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» Draft Watch: Biggest needs (2/17) | Busts/gems (2/24) | Schemes, themes (3/3) | Recent history (3/10) | Needs revisited (3/17) | Under-the-radar needs (3/26) | History in that spot (3/31) | Draft approach (4/7) | Decision-makers (4/14) | Dream scenario/Plan B (4/21)

Each Wednesday leading up to the NFL draft (April 22-24), the ESPN.com blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today's topic: Busts and late-round gems.

Baltimore Ravens

Busts: The Ravens have one of the most consistent front offices in the NFL, so you have to look all the way back to 2005 to really find an underperforming first-round pick in Mark Clayton. The receiver has shown flashes with several big games in Baltimore. But Clayton never developed the consistency to become a No. 1 receiver. In the second round, linebacker Dan Cody was another miss in 2005. His career never got off the ground, because he couldn't shake the injury bug. Also, it's too early to determine the status of 2009 second-round pick Paul Kruger. But the linebacker/defensive end was mostly a non-factor in his rookie season. Gems: Baltimore has several contributing players that were found in the late and middle rounds. Most recently, 2009 third-round cornerback Lardarius Webb looks like a potential starter and has the ability to return kicks. Pro Bowl fullback Le'Ron McClain was another great, under-the-radar pick in the fourth round in 2007. Starting left tackle Jared Gaither was found in the supplemental draft in 2007 and started 26 games the past two seasons. Other key contributors include starting safety Dawan Landry and punter Sam Koch, who were fifth- and sixth-round picks in 2006, respectively.

Cincinnati Bengals

Busts: It's well-documented that Cincinnati doesn't put nearly the same resources into scouting as most teams, and it shows in its list of draft busts. Eight players the Bengals selected in the first three rounds since 2004 are no longer with the team. Several -- such as first-rounders Chris Perry and David Pollack and second-rounders Odell Thurman and Kenny Irons -- are out of the NFL. Most recently, the career of 2009 No. 6 overall pick Andre Smith got off to a poor start. But he has time to turn things around. Receiver Jerome Simpson, who was a second-round pick in 2008, is running out of chances and may not make the 53-man roster next fall. It's difficult to maintain a steady level of success when you're missing this often in the first and second rounds. Gems: Seventh-round pick Chinedum Ndukwe was not highly touted out of Notre Dame but continued to make plays for the Bengals until coaches had no choice but to play him. Defensive tackle Domata Peko was a fourth-round pick in 2006 who developed into one of Cincinnati's most important players. Last year's sixth-round pick, tailback Bernard Scott, showed flashes as a rookie.

Cleveland Browns

Busts: The Browns are on their third regime in three years. With that kind of turnover, you can expect a lot of misses in the draft as the team continues to switch philosophies. The Phil Savage-Romeo Crennel era began in 2005 with receiver Braylon Edwards and safety Brodney Pool. Edwards didn't live up to expectations and was traded to the New York Jets last season. Pool likely will be let go to free agency. It has been three years, and we still don't know exactly what to make of 2007 first-round pick Brady Quinn. The new regime led by Mike Holmgren doesn't seem too impressed, as the team continues to explore its options at quarterback. Receiver Brian Robiskie and linebacker David Veikune, both second-round picks in 2009, also need to step up for Cleveland in 2010. Gems: Starting fullback Lawrence Vickers, a sixth-round pick in 2006, was another great find. He paved the way for Jamal Lewis to have back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2007 and 2008. Vickers also helped tailback Jerome Harrison (862 rushing yards), another late gem, put up career highs last season. Most recently, 2009 fourth-round pick Kaluka Maiava may turn out to be a decent linebacker from the middle rounds.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Busts: Similar to the Ravens, the Steelers do not make a lot of mistakes at the top of the draft. Six of Pittsburgh's past seven first-round picks are starters. That includes quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, safety Troy Polamalu, receiver Santonio Holmes and tailback Rashard Mendenhall. Pittsburgh has had some issues in the second round. In 2008, the Steelers were hoping Limas Sweed could be the big receiver they were looking for, but that hasn't panned out. In 2004, second-round cornerback Ricardo Colclough had zero starts in four years before being released. Gems: Last year's third-round pick Mike Wallace already is a significant addition to Pittsburgh's offense. His deep speed was needed, and he had 39 receptions for 756 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie. Pittsburgh also has been fortunate to find starting offensive linemen late in the draft. Offensive tackle Willie Colon and guard Chris Kemoeatu were taken in the fourth and sixth rounds, respectively. Dennis Dixon, who was taken in the fifth round in 2008, also could develop into a solid backup quarterback.

Former Cincinnati sports reporter Bill Hemmer witnessed the glory years of the Bengals firsthand. He covered and traveled with the team from 1988 to 1992, which included two playoff berths and a trip to the Super Bowl.

Hemmer eventually left his hometown and today is a well-renowned news anchor for the Fox News Channel in New York. The Bengals will host the New York Jets in Saturday’s playoff game at 4:30 p.m.

The AFC North blog caught up with Hemmer to reflect on the Bengals and look ahead.

You covered the Bengals during their last great run. What are your memories from that experience?

Bill Hemmer: That was a great time in my life. You don’t realize it when you’re in the moment. But when you look back on it, I know how wonderful an experience that can be. I was a young man. I was 24 years old, and I had an opportunity in Cincinnati to go to the games and travel with the team and report on what they were doing. As a sports fan, born and raised in Cincinnati, I bleed orange and black for crying out loud. To be able to have that experience with the team you‘ve grown up to love, it was outstanding. I look back at those times with very fond memories. It took me to every stadium in the country and it put me up close with some guys, to this day, that I still respect. People like Boomer Esiason, Chris Collinsworth, Anthony Munoz and Sam Wyche. These guys are legends of the game. It’s amazing how many broadcasters that team produced. As a reporter covering that team back then, they were great for interviews.

The Bengals haven’t won a playoff game since you covered them. What do you think happened to this organization?

BH: I have a nephew. He’s 19. He’s going to the game on Saturday, because I got him some tickets. He’s a huge fan and since he’s been alive this is the second winning season he’s ever seen. Where would we be without suffering, I think Bruce Springsteen once said. What’s gone wrong? Everything. They’ve had management issues. They’ve had coaching issues. They’ve had personnel issues. In recent years they’ve had horrific injuries. Things like David Pollack. You draft a kid out of Georgia, he’s so promising, and he breaks his neck the third game of his career. And Odell Thurman, those two guys in my mind could have battled for rookie defensive player of the year. After only a couple games I thought they were that good. But Thurman had his off-field problems and he’s done. If you think about the events they’ve gone through this past year with Mike Zimmer’s wife dying and Chris Henry dies. You wonder if the team is cursed. Well, here is what I think the strategy is, because I’ve studied this team and watched how management makes decisions. This is my opinion, but if you look at their Super Bowl appearance of ‘81-‘82, they tried to blast off and they finally did. Then they go back in a lull. Maybe it’s to save money or turn the payroll. I’m not sure. Then they build up again and they explode in ‘88-‘89. They tried to do it again in the ‘90s but they failed at it. And here they are almost 20 years later and they got a shot.

You now live and work in New York. How confident are Jets fans after last week’s 37-0 drubbing?

BH: I have got to tell you, I work in a building with thousands of employees. I think everyone in the building knows I’m a Cincinnati fan, and they have let me have it all week long. I tell them, ‘Good luck, and here’s to a great game this weekend.’ In Bengal Nation we are raised to be humble.

What are your thoughts on the Chris Henry story and how sports sometimes converges with hard news?

BH: I’m a big believer that sports sometimes is a reflection of our society, be it good or bad. I’m one of the guys in the newsroom who will always argues to have highlights on the National Championship Game thrown into the newscast. I lose more of those arguments than I win. But there is a reason why 80,000 people are jammed into a stadium. There is a reason why you can get eight million people to watch a football game on a Sunday night. There is a reason why 50 million people watch the Super Bowl on television in this country alone. There is a fan base for that, and for that reason I’m convinced that the audience is there. But we work in a news business. So I lose a lot of those arguments. But I think you can make the case that many things that happen, especially on the professional level, are a reflection of society.

What’s your prediction for the Jets and Bengals?

BH: I can’t go there. But I will predict a very well-played football game. I think it will be solid on both sides of the football. I think fans and viewers across the country are in for a treat. I think what happened Sunday night was an aberration. I’m praying that I’m right with that calculation. But if anything it was a wake-up call to make sure those guys are focused. I believe the Bengals, when they’ve been forced to concentrate and forced to focus, have played extraordinarily well. I hope that’s the case Saturday.

Posted by ESPN.com’s James Walker

Our latest "Thought of the Day" topic in the AFC North focused on the Cincinnati Bengals. The question was whether this year’s team is better than the 2005 group that made the wild-card round of the playoffs?

Here are the best responses along with an AFC North final take:

Anthony from Dayton, Ohio writes: I think the 2009 Bengals can go much further than the 2005 Bengals. The main reason is the fact that the Bengals defense is much improved in every area. The Bengals defense can stop the run and stop teams on third down, something they struggled with in 2005. The offense is not clicking but if you think they are good at 4-1 and relying on the defense. Wait until the offense finally starts clicking and they will be fun to watch.

Ben from Indianapolis, Ind., writes: No, the Bengals of this year are not better. If you'll remember in '05 that Bengals squad was beating teams with an overpowering offense. This year they are squeaking by each game. Sure, the defense is improved, but this team is not better. Lucky might be a better word. This is still the Pittsburgh Steelers division to lose.

Ryan from Dayton, Ohio, writes: You said "team." The 2005 Cincinnati Bengals weren't a "team." They were self-promoters that clicked on offense for a season and were terrible on defense. When your defense gives up points like they did in '05 your offense has to score like they did. When Carson Palmer went out, we saw what happened.

Terry from Boulder, Colo., writes: James, without a doubt the '05 team was better. Look at Cincy's wins this year. This team could just as easily be 1-4 as 4-1 (or 5-0). But you can make a case that they shouldn't have beaten the Steelers, Browns or Ravens (not to mention they nearly blew the lead against Green Bay as well.) Granted, they did end up winning all those games, and that can be the mark of a great team. But as a Steelers fan, I was much more worried about the '05 team than about this '09 team.

Andrew Smith from Louisville, Ky., writes: It is a complete role reversal, the 05' Bengals were in every game because of the explosive offense. The ‘09 squad has hung its hat on Mike Zimmer's defense. You know the old saying of defense wins championships. I'll take this year’s squad every day of the week.

Chris from Sandusky, Ohio, writes: James, the 2005 team was the hottest team in the league going into the playoffs and it was only an injury that derailed them. They proved they could take Pittsburgh that year during the regular season. They led the league in takeaways (by far) and no one could stop their offense. I have high hopes for this year's team, especially with their hard hitting defense, but there's a lot of work to be done before they can claim to be better than the '05 team.

Talani Casariego from Atlanta writes: The ‘05 Bengals defense took a major blow when David Pollack went down. It basically took the Bengals until now to recover from losing such a high pick so tragically. It didn't help that Odell Thurman flaked out. Their defense has been in re-rebuilding mode since '05. They finally seem to have recovered, and yeah, I think they are better than they were in '05.This team is back on track. Go Bengals!

Ken from Long Beach, Calif., writes: I think it’s a complete toss-up. The '09 defense is much better and much more explosive but the ‘09 offense is also much less explosive. The 2009 Bengals are a time consuming, run-first offense that has made huge plays when needed but the 2005 offense was much more explosive and fluid.

AFC North final take

James Walker: This is a tough question. But there are three things that are hard to quantify with a team: Character, chemistry and heart. This year’s Bengals have it. The '05 group, although talented, didn’t have enough of it. So I’m going to go with the '09 Bengals on this one, at least in the early going six weeks into the season. Cincinnati looks more like an AFC North team this year. Its running back is leading the league in rushing and the defense is much more consistent than the '05 defense and hitting people in the mouth. That formula wins games in January, not the formula the team tried in '05. Health will be important. The division also is stacked this year with three very good teams. So winning the AFC North and advancing beyond the wild-card round could be even more challenging for Cincinnati than it was four seasons ago.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

Here are the most interesting stories Tuesday in the AFC North:

• New Cleveland Browns GM George Kokinis said Monday that becoming a winning franchise "can be done."

Morning take: It hasn't been done consistently in 20 years. Let's see if this latest pairing of Kokinis and Eric Mangini can right the ship.

• Former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman is set to go to trial today for an altercation in Sandusky, Ohio.

Morning take: This is a sad tale. Thurman appeared to be just turning the corner before this latest alleged incident got him kicked out of football.

• Former Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker coach Greg Mattison is now in charge of the defense.

Morning take: No surprise here. The Ravens usually promote from within.

• Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Hines Ward will practice later in the week but expects to wear a knee brace in Sunday's game.

Morning take: Knee braces can be tricky for skill players. It obviously helps for protection, but it also can restrict some sudden cuts and movements needed to play receiver.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

This is the first of a three-day series examining drafts for each AFC North team over the past three years. Grades are based on performance, where players were picked (too high, too low) and whether they remain with their original team.

Here is a look at the Bengals' 2005 draft:

Cincinnati Bengals: 2005 Draft Rd. Pick Player Pos. School 1. 17 David Pollack LB Georgia 2. 48 Odell Thurman MLB Georgia 3. 83 Chris Henry WR West Virginia 4. 119 Eric Ghiaciuc C Central Michigan 5. 153 Adam Kieft T Central Michigan 6. 190 Tab Perry WR UCLA 7. 233 Jonathan Fanene DE Utah

Analysis: This was easily the worst draft within the AFC North in recent memory. On paper, the Bengals thought they were getting tremendous value and talent for their first-day picks. But most teams were scared off by character concerns with second-rounder Odell Thurman and third-rounder Chris Henry. Cincinnati took the bait and was burned in both cases as multiple arrests and suspensions followed, and neither player stuck with the team. First-round pick David Pollack never got his career off the ground when he suffered a broken neck in his second season. Center Eric Ghiaciuc is the only player in this draft currently making an impact, and it's marginal as the starting center.

Grade: F

Next is a look at the Cleveland Browns.