NFL Draft grades 2015: AFC North has excellent showing all around

No division in the NFL was as competitive as the AFC North last season. That was somewhat surprising, but the division fielded four contenders out of the gate and by the time the playoffs rolled around, three teams made it past the regular season. It was the Cleveland Browns that fell behind, but they were still a dangerous team all season, with a deceptively talented offense and strong defense.

The Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers were the three teams really competing down the stretch and all three made it into the postseason. In free agency, the Steelers were mostly silent while the Ravens watched multiple quality players depart on the open market. Cincinnati was fairly active with guys like A.J. Hawk and Michael Johnson coming in. The Browns were the most aggressive, signing Tramon Williams, Dwayne Bowe and Josh McCown.

But how did these teams fare in the 2015 NFL Draft? The whole thing wrapped up on Saturday and there's no shortage of grades out there, so let's see how the experts view the AFC North following the draft below.

As you can see, the Ravens typically fared well in this year's draft. Some questioned the team's first-round selection of wide receiver Breshad Perriman -- many feel he was just drafted for his speed. But he should be an adequate replacement for Torrey Smith at the very least, and the Ravens absolutely killed it in the later rounds of the draft as well.

Baltimore grabbed tight end Maxx Williams in the second round, and he was unanimously rated the highest tight end in the pre-draft process. Carl Davis and Za'Darius Smith are both quality selections in the third and fourth rounds, respectively. Experts typically like the Ravens' draft strategy and this year is no different.

Cincinnati also graded out well, with most really liking the selection of Paul Dawson in the third round. Dawson can be a starting linebacker right out of the gate, and second-round tackle Jake Fisher could also contribute as a rookie. It was a little odd seeing the Bengals go with an offensive tackle in both the first and second rounds, however.

Cedric Ogbuehi was the team's first-round pick and he's expected to start somewhere as a rookie. The Bengals want to keep quarterback Andy Dalton protected but offensive line wasn't a dire need coming into this draft. It's good to get the guys sooner rather than later with Andre Smith and Andrew Whitworth hitting free agency soon, but the Bengals are clearly drafting more for the future than for immediate improvement. Both are valid strategies, but the Bengals have tough competition here and now.

Other guys throughout the draft are simply solid contributors with starting potential, like cornerback Senquez Golson in the second round. The pick that drew the most ire was Auburn receiver Sammie Coates in the third round. Coates doesn't really fill a need and he's not so different from the other receivers on Pittsburgh's roster. He has a high ceiling but it's hard to imagine where he fits at this stage.

The Browns wound up being graded out the worst in the division, despite having a pair of first-round picks and two third-round picks to work with. That doesn't mean the team squandered those picks -- defensive tackle Danny Shelton should be able to do some serious damage as a rookie -- but the selection of center Cameron Erving is an interesting one.

The Browns don't need another center right now but Erving could kick to one of the guard spots. It just seems like a weird pick with so many other needs. Still, the Browns got back into it by picking Nate Orchard in the second round and nailed both third-round picks with running back Duke Johnson and defensive tackle Xavier Cooper. The Browns may have landed the steal of the draft late in the seventh round, taking cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu from Oregon. He fell due to injury concerns but he's starting-caliber when healthy.