6 new AFC North players the Cleveland Browns should worry about
By Sam Penix
2. Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
There is a very good argument that the Bengals would have been better off taking Oregon tackle Penei Sewell fifth overall and waiting to find a wide receiver in the second round, but they decided to reunite quarterback Joe Burrow with his favorite LSU target. Chase opted out of the 2020 campaign because he had little else to prove after hauling in 84 passes for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns.
All Chase did at his pro day was put up elite all-around numbers, including a blazing fast 4.34 40-yard dash. He is a well-built 6-foot 201 pounds with excellent strength and ball skills. He has true No. 1 receiver upside, and if Burrow can improve as a downfield passer, the Bengals offense could be extremely dangerous, provided the offensive line can give its quarterback enough time to operate.
Chase vs. Ward seems like the next Green vs. Haden, and should be a very fun battle to watch twice per season.
1. Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Landing Greg Newsome II at No. 26 was a home run for the Browns, but as soon as the pick was made, everyone and their mother knew who the Ravens would select next. Minnesota’s Rashod Bateman was a good enough prospect to be taken in the top 15 picks, yet he slipped down the board, falling to the team that likely needed him most.
Baltimore has had one of the leagues’ worst receiving corps for a while now, and that has limited what Lamar Jackson has been able to do through the air. Bateman gives the Ravens a player who can separate at all levels of the field, can create yardage after the catch, and win jump balls.
He would have been an excellent fit with Cleveland, but now will be making plays for the opposition. It will be up to Ward and Newsome to shut him down two-plus times a year.
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Bateman was not on the level of Chase, Jaylen Waddle, and Devonta Smith, but he was an excellent prospect in his own right, and was one of the draft’s biggest steals at No. 27. The Ravens just continue to do Ravens things.