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The AFC North blog continues to look at the different positions and rank each team in terms of draft need. For Thursday, the blog is addressing tight ends. Mel Kiper Jr.'s top five tight ends are: Notre Dame's Tyler Eifert, Stanford's Zach Ertz, Michigan State's Dion Sims, Rice's Vance McDonald and San Diego State's Gavin Escobar.

Here's the rankings ...

1. Pittsburgh Steelers: The only word we've received about Heath Miller is he's walking without a limp and that came in a radio interview this week with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Miller, who tore knee ligaments 3 1/2 months ago, is a strong candidate to start the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. The other Steelers tight ends with any experience are Matt Spaeth and David Paulson. For that reason, the Steelers have been linked to Eifert in the first round. Miller, a starter for all eight of his NFL seasons, had one of his best seasons in his first year in Todd Haley's offense. Still, Miller's salary jumps to $6 million in 2014, the last year of his contract, which is another reason for Pittsburgh to look to the future.

2. Cleveland Browns: The Browns didn't replace Ben Watson in free agency, so it's assumed that Jordan Cameron, a fourth-round pick in 2011, will get a chance to start. Cameron has potential, but he is still a project. Also, the Browns' flirtation with Fred Davis in free agency tells me they're not entirely sold on Cameron. It wouldn't surprise me if the Browns went with Cameron this year, but it wouldn't shock me if they drafted one either, especially if coach Rob Chudzinski, a former tight end, finds someone he likes.

3. Baltimore Ravens: I'm sure there are some wondering why the Ravens aren't last on this list. Baltimore has Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson, so there's no need at tight end. But both are heading into the final years of their contracts, and the Ravens often look ahead to groom replacements. The Ravens are expected to approach Pitta about an extension, but he may want to see his value in the free-agent market. The Ravens could look for a tight end in the middle rounds.

4. Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals are set with their top three tight ends this year: Jermaine Gresham, Alex Smith and Orson Charles. Gresham's production has increased in each of his three NFL seasons. He finished with 64 catches for 737 yards and five touchdowns. Smith provides experience as a nine-year veteran and also has experience in Jay Gruden's offense from his days in Tampa Bay. Charles is a solid pass-catching prospect who was drafted in the fourth round last year. There's no need for the Bengals to draft a tight end this year.

Click here for a complete list of the Cincinnati Bengals' roster moves.

Significant move: The Bengals' final spot likely went to wide receiver Ryan Whalen over middle linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy. What weighed in the decision was the Bengals' increasing confidence in rookie Vontaze Burfict, whose character issues caused him to plummet from being a first-round pick to an undrafted free agent. Muckelroy, a 2010 fourth-round pick who isn't eligible for the practice squad, was supplanted by Burfict as the primary backup to Rey Maualuga. Whalen, a 2011 sixth-round pick, is the seventh wide receiver on the roster. Guard-center Trevor Robinson joined Burfict as the only undrafted rookies to make the final major cutdown. The Bengals decided to keep 10 defensive backs, which includes seven players who have been drafted in the first round.

Onward and upward: The only one of the 10 Bengals draft picks this year not to make the team (or get placed on injured reserve) was running back Dan Herron. He was projected to go on the practice squad when Cincinnati made him its final pick of the draft and he didn't earn his way onto the roster. Herron led the team with 25 carries in the preseason but he averaged 1.7 yards per carry. Another draft pick on the bubble, fourth-round tight end Orson Charles, beat out Colin Cochart. The Bengals can put their third quarterback Zac Robinson on the practice squad just like last season.

What's next: The Bengals are expected to put center Kyle Cook on injured reserve Tuesday, taking advantage of that new rule that allows them to bring him back after eight weeks. Cook injured his right foot and ankle in a preseason game on Oct. 23, and the Bengals signed veteran Jeff Faine this week to replace him. After placing Cook on IR, Cincinnati can use that roster spot to bring back guard Otis Hudson, a 2010 fifth-round pick.

Let's take a quick look at what the division teams did in the fourth and fifth rounds:

BENGALS: Cincinnati should play a lot more two tight end formations with the addition of Georgia's Orson Charles (fourth round). He can get open in the passing game and help out the running game with aggressive blocking. ... Iowa CB Shaun Prater (fifth round) is a strong worker who lacks ideal height (5 feet 10). He projects to be a nickel back down the road. ...California's Marvin Jones (fifth round) is the second wide receiver taken by Cincinnati (Rutger's Mohamed Sanu was the other). He isn't technically sound but he was impressive at the Senior Bowl. ... Boise State FS George Iloka (fifth round) has a lot of range in pass coverage but he is an inconsistent tackler.

BROWNS: Cleveland addressed the need for speed at receiver with Miami's Travis Benjamin (fourth round). His other contribution could come as a returner. ... Nevada's James-Michael Johnson (fourth round) is listed as an inside linebacker but he could be the eventual replacement for outside linebacker Scott Fujita. ... Colorado's Ryan Miller (fifth round) is a mauling lineman who is extremely tall (6 feet 7) for a guard. He projects to be a right guard.

RAVENS: The Ravens found their potential center of the future in Delaware's Gino Gradkowski (fourth round). He could also compete for the job at left guard, where Jah Reid is currently penciled in as the starter. ... South Carolina State FS Christian Thompson (fourth round) adds depth at safety, where the Ravens lost Tom Zbikowski and Haruki Nakamura in free agency. ... Cal Poly CB Asa Jackson (fifth round) shows great burst as a punt returner but he is a raw cornerback prospect.

STEELERS: Pittsburgh's strong draft continued when the team selected nose tackle Alameda Ta'amu from Washington (fourth round). He could be pressed to start right away with Casey Hampton (ACL surgery in January) isn't ready at the start of the season. ... Florida RB Chris Rainey (fifth round) is an undersized explosive playmaker. He lasted this long because of character concerns.

The good news is the Bengals got the first-team All-SEC tight end in the fourth round. The bad news is he was there because of red flags, including a DUI arrest in early March.

That's why eyebrows were raised when the Bengals selected Georgia tight end Orson Charles with the 116th overall pick. The Bengals continue to show they are less concerned by character issues than other teams.

Cincinnati has had four players get in trouble with the law since last July: running back Cedric Benson (who is currently a free agent), cornerback Adam Jones, wide receiver Jerome Simpson (who has since signed with Minnesota) and linebacker Rey Maualuga.

In early March, Charles was arrested for a DUI in Athens, Ga., He submitted to sobriety tests and registered a .095 blood alcohol level, according to the police report. At the time of his arrest, Charles was rated as the the 38th-best prospect overall by Scouts Inc. and the No. 2 prospect at tight end in this year's NFL draft.

Charles has the potential to be a solid No. 2 tight end for the Bengals behind Jermaine Gresham. He plays bigger than his size and caught 10 career touchdown passes, which tied a school record for that position.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Let’s take a look at what AFC West each team may be seeking during the NFL combine, which starts Thursday:

Will the Raiders still love speed? It became a combine ritual. The Raiders would draft the fastest, or one of the fastest players, at the combine. It happened several times in recent years: Stanford Routt, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Jacoby Ford and DeMarcus Van Dyke. No team in the NFL valued speed more than Al Davis’ Raiders. Davis died in October. Will the Raiders be married to speed now that Reggie McKenzie is the general manager? I’m sure the Raiders will stick to Davis’ values somewhat, but I think it will no longer be automatic to connect the fastest combine runners to the Raiders.

Will the Chargers get their pass-rusher? The Chargers took defensive end Corey Liuget at No. 18 last year and bypassed several pass-rushers in a deep class. This year’s class is not nearly as deep, but the Chargers still need a pass-rusher. Once again, San Diego has the No. 18 pick.

Will the Alabama defense roll into the AFC West? Alabama won the BCS championship last season on the strength of a dominant defense. There are several key Alabama defenders who will go early in the draft, starting with linebackers Courtney Upshaw, safety Mark Barron and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick. I could see all three players drawing interest in the AFC West. I think San Diego would jump on Upshaw if he somehow fell to No. 18, and it could take Barron if it doesn’t address safety in free agency. If Kirkpatrick drops, Denver could take him at No. 25.

Will the Broncos look at quarterbacks? Yes, I believe they will, but it remains to be seen whether Denver makes a play for a quarterback in the early rounds. Denver looked at all the top quarterbacks last year, and I think John Elway and his group will do the same this year. In his last mock draft, Todd McShay of Scouts Inc. has Denver taking Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill at No. 25. I’m not sure Denver -- which has committed to Tim Tebow going to training camp as the No. 1 quarterback -- will take a quarterback that high, but there will be interest in the position.

Is Trent Richardson on the Chiefs’ radar? The Alabama star running back won’t compete at the combine because of a minor knee surgery. However, he will be able to run at his pro day next month. Still, perhaps the Chiefs will meet with Richardson. He has been connected to Kansas City in several mock drafts. I’d be surprised if Kansas City ended up with him because of other needs and because the Chiefs have running back Jamaal Charles coming back from a torn ACL. But it is an intriguing scenario.

Chiefs, Chargers looking at the O-line: Both Kansas City and San Diego could use their top pick on an offensive lineman. There are several players who could help their standing with a strong combine. I think Stanford tackle Jonathan Martin will be closely watched by both teams. San Diego could also look at Wisconsin’s Peter Konz if it doesn’t want to re-sign free agent Nick Hardwick.

Watch out for Luke Kuechly: The Boston College inside linebacker has a chance to be a hot name in the top half of the first round if he has a big combine. He was productive in college and his game translates well to the NFL. Kansas City will surely be interested in him and could have competition if Kuechly lights it up in Indy.

Broncos will be watching running backs: The Broncos probably will add a running back early in the draft or in free agency. Denver could use its top pick on the position. It will be closely watching Miami’s Lamar Miller, Washington’s Chris Polk, Virginia Tech’s David Wilson and Boise State’s Doug Martin, among other tailbacks, this week

Is this the time for a tight end in San Diego? I expect the Chargers to look at tight ends this week. This isn’t considered a great class, but the Chargers need to consider getting younger at the position. Antonio Gates will turn 32 in June and has been dealing with injuries the past few years. The Chargers probably would have to commit a second-round pick for the top tight ends, which include Stanford’s Coby Fleener, Clemson’s Dwayne Allen (though, they could both be late first-round choices) and Georgia’s Orson Charles.

Nick Foles needs to show Denver some accuracy: There was talk that the Arizona quarterback could be on Denver’s radar last season. But he had some trouble with interceptions, which may have cooled the team on him. If he can show better accuracy at the combine. Foles could be a mid-round target of the Broncos again.

The Raiders need to pay big attention: The Raiders currently have the smallest draft class in the NFL this season. They have just a fifth- and a sixth-round pick. They will, though, probably get two or three compensatory picks next month. The earliest will be at the end of the third round. But don’t think for a moment that the combine won’t matter to Oakland. The Raiders will have to dig deep and find great value in the mid-to-late rounds to get some something positive from this class. Closely scouting the combine will be essential.

Is Brandon Weeden too old? The Oklahoma State quarterback is one of the more interesting players in the draft. He has skills that translate to the NFL, and some people think he could be a future starter. But Weeden turns 29 in October. There really isn’t much time to groom him. Is it worth spending a premium pick on a player who could be over the hill in five years? I think both Denver and Kansas City could look at him, but they would have to be comfortable with his age.

Will the coin flip the Chiefs’ way? The Chiefs will have a coin flip with Seattle to determine the No. 11 and No. 12 picks in the draft. It is set to take place Friday. If the Chiefs lose and get the No. 12 pick, it will not be the end of the world, but there’s no denying there is more value in having the No. 11 pick.

Will Mercilus impress the Chargers? One player to keep an eye on for the Chargers is Illinois pass-rusher Whitney Mercilus. He came on strong in 2011, but there are consistency questions. If he answers all the right questions on and off the field this week, I could see his being a target at No. 18.

Will Chiefs look at suspect character players? Kansas City has a reputation for taking players with sterling off-field reputations. However, last year, genearl manager Scott Pioli took Pitt receiver Jon Baldwin in the first round and Georgia pass-rusher Justin Houston in the third round. Both had character questions. Baldwin ended up missing a chunk of his rookie season because of a reported training camp fight with veteran Thomas Jones. It hurt his development. However, Houston was outstanding as a rookie. Let’s see whether Pioli takes more risks this year.

Will Broncos add players to aid Tebow? If Denver takes a running back early, adds to the offensive line and beefs up the defense, that means it is doing what it can to build around Tebow. The best way Denver can win with Tebow is with a good running game and strong defense.

Will the Broncos finally draft a defensive tackle in the first round? Denver could take a defensive tackle at No. 25. Among the players it may consider are Penn State’s Devon Still, Mississippi State’s Fletcher Cox and Michigan State’s Jerel Worthy. Denver hasn’t taken a defensive tackle in the first round since Trevor Pryce in 1997.

Will Arizona State linebacker impress the Chiefs or Chargers? Arizona State’s middle linebacker Vontaze Burfict was considered a top-10 pick before the season. But after his production fell off and he had some character issues, Burfict is no longer considered a sure first rounder. I think he could help both the Chiefs and Chargers. His progress this week will be watched by these two teams.