Cleveland Browns: How the rest of the AFC North fared in 2022 NFL Draft

Cincinnati Bengals add versatility to the secondary

The Cincinnati Bengals had virtually no holes on the offensive side of the football heading into the 2022 NFL Draft, so they went out and bolstered the secondary with their first two picks.

With the 31st overall pick, Cincy drafted defensive back Daxton Hill out of Michigan, who will surely bring some versatility to this Bengals secondary, something that will be needed in the pass-heavy NFL. Hill has the makings to be an All-Pro in this league, and that’s not good for the Browns or the rest of the AFC North. Also, there are now two reasons to root against Hill; he went to Michigan and now plays for the Bengals.

With their next pick at 60, the Bengals took another defensive back in Cam Taylor-Britt, out of Nebraska. Taylor-Britt also brings some versatility to this secondary and again, that’s not a good thing for the other three teams. Both cornerbacks can lineup virtually anywhere on the field, so that is good in terms of them not being only available in certain schemes.

Defensive tackle Zachary Carter out of Florida was the Bengals pick at 95 and he could be a Day 1 starter. The real value of the draft comes from the third and fourth round, in my opinion, and this pick was of solid value that will prove to be worth it for the Bengals down the road and potentially from the jump.

The only offensive player the Bengals took in their six selections was offensive lineman Cordell Volson. Cincy addressed the offensive line issues in free agency, so this pick just adds depth to the protection of quarterback Joe Burrow. You can never have too much depth when it comes to protecting a franchise quarterback.

Cincinnati didn’t have as good of a draft as any of the other teams in the AFC North, but they had a solid draft. It was more of a good, not great draft for them, which is likely fine as they are the reigning, defending AFC champions after all.

The Cleveland Browns had a pretty good draft this year, but the rest of the division also did some stellar work. Now, we wait for rookie mini camps to begin in a couple of weeks so we can see what some of these young pups can do in the league.