With the bulk of free agency over and the 2023 NFL Draft just five weeks away, it's time to fire up the PFF mock draft simulator to fill the remaining needs for all 32 NFL teams.
Today, we'll focus on the AFC North to see how the first three rounds could shake out. Want to see how you'd do as the general manager of your favorite team? Try PFF's mock draft simulator for free — you can trade players and picks and mock all seven rounds. Click here to start drafting!
Note: Each team's mock draft was run independently, so some players may appear twice, as these picks are simply what I would do in the given situation.
Click here to jump to a team:
Baltimore Ravens | Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns | Pittsburgh Steelers
Baltimore Ravens
Round 1: Trade — Ravens trade Pick Nos. 22 and 199 to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for Nos. 44, 75, 110 and 113
Round 2: EDGE BJ Ojulari, LSU
Round 3: WR Nathaniel Dell, Houston; WR Michael Wilson, Stanford
The Ravens have yet to sign an outside player in free agency and hold just five picks in the 2023 NFL Draft — and that’s a dangerous combination. So, while the 22-spot drop is steep, it allows the team to add two more players.
While the Ravens missed out on a top wide receiver with their first pick, they grab Ojulari at 44th overall. The LSU product earned a career-high 83.0 pass-rushing grade last season and adds to an edge group that includes two recent top-50 picks in Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo.
Baltimore would then be able to attack the receiver position in quantity and would be wise to add another on Day 3 to go with Dell and Wilson.
Cincinnati Bengals
Round 1: TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah
Round 2: OT Matthew Bergeron, Syracuse
Round 3: DeWayne McBride, UAB
This would be the dream scenario for the Cincinnati Bengals, as Kincaid is the top pass-catching tight end in this class and our top-ranked player at the position overall. His 91.8 receiving grade ranked first among college tight ends in 2022.
Cincinnati could then look to the trenches with Bergeron in Round 2 and add a potential replacement for Joe Mixon in McBride in Round 3. Only four college running backs produced a higher rushing grade in 2022 than McBride (93.5), with the UAB Blazer also ranking second in yards after contact per attempt (4.6).
Cleveland Browns
Round 3: S Jordan Battle, Alabama; DI Moro Ojomo, Texas
The Browns lack a first-round pick due to the Deshaun Watson trade a year ago, and they now lack a second-round pick due to the recent trade to acquire Elijah Moore from the New York Jets.
Jordan Battle is a solid athlete who has produced 80.0-plus PFF grades in each of the past three seasons.
Ojomo ranked eighth among college interior defenders last year and is an explosive enough athlete that there is some upside to his projection to the NFL.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Round 1: CB Deonte Banks, Maryland
Round 2: OT Dawand Jones, Ohio State; DI Siaki Ika, Baylor
Round 3: WR Nathaniel Dell, Houston
Despite adding Patrick Peterson in free agency, cornerback is both a short- and long-term need for the Steelers this offseason.
Banks had an impressive showing at the NFL combine and is coming off a season where he allowed a catch on just 43.3% of the passes thrown into his coverage, the second-best mark among all draft-eligible Big 10 cornerbacks.
Looking to the trenches in Round 2, the Steelers add two of the biggest athletes in the class. Jones could hear his name called in the first round, so it would be a great value add at the top of Round 2.
Ika is a slight reach, based on the PFF big board, but he was impressive as a pass-rusher from the nose tackle position in college, registering 59 total pressures from 656 pass-rushing snaps across his four seasons at LSU and Baylor.
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