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The AFC North blog is continuing its rankings of each position for the next week. This is a projection on how the group will fare this season. It's not an evaluation based on last year. For Friday, let's look at the offensive line.

1. Cleveland Browns: The Browns have the best lineman in the division, and perhaps the league, in left tackle Joe Thomas. The other star on the line is center Alex Mack. The biggest improvement should be at right tackle, where Mitchell Schwartz starts his second season. The guards are average, especially if John Greco has to replace Jason Pinkston, who is returning from a blood clot in the lung.

2. Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals have the No. 1 tackle combination with Andrew Whitworth on the left side and Andre Smith on the right. By the end of the season, Cincinnati's top lineman will be right guard Kevin Zeitler, who looks like a Pro Bowl player. The question mark -- and the soft spot of this line -- is at center, where Kyle Cook and Trevor Robinson will compete for the starting spot.

3. Baltimore Ravens: The top guard tandem of the division is Marshal Yanda and Kelechi Osemele. Yanda is among the grittiest linemen in the league, and Osemele ranks among the most versatile. It was a smart move to re-sign left tackle Bryant McKinnie because it allows Michael Oher to stay on the right side. Still, there is uncertainty whether McKinnie can hold up for a 16-game schedule and whether Gino Gradkowski can adequately replace Matt Birk at center.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers: This line has the potential to make more strides this season than any other in the division. But, until the unit proves itself, there is more optimism than confidence. Like the Steelers' quarterback position, the key is staying healthy. Pittsburgh has certainly made an investment, using two first-round picks (center Maurkice Pouncey and right guard David DeCastro) and two second-rounders (tackles Mike Adams and Marcus Gilbert) on the offense line. The biggest decision facing the Steelers is determining who will start at left tackle, which happens to be the most important spot on the line.

In case you missed the other AFC North position rankings this week, you can click here for quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends.

There's three items about offensive linemen and one about someone who used to make life terrible for offensive linemen. Time to go into the trenches in today's edition of the wake-up call ...

RAVENS: Gino Gradkowski, a fourth-round pick from a year ago, remains the frontrunner to replace Matt Birk as the team's starting center. Baltimore didn't sign a center in free agency and drafted Colorado State-Pueblo center Ryan Jensen in the sixth round. "He's definitely going to have every opportunity to be a starting center for us this year," assistant general manager Eric DeCosta told The Baltimore Sun. "He's going to have some competition. He's got the right mentality, the right makeup, the drive to be a good player. He comes from a football family. He's an important piece of the puzzle."

BENGALS: South Carolina center T.J. Johnson agreed to a four-year, $2.2 million contract, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. Johnson, a seventh-round pick and the Bengals' final one of the 2013 draft, was the the first of the team's 10 draft picks to reach an agreement. With Kyle Cook and Trevor Robinson competing for the starting center job, Johnson is projected to land on the practice squad after the final major cutdown. He started a school-record 53 games at South Carolina.

STEELERS: Former Steelers great Joe Greene, who recently retired from a personnel position within the organization, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he doesn't like the attitude of the current players on the Steelers, from players taking contract disputes into the season to letting information inside the locker room become public. “The Steelers over the years have been able to keep everyone happy under the structure," Greene said. "There’s a different attitude with the players, maybe players we brought in, I don’t know. I don’t think it’s good." File this under another criticism toward the Steelers' self-described "fractured" locker room. It should be noted that Greene lives in the Dallas area when he wasn't on the road scouting for the Steelers, so he acknowledges that he doesn't have first-hand knowledge of the situation.

BROWNS: The Browns signed often injured offensive lineman Rashad Butler to a one-year contract. The former backup for the Texans spent all of last season on injured reserve with a triceps injury and played just two games in 2011 because of an elbow injury. Butler was drafted in the third round by the Panthers in 2006 but he lasted only one year with the team. The Browns needed to add depth at the tackle position. Cleveland's top backups are Oniel Cousins and Ryan Miller.

Offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, who re-signed with the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, is the oldest starting offensive lineman in the AFC North at 33 years old. That led me to break down the ages of the offensive linemen in the division, and I realized that these lines are young but have experience.

McKinnie is just one of three projected starting offensive linemen in this division who are 30 years or older when the 2013 season begins. The others are both Bengals, left tackle Andrew Whitworth (31) and center Kyle Cook (30). Of the 20 starting offensive linemen, half are 25 years or younger.

The young linemen in this division are far from rookies. The only new starting offensive lineman is Ravens center Gino Gradkowski, who is replacing the retired Matt Birk.

Of course, some of the numbers can change because of injuries and training camp battles. Cook could get beaten out by Trevor Robinson, and Bengals left guard Clint Boling could lose his job to Travelle Wharton.

Here are other observations:

• The Ravens have the oldest starting line, averaging 27.2 years of age. The youngest is the Steelers, whose average starting lineman is 24.4 years old. That's about two years younger than the averages for the Browns (26.0) and Bengals (26.8).

• While McKinnie is the oldest lineman, the youngest in the division is Steelers tackle Mike Adams, who is 23. He's two days younger than Bengals right guard Kevin Zeitler.

• If Browns left guard Jason Pinkston can recover from a blood clot in his lung, the Browns will return the same five starters from last year's line. The Bengals are bringing back their line intact after re-signing right tackle Andre Smith during the draft.

• The oldest starting position on the line in the AFC North is left tackle. Assuming Adams starts at left tackle (that spot has yet to be determined by Pittsburgh), the average age is 28.7 years old with McKinnie, Whitworth and the Browns' Joe Thomas. The youngest place on the line is right guard at 24.7 years old. That group is comprised of Zeitler, the Ravens' Marshal Yanda, the Steelers' David DeCastro and the Browns' Shawn Lauvao.

An anonymous source told me that Steelers fans weren't happy with my Thursday column on the fractured locker room. The person who should really be unhappy is LaMarr Woodley. While it seems like every Steelers player is upset at an anonymous source, no one has stepped up to defend Woodley. So take that for what it's worth. Now, here is your wake-up call ...

RAVENS: Center Matt Birk plans on making an announcement at a community event Friday, according to a late-night press release by the Ravens. There has been speculation that Birk would retire after winning his first Super Bowl in his 15th NFL season. The Ravens would gain $2 million in cap room with the six-time Pro Bowl player no longer on the roster. Gino Gradkowski, a fourth-round pick in 2012, was selected to be the eventual replacement for Birk.

BENGALS: The report that the Bengals won't try to re-sign linebacker Rey Maualuga is inaccurate, a source told Geoff Hobson of the team's official website. According to Hobson, the Bengals are prepared to move Vontaze Burfict from outside to middle linebacker but they "could be open" to putting Maualuga on the strong side, where he played his first two seasons in Cincinnati. Hobson also reported that the buzz around the Bengals is they'll try to sign both defensive end Michael Johnson and right tackle Andre Smith to long-term deals before free agency begins Mach 12.

STEELERS: General manager Kevin Colbert disagreed with the assertion that the Steelers are a team in transition. He feels that label implies the Steelers don't think they can win the Super Bowl. "I don't view our team as old," Colbert said, via The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Sure, we have some old players, but they are significant players. We have a lot of young guys who I think are ready to take the next step if it is their turn. We'll find out where they all are after free agency, after the draft."

BROWNS: Eagles coach Chip Kelly disputed an NFL.com report that said he was close to signing with the Browns during their coaching search last month, calling it "erroneous." Kelly said his decision was always between staying at Oregon or going to Philadelphia. "I just thought for me, the Eagles was the best opportunity," Kelly said, via The Plain Dealer. "If I was going to go anywhere, it was going to be Philadelphia. It wasn't an elimination of anything. I just thought Philly was the best fit. I just fit in better." If you're keeping score at home, Browns chief executive officer Joe Banner recently said it was the Browns who walked away from Kelly and not the other way around. Now, Kelly is saying that he never even considered the Browns.

Here's what the Baltimore Ravens should do with their prime free agents. The NFL free-agency period begins March 12.

SHOULD RE-SIGN

QB Joe Flacco, LB Dannell Ellerbe.

I'm not sure if you've heard this already but Flacco is no longer under contract. The Ravens will either sign him to a long-term deal, put the franchise tag on him or handcuff him to Steve Bisciotti's desk. The end result is all the same: He's not leaving the Ravens.

If the Ravens had the cap room, they would bring back most of their free agents. That's just not the reality of the situation. With the retirement of Ray Lewis, the biggest need is at inside linebacker. If there is one free agent that the Ravens need and can afford, it's going to be Ellerbe. He was playing better than anyone on that defense toward the end of the season.

SHOULD LET WALK

LB Paul Kruger, OT Bryant McKinnie, CB Cary Williams, DT Ma'ake Kemoeatu.

It's going to be difficult for the Ravens to let Kruger walk. Baltimore invested so much time, energy and patience in Kruger, who finally reached expectations last season. But Kruger is going to get a contract the Ravens aren't going to be able to match. Like Kruger, Williams will get a deal that's out of the Ravens' price range. To fill that void, Baltimore is going to need Jimmy Smith to step up as he did in the Super Bowl.

McKinnie was key in solidifying the Ravens' offensive line in the playoffs. He's still a risk when you consider he was overweight in spring workouts and missed the first three days of training camp. Baltimore's cap situation will force the Ravens to go with offensive linemen under contract like Michael Oher, Jah Reid, Gino Gradkowski, Marshal Yanda and Kelechi Osemele.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

S Ed Reed. The Ravens will handle Reed like they handled Lewis in 2009. They will make Reed an offer and let him see if he can get something better in free agency. Lewis eventually came back to the Ravens. But Reed should draw more interest than Lewis on the open market, especially with potential suitors like the Patriots and Colts. It could come down to whether Reed allows the Ravens to match the offer.

ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. put together his candidates for second-year breakout seasons. Every team from the AFC North got a player on the list except for the Steelers. It's an Insider post, but here are the players who made it from the division:

Josh Gordon, Browns receiver: Kiper acknowledges that Gordon already had a breakout in the second half of his rookie season. Gordon is primed to be the Browns' No. 1 target for years to come.

Gino Gradkowski, Ravens guard-center: Needing to add weight and muscle, Gradkowski could be a starter as soon as next year depending on Matt Birk's status.

Marvin Jones, Bengals receiver: A deep threat, Jones showed enough flashes down the stretch to make the Bengals think he could compete with Mohamed Sanu for the No. 2 job.

Bernard Pierce, Ravens running back: He has played better than Ray Rice down the stretch. Just think, Pierce would been somewhere else right now if Ricky Williams hadn't decided to retire this offseason.

John Hughes, Browns defensive tackle: Billy Winn drew more attention as a rookie, but Kiper believes Hughes could start next to Phil Taylor with a strong camp in 2013.

There's a theme for the Tuesday wake-up call. All four teams are addressing lineup changes, whether it's the Ravens offensive line, the Steelers' running backs, Bengals middle linebacker Rey Maualuga or Browns running back Trent Richardson. Let's take a look:

RAVENS: One change coming out of the Ravens' bye could come on the offensive line, which coach John Harbaugh called a "work in progress." The Ravens have given up 18 sacks, the fifth-most in the league. "I would guess we’re going to roll some guys in there and see how they do," Harbaugh said, via the team's official website. "Let’s take a look at some young guys, and see how they do. Let’s keep the veterans available and let them play a little bit." Baltimore could rotate Ramon Harewood, who had started earlier this year, with veteran Bobbie Williams at left guard. The other two young backups are tackle Jah Reid and center-guard Gino Gradkowski.

STEELERS: It was redemption time for running back Jonathan Dwyer on Sunday night. He had a costly fumble at Oakland on Sept. 23, which led to him being inactive for the next two games. “Coach put it on the board for everyone to know that he wasn’t playing that weekend,” right guard Ramon Foster told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I’m glad to see him respond.” In his first game back, Dwyer didn't let this opportunity slip from his grasp, rushing for 122 yards and averaging 7.2 yards per carry against the Bengals. The Steelers’ 167 rushing yards were their most in eight games dating to last season.

BENGALS: Coach Marvin Lewis isn't replacing middle linebacker Rey Maualuga during the bye even though he had another disappointing performance Sunday night. His most noticeable mistake was being out of position on the game-sealing 32-yard run by Dwyer in the fourth quarter. "He didn't play as well as he played over the last couple weeks, but some of it, it looks like he's not playing as well because other people aren't doing what they're supposed to be doing and he's actually doing what he is (supposed to be) doing most of the time," Lewis said, via CBS Sports. "Unfortunately, the last run of the game he decides he's going to be Superman and get out of his responsibility." According to Pro Football Focus, Maualuga ranks among the top five linebackers with nine missed tackles.

BROWNS: Rookie running back Trent Richardson may sit out more than the second half this week. Head coach Pat Shurmur said he will evaluate Richardson's rib injury and didn't rule out sitting him for Sunday's game against the Chargers. "You just watch him, watch him practice, see where he's at physically and if he's ready to play, he'll play," Shurmur said, via The Plain Dealer. "If we see that this is bothering him to the point where he can't perform, then we'll make those decisions as we go." In other news, the Browns placed Jason Pinkston on injured reserve, ending the starting left guard's season. He discovered Thursday that he has a blood clot in his lung.

Unfortunately, we're going to have to cancel the weekly AFC North chat for Wednesday. But I have pulled some questions from my portion of ESPN.com's all-day chat:

Jeff (TN): Who finishes with more catches, yards and touchdowns this season out of Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): Wallace more yards. Brown more catches and TDs. [Ben] Roethlisberger and Brown showed a lot of chemistry in the red zone during training camp.

Kevin (MD): Will the Ravens blitz a lot more to account for no Terrell Suggs? Can the secondary handle it?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): The Ravens will be forced to send more pressure. They play 13 games against QBs who have made the Pro Bowl. You can't let them sit back and pick apart the secondary. Matt Ryan and Matthew Stafford had a field day with the Ravens in the preseason because there was no pass rush.

Vic (Tropical Paradise ): Do you expect any regression from the Bengals?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): Andy Dalton is the x-factor.

Adam (DC): What will be the Steelers run/pass ratio this year?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): Depends on the game. The buzz word is versatility.

Mitch (Seville, OH): I get ranking the Browns near the bottom of the power rankings, but most have us at No. 32. What puts them below teams like Jacksonville and Arizona?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): When I voted for the Week 1 power rankings, I had the Browns above the Jaguars (who are 32nd), Colts and Vikings.

Harrison (College Park): Do you think Michael Oher will ever become the left tackle for the Ravens? He has shown flashes of his talent, but seems to be held back by a lack of mental discipline? Also, do you think Matt Birk could be replaced by the rookie Gino Gradkowski at center before the season is over?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): I see Birk remaining the center this season. Gradkowski is too small to play that position right now. The likely plan is to make Gradkowski the starter next year after he has a full season in the weight room. As far as Oher, if the Ravens can't find a LT in free agency or the draft, Oher will be the LT next season by default.

Hughey (Columbus, OH): Let's say Brandon Weeden ends up being good like a shade above Andy Dalton good. Could the Browns contend for the playoffs or are they too weak everywhere else?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): I just have a hard time seeing Weeden being better than Dalton last year. It's not a knock on Weeden. It's a knock on the Browns wide receiver group, which is among the worst in the NFL.

Geoff (Chicago): While I am rooting for Rey Maualuga to play well in the middle this year, do you think Vontaze Burfict has a chance to supplant him this year?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): Burfict won't start this year unless Maualuga is injured. With Maualuga being a free agent after the season, the Bengals have the option of going with Burfict as the starting MLB for 2013.

I check out Ravens training camp over the weekend, and the Steelers get into fisticuffs. I then attend Steelers camp, and the Ravens have their first brawl of the summer. I'm starting to think I have to start my own fight at Latrobe today if I'm going to witness one this year. When asked about the recent confrontations at Steelers camp, defensive end Brett Keisel said, "I haven't been to a camp in all my 11 years where there hasn't been fighting." Thanks for rubbing it in. Now on to the wake-up call:

BENGALS: Thursday night's preseason game marks the first time defensive end Jamaal Anderson will play in the Georgia Dome since he was released by the Falcons, who drafted him in the first round in 2007. That was the year when Anderson's defensive coordinator in Atlanta was Mike Zimmer, who is his current coordinator in Cincinnati. “That was probably one of the biggest things he instilled in a lot of defensive ends, was getting after that run and being tough-nosed, and then once you stop that run you can get after the passer,” Anderson told the Cincinnati Enquirer. Anderson is starting in place of the injured Carlos Dunlap.

BROWNS: Rookie right tackle Mitchell Schwartz struggled in his first game, getting flagged for a false start before allowing a sack that led to Brandon Weeden's fumble. The second-round pick will play at least the entire first half and perhaps some of the third quarter along with the rest of the starters on Thursday night at Green Bay. “I expect myself to progress,” Schwartz told the Akron Beacon Journal. “I was happy to get back out here on the field [for practice] to try to work on some of the things I didn’t do as well. It really kind of irritates me when I don’t do something right, and I just want to get it corrected. I don’t want to keep making that same mistake over and over. So I expect to be better this game. I expect to do the technical things better and have more success.”

RAVENS: Not to be upstaged by their division rivals, the Ravens engaged in a brawl of their own. According to CBS Sports, defensive end Arthur Jones, whose brother is UFC champion Jon "Bones" Jones, pinned Gino Gradkowski and threw as many punches as he could into the chest of the rookie center. While that fight was going on, offensive tackle Jah Reid wound up at the bottom of a pile and took several punches from safety Bernard Pollard and other defensive backs. "What are you going to do? Start throwing bodies around," coach John Harbaugh said. "It was a spirited fight."

STEELERS: Many expected a training camp battle between Ziggy Hood and Cameron Heyward for the starting job at left defensive end. That hasn't materialized through three weeks of camp, where Heyward has backed up Brett Keisel at right end. "I wasn't even thinking in that regard," Heyward told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I can't look at it as a numbers game or where I am on the depth chart. My main thing is I have to worry about doing my technique right. Hopefully, the coaches have confidence in me to go out there." Of the Steelers' 10 first-round picks from 2003 to 2012, Heyward is one of three who isn't scheduled to start for Pittsburgh in Week 1 (Santonio Holmes and Rashard Mendenhall are the others).

A look at what's happening around the division:

BENGALS: Defensive end Robert Geathers could be sidelined for the entire preseason. Geathers injured his left knee on the first day of training camp and had it scoped Friday. Carlos Dunlap replaced Geathers in the starting lineup.

BROWNS: New owner Jimmy Haslam indicated that he's open to keeping team president Mike Holmgren around for the 2012 season. "I don't anticipate becoming owner until the middle of October," Haslam told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "We have until the middle of October to listen and learn. You're basically halfway through the NFL season there, so that's reality."

RAVENS: Center Matt Birk could miss Thursday's preseason opener after being sidelined for a fifth straight practice with back spasms and a knee injury. "I'm probably going to slow him down a little bit more especially this week and maybe next week after the game, get him back in there," coach John Harbaugh told the Baltimore Sun. Rookie fourth-round pick Gino Gradkowski is expected to fill in for Birk at center.

STEELERS: Joey Porter, Willie Parker, Aaron Smith and Marvel Smith all retired as Steelers before the team's annual night practice. "This is home. Even when I left -- it was OK to go and play for Miami and Arizona ... but there's nothing like home," Porter told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Pittsburgh -- once you come through here -- it's a special piece in your heart here, in Pittsburgh. That void wouldn't have been filled if I didn't come back and retire as a Steeler."

Baltimore Ravens

Sixth-round pick Tommy Streeter has been working out with linebacker Ray Lewis ever since he was drafted, writes Matt Vensel of the Baltimore Sun.

Vensel also reports that rookies Kelechi Osemele and Gino Gradkowski spent most of minicamp playing guard and will compete with Jah Reid.

Courtney Upshaw made good use of the three-day rookie minicamp, the Sun's Jeff Zrebiec writes.

Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer wraps up the Bengals' minicamp.

Cleveland Browns

The Akron Beacon's Nate Ulrich reports that Trent Richardson's goal is to become one of the greatest running backs of all time.

Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer says rookie Brandon Weeden is ready to compete against Colt McCoy and Seneca Wallace.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Former Steelers wide receiver Limas Sweed struggled in a tryout with the Giants.

The recent success of the Steelers helped the AFC North finish second in the Sporting News' analysis of the strongest divisions over the past five seasons.

The AFC North blog wanted to know what the fans thought about the drafts for each of the division teams. Now, let's compare your grades against the ones given by ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.:

CINCINNATI BENGALS

The picks: CB Dre Kirkpatrick (first round), G Kevin Zeitler (first round), DT Devon Still (second round), WR Mohamed Sanu (third round), DT Brandon Thompson (third round), TE Orson Charles (fourth round), CB Shaun Prater (fifth round), WR Marvin Jones (fifth round), S George Iloka (fifth round), RB Dan "Boom" Herron (sixth round).

Kiper's grade: A-minus

Fans' grade: A (42 percent in the SportsNation poll)

Fans' comments:

Adam from Dayton: Bengals Draft Grade: A -- I thought that the Bengals did an excellent job in adding depth. The one "head scratcher" that seemed to come about this year was trading their second first round pick when they could have got David DeCastro, the highest-rated guard. Granted they received an extra pick and still grabbed a very big and strong guard a few picks later in Kevin Zeitler with that trade, I think it really boiled down to the fact they could have got the best guard, instead all of Bengal Nation saw him go to the Steelers. All-in-all, everyone knows the AFC North is an old-school run -first division, so beefing up the D-Line with a couple of huge, strong, and athletic linemen was a sound way to go and I for one am happy to see the new blood that the team has. These Bengals have tapped into the fountain of youth rather quickly, yet they are getting better and being built for the future.

Andheez: I went for an A. Kirkpatrick is solid. Zeitler is a beast. Some publications had Still as the top DT pre-combine. Not sold on Sanu, but I think the Charles pick was fantastic. I am not one to ostracize someone for a DUI. Prater, Iloka and Herron probably won't stick, but sounds like Jones was a nice find.

mann_usmc: I give the Bengals a C. Here we go drafting a CB in the first round again. Keep Johnathan Joseph and you can fill other spots (safety). The next four picks draw a big question mark. If you're going to draft an OG, then why not take the best prospect in a decade in DeCastro? You pass on him and allow the Steelers to draft him and all you gain is a third-round pick. That is a big miss in my opinion. Secondly, you draft two DTs when you already have Domata Peko and Geno Atkins. Sure these guys provide depth, but I would think that with my second-round and third-round picks to be a contributor. I wouldn't use draft picks that high for backups.

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CLEVELAND BROWNS

The picks: RB Trent Richardson (first round), QB Brandon Weeden (first round), OT Mitchell Schwartz (second round), NT John Hughes (third round), WR Travis Benjamin (fourth round), LB James-Michael Johnson (fourth round), G Ryan Miller (fifth round), LB Emmanuel Acho (sixth round), DL Billy Winn (sixth round), CB Trevin Wade (seventh round), TE-FB Brad Smelley (seventh round).

Kiper's grade: B-minus

Fans' grade: B (38 percent)

Fans' comments:

Kovacs from Dallas: This draft is an A if Weeden works out but probably a low B or high C if he doesn't. Worst case the draft added two starters at key positions, RB and RT, and much-needed depth at areas where it was badly needed, DT and LB. If that's the worst case it's still a nice-looking haul.

Kyle from Columbus, Ohio: The Browns did a pretty good job of filling some holes and adding some depth. I really like the T. Richardson pick, but I think they reached a little for B. Weeden. My only complaint is that if you decide to take a first-round QB, you have to give him some weapons. T. Benjamin looks like a special-team guy, who may help out in the slot.

JBT1MIAMI: Simple D-minus. I'm still waiting for any fan to address why it's not an issue that Trent Richardson didn't compete at the combine because he had his knee scoped. How is he any better injury-wise than [Montario] Hardesty, knowing he's also had both ankles reconstructed. Why no issue with this? Why not just trade for [Rashard] Mendenhall if it's no issue. He's proven on the pro level. Think Steelers believe this kind of thing is an issue with running backs? I guess it's like training a dog, people have to separate emotional attachment of drafting a hyped running back, and learn about calm reasoning. Emotions just gave the Browns a 3-13 record.

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BALTIMORE RAVENS

The picks: OLB Courtney Upshaw (second round), OT-G Kelechi Osemele (second round), RB Bernard Pierce (third round), C-G Gino Gradkowski (fourth round), S Christian Thompson (fourth round), CB Asa Jackson (fifth round), WR Tommy Streeter (sixth round), DT DeAngelo Tyson (seventh round).

Kiper's grade: B

Fans' grade: B (40 percent)

Fans' comments:

Shadowwolf1001: It's really toss-up. There are some strong picks here that would warrant an A, but there are also some picks I'm not too sure about which probably warrant a B. I'd have to vote B-plus with the potential of an A grade later on.

jdille123: C-plus. Ozzie [Newsome] must have taken this one off. Still got some good talent, but he usually does better.

youmadbromad: I gave them a D because they did not draft a new FG kicker.

Dave from Mansfield, Ohio: I'm giving the Raven a 'B.' They came into the draft with holes at LB, OT, OG and filled all of these needs. However while Upshaw should help feel the void left by Terrell Suggs, Kelechi Osemele should step in and start at guard and hopefully Gino Gradkowski develops as the replacement for Matt Birk. Plus Tommy Streeter has the potential to be a huge steal if his football skills catch up to his physical stature and speed.

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PITTSBURGH STEELERS

The picks: G David DeCastro (first round), OT Mike Adams (second round), ILB Sean Spence (third round), NT Alameda Ta'amu (fourth round), RB Chris Rainey (fifth round), WR Toney Clemons (seventh round), TE David Paulson (seventh round), CB Terrence Frederick (seventh round), G Kelvin Beachum (seventh round).

Kiper's grade: B

Fans' grade: A (61 percent)

Fans' comments:

WhoDeyAJGreen: As a Bengal fan (obviously) and an OSU football fan, I graded them as a A-minus. Great value picks while also filling needs. The player that will make the difference between an A-minus and A-plus is Mike Adams. If he can get his [act] together, then they had one heck of a draft from top to bottom.

Each day, we'll look at the draft for one team in the AFC North and ask you to put a grade on it. Either post a comment below or send me one to the AFC North mailbag. At the end of the week, I will post a fans' report card that includes all the division teams, along with selected commentary.

Next up is the Baltimore Ravens. Here's what they did in the 2012 draft:

Second round: Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama. Replacement for Jarret Johnson is eager to prove himself after watching four Alabama teammates get selected in the first round.

Second round: Kelechi Osemele, OT, Iowa State. He could make an immediate impact if he transitions from college tackle to NFL guard.

Third round: Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple. Backup for Ray Rice rushed for 3,570 career yards and 53 touchdowns.

Fourth round: Gino Gradkowski, C/G, Delaware. The younger brother of Bruce Gradkowski could be the eventual replacement for center Matt Birk.

Fourth round: Christian Thompson, FS, South Carolina State. Ran the fastest 40 time (4.5 seconds) for safeties at the NFL combine and likes to hit.

Every morning, grab a cup of coffee and get your AFC North wake-up call here:

Browns backup quarterback Seneca Wallace said he is willing to mentor first-round draft pick Brandon Weeden a year removed from indicating that he wouldn't do the same for Colt McCoy.

"I know my job going into my 10th season of being in this offense is to prepare Brandon Weeden to get him right and make sure he's ready to go for Day 1," Wallace told a local Cleveland radio station, via the Plain Dealer. "This is a different beast. This is a first-rounder that we drafted, 22nd overall and from a business standpoint you know and everybody else knows and outsiders know that this kid's got to play. My job as a veteran guy is to make sure he's ready to play.''

Wallace said his comments last year that he's "not a mentor'' were specific to the situation he was in. In 2011, he was competing for the job against McCoy, a third-round quarterback.

"Going into 2012 now, with Brandon Weeden coming in, he's a first-round draft pick," Wallace said. "We all know the business side of it and you're going to see that guy play if it's week one or week seven, he's going to be playing.''

Hensley's slant: This comes across as Wallace trying to do everything he can to stay on the team. I still believe the Browns' best option at backup is to keep McCoy. He has the right attitude to be a backup, and the Browns just invested a full season of starts in him last year.

BENGALS: Quarterback Andy Dalton has already reached out to two of his new targets, tight end Orson Charles and wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. Charles wanted to get on a plane after he was drafted Saturday morning to throw with Dalton, but has to wait until the May 11-13 rookie minicamp. "He wanted to know, 'What routes do I need to be working on?' He's definitely trying to do all the right things," Dalton told the team's official website. "I'm happy to see it. Hopefully he'll pick it up quick and help us out." Hensley's slant: Sanu should be in the mix for the wide-open race for the team's No. 2 wide receiver spot. Jordan Shipley is probably the favorite if he recovers from knee surgery in time. Sanu, fifth-round pick, Marvin Jones, Andrew Hawkins, Brandon Tate and Armon Binns will also contend for that job.

RAVENS: Director of player personnel Eric DeCosta revealed some interesting pieces of information in an online chat on the team's website: linebacker Courtney Upshaw was among the team's top-20 rated players, undrafted linebacker Vontaze Burfict drew interest from the Ravens before he signed with the Bengals and center Gino Gradkowski was his favorite pick. "He was a sleeper player for us who was a consensus favorite amongst the scouts and coaches," DeCosta said about Gradkowski. "I think he's smart and tough guy, physical, very good athlete." Hensley's slant: Gradkowski might have to step up as the team's starting center by next season. Matt Birk, who is expected to mentor Gradkowski, turns 36 at the end of July.

STEELERS: Sean Spence will move to inside linebacker for the Steelers (backing up Lawrence Timmons) after playing outside linebacker at Miami in 39 of 40 starts, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh believes his speed and athleticism more than make up for his lack of height (5-foot-11). "A lot of stuff today is misdirection and trying to fool you or outnumber you one way and then give you a different look coming back the other way," linebackers coach Keith Butler said. "A lot of that requires the ability to read from the linebackers nowadays, not so much to get down and stuff a hole. Sometimes you have to do it on the goal line when you have to take on a big running back, but we're taking on Ray Rice, we're not taking on Jerome Bettis anymore." Hensley's slant: Spence is a four-year starter who has an excellent work ethic. He might not have the strength to become a starting linebacker, but he has the makings of being a core special-teams player.

Let's break down the Baltimore Ravens' 2012 draft:

FIRST-ROUND SPOTLIGHT: The Ravens traded out of the first round, but they still got a first-round talent in Alabama outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw. He will set the edge on run defense like Jarret Johnson, who went to San Diego in free agency, and he will team with Terrell Suggs as Baltimore's edge pass rushers (Upshaw had 15.5 sacks in the past two seasons). He has a high motor and lots of motivation after falling into the second round. “Once we get back to football," Upshaw said, "it's going to be me just wanting to go out there and prove someone should've taken me.”

IN HINDSIGHT: In addition to outside linebacker, the Ravens' biggest need was left guard. Baltimore should've thought about trading up from its second pick in the second round to get Midwestern State's Amini Silatolu or Georgia's Cordy Glenn, who were selected 40th and 41st overall. The price would've been a third-round pick, which the Ravens used on Temple running back Bernard Pierce.

BEST VALUE: C-G Gino Gradkowski, Delaware. He received a third-round grade by some teams and slipped into the early part of the fourth round. Smart and athletic, Gradkowski is expected to be groomed as the successor to Matt Birk, who turns 36 before the start of training camp. The last time the Ravens used a fourth-round pick on a center was Jason Brown in 2005.

TOP LATE-ROUND PICKUP: WR Tommy Streeter, Miami. This was a no-brainer for the Ravens to take a flier on Streeter in the sixth round. Some thought he could go as early as the second round, but his inexperience (a one-year producer) and inconsistent hands scared off teams. The Ravens needed another deep threat for Joe Flacco, and Streeter's size (6 feet 5) and speed (he reportedly ran the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds) is definitely intriguing.

SOMEONE WHO DIDN'T LIKE THIS DRAFT: Paul Kruger. He's waited to find his spot in the starting lineup since he was selected by the Ravens in the second round three years ago. It looked like he would finally get his opportunity when Johnson signed with the Chargers in free agency. But he's no longer a favorite for that outside linebacker job since the Ravens drafted Upshaw.