The gems of a draft class aren't always first-round picks, and the picks that disappoint aren't always the third-day fliers. College Football 24/7 takes a look at the best and worst picks of each team in the NFL with respect to value and fit rather than overall talent, here focusing on the AFC North.
Baltimore Ravens
Best: DL Carl Davis, Round 3 (No. 90 overall)
Davis' bullish style is a super fit with Baltimore, and he should have an immediate impact on early downs as a run stopper. Concerns about his motor caused him to slip in the draft, but few expected him to slip this far. The Ravens waited long enough to get excellent value near the end of the third round in Davis, and if he shows up as well as he did at the Senior Bowl, watch out.
Worst: CB Tray Walker, Round 4 (No. 136 overall)
The Ravens simply reached here. Cornerback is a premium position and the draft runs out of quality at this spot quickly. Walker is more of a project at cornerback and a special-teams contributor than an immediate competitor for a job on the defense. That's the profile for a sixth- or seventh-rounder, not so much a fourth-rounder.
Cincinnati Bengals
Best: CB Josh Shaw, Round 4 (No. 120 overall)
Competing in this division means defending Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger, and you can't have enough quality cornerbacks for that task. Shaw showed well at the Senior Bowl, despite concerns about his speed. Shaw has the skill set to convert to safety if he struggles as a corner, and should be of help on special teams, as well.
Worst: OL Jake Fisher, Round 2 (No. 53 overall)
This would have made a lot more sense if the Bengals had gone in a different direction in the first round, where they took OT Cedric Ogbuehi. Indeed, this "worst pick" has less to do with Fisher and more to do with the Bengals' logic in making it. You spend the first two picks of the draft on the same position when you're trying to fix a disaster, and while Andre Smith and Andrew Whitworth don't make up the best tackle tandem in the league, they're not the worst either. This is a playoff-caliber team that conceivably could get no immediate help from either of its top two picks. That's forward thinking -- but maybe too far forward.
Cleveland Browns
Best: DE Nate Orchard, Round 2 (No. 51 overall)
Cleveland decided not to invest one of its two first-round picks in a pass rusher, and profited by the patience in getting Orchard, the NCAA's leader in sacks per game last season. He helped his draft stock at the Senior Bowl, and should be an excellent scheme fit in Cleveland's defense. If Orchard can get heat on the quarterback as a rookie, the Browns' draft class could go from very good to spectacular.
Worst: TE Malcolm Johnson, Round 6 (No. 195 overall)
Consider it a surprise if Johnson makes the Browns' roster, particularly with another rookie tight end, USC's Randall Telfer, being the better blocker of the two. The Browns might have an H-back type role in mind for the more athletic Johnson, but if Cleveland wanted a more gifted receiving tight end, it missed out one pick earlier when Nick O'Leary went to Buffalo at No. 194.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Best: WR Sammie Coates, Round 3 (No. 87 overall)
Coates is a classic example of why waiting to select a wide receiver in this draft was the right move. There is little doubt the former Auburn star is a second-round talent, and the Steelers did well to be patient in addressing this position. Drops were the scouting concern about Coates, but his big-play ability and skill for catching the deep ball could be a major addition to the Pittsburgh offense.
Worst: CB Senquez Golson, Round 2 (No. 56 overall)
Golson is gifted cover man, but the second round was a reach for a player who likely could have been had a round or two later. Golson is just 5-foot-9 and his size might compel the Steelers to play him in a nickelback role. Pittsburgh definitely needed to address the cornerback position, and early, but Golson was the wrong player at the wrong time. Fourth-round pick Doran Grant is as likely as not to emerge as the more valuable cornerback of the two.
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.
