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What Did The Browns Division Rivals Do In First Round Of NFL Draft?
Without a first round pick, the Browns watched the Bengals, Steelers and Ravens all make first round selections.
The Browns sat idle on the opening night of the draft for the third straight year.
As things statnd right now, they're slated to make their first selection on Friday in the second round at pick No. 54. In the mean time, that meant watching the rest of AFC North make picks to help bolster their rosters in the first round on Thursday night.
The Bengals, Steelers and Ravens each utilized the respective picks that they entered the night with. Here are the new players Cleveland will face off against in the AFC North next season.
Pick 18: Cincinnati Bengals – Amarius Mims, T Georgia
The Bengals are dealing with a bit of turmoil this offseason with multiple trade requests coming from WR Tee Higgins and now top pass rusher Trey Hendrickson. Star QB Joe Burrow is also working his way back from a season ending wrist injury this offseason.
When they came due to make a pick they decided to prioritize protecting their franchise QB and selected Amarius Mims out of Georgia. Mims has been considered one of the top tackles of the class and the big stat coming out of Georgia was that he didn't give up a single sack during his college career. Granted, the Bulldogs weren't exactly dropping back to pass 40-plus times a game.
Jan 9, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Amarius Mims (65) against the
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Pick 20: Pittsburgh Steelers – Troy Fautanu, T Washington
A classic Steelers type of pick, Fautanu has been regarded as one of the top o-lineman in the draft and fills a need for Pittsburgh. Fautanu actually projects better as an interior offensive line, than a tackle at the next level. Wherever Pittsburgh decides to use him, they clearly prioritized protecting their quarterback room, which now includes veteran Russell Wilson and freak athlete Justin Fields.
One of the biggest reasons for Fautanu slotting better as a guard is that his arm length isn't quite ideal for a starting NFL tackle. He's an absolute mauler in the run game though and very athletic.
Pick 30: Baltimore Ravens – Nate Wiggins, CB Clemson
The Ravens found themselves adding to the back end of a defense that was second only to the Browns last season. Wiggins adds a young talented cornerback to a secondary that already features a host of talent with Kyle Hamilton, Marlon Humphrey and Arthur Maulet.
Wiggins is a really smart player who knows how to leverage wide receivers in coverage to be able to make plays. He's also very competitive at going up to attack the football at its catch point. Alternatively, he's not super fluid in his technique but he can make up for a lot with his speed. The Clemson product notably posted the best 40-time of all defensive backs at the NFL Combine (4.28).
