitonio, Ethan Pocic, Wyatt Teller, Jack Conklin.
Offensive line coach Bill Callahan is the ace in the hole here.
2. Ravens (3 points): Ronnie Stanley, Ben Cleveland, Tyler Linderbaum, Kevin Zeitler, Morgan Moses.
When Stanley is healthy, they are not far behind.
3. Bengals (2 points): Orlando Brown Jr., Cordell Volson, Ted Karras, Alex Cappa, Jonah Williams.
Totally reshaped for the better the last two years.
4. Steelers (1 point): Broderick Jones (r), Isaac Seamulo, Mason Cole, James Daniels, Chukwuma Okorafor.
Greatly improved on left side if Jones is the real deal.
Defensive line
1. Bengals (4 points): Sam Hubbard, D.J. Reader, B.J. Hill, Trey Hendrickson.
An unheralded elite unit with backups that could start for many teams.
2. Steelers (3 points): Cameron Heyward, Keeanu Benton (r), Larry Ogunjobi.
Benton has big shoes to fill.
3. Ravens (2 points): Justin Madubuike, Michael Pierce, Broderick Washington.
They are stout and leave the plays to the edge rushers.
4. Browns (1 point): Myles Garrett, Dalvin Tomlinson, Jordan Elliott, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Siaki Ika (r), Isaiah McGuire (r).
New defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is a major X-factor.
Linebackers
1. Steelers (4 points): T.J. Watt, Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, Alex Highsmith.
Newcomers Holcomb and Roberts inside lift the overall unit.
2. Ravens (3 points): Odafe Oweh, Patrick Queen, Roquan Smith, Tyus Bowser.
Smith is elite and Bowser is an underrated edge rusher.
3. Bengals (2 points): Germaine Pratt, Logan Wilson, Akeem Davis-Gaither.
Pratt and Wilson are as good a twosome as they come in a 4-2-5 alignment.
4. Browns (1 point): Anthony Walker, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Jacob Phillips.
Light and injury-prone.
Cornerbacks
1. Browns (4 points): Denzel Ward, M.J. Emerson, Greg Newsome, A.J. Green, Cameron Mitchell (r).
The depth is enviable.
2. Bengals (3 points): Chidobe Awozie, Cam Taylor-Britt, Mike Hilton, D.J. Turner (r), Sidney Jones.
Hilton is among the best nickel backs in the league.
3. Steelers (2 points): Patrick Peterson, Joey Porter Jr. (r), Arthur Maulet, Ahkello Witherspoon, Levi Wallace.
Remains to be seen how Peterson, 32, and Porter fare in first year in Pittsburgh.
4. Ravens (1 point): Marlon Humphrey, Rock Ya-Sin, Brandon Stephens, Daryl Worley.
The physical Humphrey is real good, but this secondary will miss Marcus Peters.
Safeties
1. Ravens (4 points): Marcus Williams, Kyle Hamilton, Geno Stone.
A formidable three-some.
2. Browns (3 points): Juan Thornhill, Grant Delpit, Rodney McLeod.
Versatile and veteran McLeod was a good addition because of his familiarity with Schwartz defense.
3. Steelers (2 points): Mikah Fitzpatrick, Keanu Neal, Damontae Kazee.
Fitzpatrick is one of the few play-making safeties in the NFL.
4. Bengals (1 point): Dax Hill, Nick Scott, Jordan Battle (r).
It’s a rebuilding year after losing two starting safeties in free agency.
Specialists
1. Ravens (4 points): PK Justin Tucker, P Jordan Stout, RS Devin Duvernay.
Tucker may be the first-ever kicker to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
2. Bengals (3 points): PK Evan McPherson, P Brad Robbins (r), RS Charlie Jones (r).
Bengals had a rare off-year in 2022 and made changes.
3. Browns (2 points): PK Cade York, P Corey Bojorquez, RS Jakeem Grant.
Grant’s six career return TDs blow away everybody, but he has to come back from Achilles surgery.
4. Steelers (1 point): PK Chris Boswell, P Press Harvin, RS Gunner Olszewski.
Boswell was way off last year.
The scoreboard
The final scoring surprised me.
The Bengals and Browns tied with three first-place finishes. But the Ravens, with five second-place finishes, edged them both in total points.
Ravens: 27 points.
Bengals: 25 points.
Browns: 25 points.
Steelers: 23 points.
The bottom line is this: This is the most competitive division in the NFL. The difference between the first team and the fourth team is slim.
Any team can win the AFC North in 2023.
