The Cleveland Browns ended their season 0-16, however, help may be on the way real soon. The Cincinnati Bengals dodged another bullet as Marvin Lewis signed a new deal to remain coach, and the Baltimore Ravens were a wide receiver away from making the playoffs. The Pittsburgh Steelers will face questions this offseason as to what will happen to their dynamic offense if Bell decides to retire. But the bigger question is, what will these teams do in the 2018 NFL Draft?
Here Is The 2018 Round 1 NFL Mock Draft For The AFC North
#1 Cleveland Browns: Bradley Chubb (DE) NC State: Will the Browns snag a quarterback with the No. 1 pick is the big question? With no real clear choice as to who will lead the franchise from the position, the Browns should decide to go defensive. Chubb will be the perfect compliment to Myles Garrett on the opposite side of the defensive line. In his last two seasons for the Wolfpack, Chubb registered 20 sacks to go along with 44 tackles for loss. In the AFC North, the name of the game is defense.
#4 Cleveland Browns: Calvin Ridley (WR) Alabama: No matter what the Browns decide to do regarding a quarterback, they must give him targets. With Josh Gordon back, the Browns will need to add another solid playmaker on the opposite side. Ridley, according to Walter Football, is the top-rated WR prospect in the 2018 NFL Draft. The one knock on Ridley might be his numbers, however, due to Bama’s approach in running the football, he still managed to catch 224 passes for 2,781 yards and 19 touchdowns in three seasons.
#28 Pittsburgh Steelers: Harold Landry (OLD/DE) Boston College: The Steelers will need to replace, or at least try to replace Ryan Shazier. Landry, if still on the board, will give the Steelers defense that extra boost. In a season where they were ranked in the top three in terms of sacks, they need a player who has a nose for the ball to keep that trend going. If not for the injury to Shazier, the Steelers still needed a player with his skills to make sure what happened against the Jaguars won’t happen again. In 2016, Landry registered 16.5 sacks and 22 tackles for loss. Needless to say, he can get in the backfield with ease. His injury in 2017 caused him to miss BC’s remaining five games and yet, he still led the team in sacks with five.
#12 Cincinnati Bengals: Courtland Sutton (WR) SMU: Is the issue with the Bengals, Andy Dalton, or the lack of help for A.J. Green? Marvin Lewis should take a moment to think offensive this draft and get both Dalton and Green some help. Sutton has the speed, hands, and size to compliment Green, plus his addition will be great for the ground game. In 2017, Sutton caught 68 passes for 1,085 yards and 12 touchdowns, In 2016, he managed 76 receptions, 1,246 yards and 10 touchdowns with an average of 16.5 yards per catch. The big play ability is there. Just what the Bengals need.
#16 Baltimore Ravens: Equanimeous St. Brown (WR) Notre Dame: Joe Flacco needs someone to throw the ball to. To be blunt, he needs someone to catch it as well. Over the last few seasons, the Ravens offense has been one-dimensional. Run, run, and hope someone can get open down the field to haul in a first down or touchdown. Brown has the size at 6-foot-4 to cause trouble for any defensive back, however, looking at his stats will tell a different story. The issue with his lower numbers in 2017 had more to do with the state of ND quarterbacks. In 2017, Brown caught just 33 passes for 515 yards, but he has the speed to be a solid receiver in the NFL.