Ranking the AFC North Skill Position Groups

Story by Yinzer Crazy Contributor Noah Nichols. Follow him on Twitter @_NoahNichols

A little off-season series dedicated to ranking all AFC North position groups against each other. The groups, in no particular order, will go like this; Offensive weapons, front-7’s, secondary units, offensive lines, and finally, quarterback-coach combos.

Part 1: Offensive Weapons

It’s the offseason, also called cool-plays-made-by-guys-in-shirts-and-shorts-season. With minicamp set to begin next week, where said “season” commences, I thought ranking all the AFC North’s skill position players would be an appropriate exercise. After all, if we are going to see these guys make a bunch of awesome plays, we should probably know which team has the better players, right?

Let's dig into the rankings.

1 – Bengals

Their guys: Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Joe Mixon, Hayden Hurst, Samaje Perine, Tyler Boyd.

I know the Bengals have been an easy organization to dig over the last couple of years. Years of an inept offense lulled Steelers fans to sleep, even after the Bengals took Ja’Marr Chase 5th overall. After Chase torched the Steelers secondary twice, Steelers fans can’t ignore the truth: the Bengals have a damn good offense.

Chase is awesome, but Mixon quietly ran for 1,200 yards in a passing offense. I’d argue that Najee Harris is the better running back, but it's close. The Bengals receiving corps is three-deep and has superstar talent. I’m not a Tee Higgins is a top WR believer, but the combination of Higgins and Chase proved near impossible to stop last year. Boyd as a number three receiver is just a cherry on top. Perine and Hayden Hurst are fine complimentary players. While I think they are not close to what the rest of the AFC North has at Tight End and backup running back, the superstar talent the Bengals have at the top of their skill group is enough to carry them into the number one spot on this list.

2 – Steelers

Their guys: Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, George Pickens, Calvin Austin III, Najee Harris, Pat Freiermuth.

Johnson is clearly the second-best receiver in this division, and Bengals fans would agree with me, if they put aside their bias. Claypool is as talented as anyone aside from Chase and Pickens in the North, though he’s not been as consistent as we would like, some of which has not been his fault. As I just mentioned, I believe George Pickens is the most talented receiver on the Steelers roster and perhaps just as talented as Ja’Marr Chase.

I won’t spend too long on Pickens, except to add that he constantly receives compliments from analysts that state he could have been the first receiver drafted, if not for his injury and the immaturity he showed on the field at times. Regardless, Najee is the best running back in the North, when considering what a complete back looks like. And Freiermuth is, well, “Muuuuth.” He’s not Mark Andrews (yet?) but he’s the next best thing in the North, and he’s not even into his second year yet.

Personally, I think the Steelers have more all-around talent than any other skill group in the AFC north. I didn’t even mention Calvin Austin III, who I’m very high on. But the Steelers talent needs to prove itself first before I can put them above the likes of the Bengals.

3 - Browns

Their guys: Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Amari Cooper, David Njoku.

The only reason the Browns managed not to find themselves at the end of this list is due to the Ravens lack of receivers. At least the Browns have Amari Cooper, who’s proven what he can do as an above-average receiver. Donovan Peoples-Jones is a talented receiver who has made plays here-and-there when called upon. Aside from that, the Browns don’t have much.

David Njoku is now the highest paid tight end in the division, and he’s at most the third best player at the position in the North. Yes, he has talent, but that’s about it. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are a fearsome running back duo, and Chubb is the best pure runner in the NFL.

But Chubb is not a presence whatsoever in the passing game, which leads me to rank him as the second best running back in the division. Overall, the Browns don’t have much to offer as far as weapons go, which is concerning considering their lack of future picks and probable suspension looming for Deshaun Watson.

4 – Ravens

Their guys: J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, James Proche, Rashod Bateman, Mark Andrews, Mike Davis.

I’d have put the Ravens ahead of the Browns if the Ravens didn’t have just one receiver on their roster. Jokes aside, Bateman is heading into his second year, and while I’m high on him, he’s the only wide receiver who can pose any sort of threat to defenses.

Mark Andrews proved to be a superstar and quarterback-proof last year and is clearly the best tight end in the division. Dobbins is an exciting prospect and is returning from an ACL injury. I think Dobbins can make an impact this year, but I’m not sure how well he stacks up against the rest of the running backs in the North, considering how he missed a whole season.

Mike Davis is a backup to Gus Edwards, who himself is a good backup running back. James Proche is a good punt/kick returner but has left a lot to be desired as a receiving option. Frankly, I’m not sure how the Ravens can feel confident going into the season with what they’ve got at receiver, but hey, maybe they’ve decided to say, “screw the passing game, just run it on every play.”

Final Report:

The Steelers have a lot of talent when compared to the rest of the AFC North, which aside from the Bengals, turns out to be slightly disappointing. The future is bright for the Steelers, if their players can put it together on the field.