The Ravens, Bengals and Steelers each have three AFC North titles to their name dating back to 2015. Sadly, the Browns have actually never won the AFC North since the division realigned back in 2002; their last divisional crown came in 1989 (!) inside of the now-defunct AFC Central.

However, Cleveland has made the playoffs in two of head coach Kevin Stefanski’s four seasons; this division once again has the look of being one of the more competitive groups from top to bottom.

What follows is a breakdown of every AFC North team’s top three needs with corresponding stats related to certain position units' 2023 performance, 2024 salary cap allocation and more.

Note that the needs aren’t listed in any particular order. Thanks to Over The Cap for the salary cap and contract information. Key free agents are unrestricted unless otherwise indicated and listed in no particular order. The 2024 draft picks don’t include projected compensatory selections.

For more divisional breakdowns on team needs, see below!

Baltimore Ravens

Wide Receiver

There’s a lot of work to do everywhere. Complementary options Odell Beckham Jr., Nelson Agholor and Devin Duvernay are all unrestricted free agents, Zay Flowers is under investigation for an alleged domestic assault incident and Rashod Bateman simply hasn’t lived up to his status as a former first-round pick.

This is all a shame, as Lamar Jackson’s 2023 MVP performance featured massive upgrades in terms of receiving yards (2,216 vs. 1,517) and TDs (13 vs. 7) from his WRs relative to the 2022 season. Obviously, last year’s group wasn’t being confused with one of the league’s top-five groups anyway, but the cupboard is looking BARREN at the moment.

Losing Flowers would be especially detrimental for the passing game as a whole. There aren’t many receivers capable of moving like he can in the open field.

You can’t exactly blame them for not trying to fix this in past April months: Nobody has taken more WRs inside of the first three rounds over the last five NFL drafts than the Ravens (5). Unfortunately, it’s looking like they might need to go to the well (at least) once more considering their relative lack of available cap space.

Running Back

Each of Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins, Dalvin Cook and Melvin Gordon are free agents, leaving Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell as the only returning RBs who registered a touch last season.

Note that Mitchell suffered a torn ACL in December and shouldn’t be considered a lock to be at 100% by Week 1.

Keaton Mitchell

Dec 17, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell (34) runs the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

Good news: The presence of the league’s most-lethal dual-threat QB and generally badass offensive line has consistently helped lead to an efficient rushing attack:

  • 2023: 4.9 yards per carry (No. 3), 1.8 yards before contact per carry (No. 1)
  • 2022: 5.2 (No. 3), 2.1 (No. 2)
  • 2021: 4.8 (No. 5), 1.8 (No. 2)
  • 2020: 5.5 (No. 1), 2.4 (No. 1)
  • 2019: 5.5 (No. 1), 2.3 (No. 1)

That said: This coaching staff clearly didn’t trust the available parties when it mattered most last season. Don’t be surprised if the Ravens make a splash of sorts at the position.

I’m not saying giving Derrick Henry a big contract would be responsible, but my goodness that would be a swaggy backfield.

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Defensive Line

Justin Madubuike, Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy are unrestricted free agents — AKA the Ravens’ top-three pass rushers in terms of sacks (13, 9.5, 9) last season. These are also three of their top four defenders in total pressures; failure to maintain some beastly defensive linemen could prevent the Ravens from being so good at getting pressure without having to send extra blitzers.

All this leads to the Ravens having the league’s 11th- and seventh-fewest 2024 dollars currently devoted to their EDGEs and interior defensive linemen. It’d make sense if the front office continues to pour Day 1 and Day 2 draft picks into their front-seven.

Fantasy LIfe’s Matthew Freedman has the Ravens filling this need in the form of Illinois DT Jer’Zhan Newton in his first 2024 mock draft. Sounds good to me!

Honorable mentions 

This is the league’s reigning No. 1 team in point differential who were a few inches away from potentially taking the Chiefs into overtime in the AFC Championship. The roster is loaded and reasonably positioned to fill the few remaining holes.

Cleveland Browns

Defensive Line

Yes, Myles Garrett is the reigning Defensive MVP and engine behind the league’s reigning top-ranked unit in EPA allowed per play.

Also yes, sidekick Za’Darius Smith (32 in September) is an unrestricted free agent, potentially leaving the Browns without their No. 2 most-productive defender in terms of sacks (5.5) and pressures (60) alike.

Myles Garrett

Jan 13, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) reacts in a 2024 AFC wild card game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The pending free agent statuses of Jordan Elliott, Shelby Harris and Maurice Hurst leave the Browns with the league’s sixth-cheapest group of interior defensive linemen ahead of 2024. This defense ranked second in both rush yards allowed before contact per carry and pressure rate last season; failure to restock the position group would lead to even more pressure on Garrett to maintain a weekly S on his chest.

Linebacker

Similar to the defensive line: There’s no criticism here on last year’s pieces, but having Sione Takitaki, Anthony Walker Jr., Matthew Adams and Jordan Kunaszyk hitting free agency leaves the Browns with the league’s eighth-fewest dollars devoted to the position ahead of 2024.

The Browns have some work to do in that department overall if they hope to repeat last year’s success on that side of the football. Only four NFL teams currently have over $100 million more dollars devoted to their offense over their defense in 2024:

  • Chiefs ($109 million more being spent on the offense)
  • Rams ($104 million)
  • Browns ($101 million)
  • Cowboys ($101 million)

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is back and the best of the group; just realize four of the team’s top six linebackers in terms of overall snaps played are currently poised to be unrestricted free agents.

Wide Receiver

Amari Cooper racked up a career-high 1,250 yards in just 15 games last season and continues to look the part of a legit No. 1 WR. That said: He’ll be 22 30 in June and remains largely the only truly proven option in this WR room.

  • Elijah Moore’s 651 total yards and two TDs weren’t exactly what anyone had in mind following LOADS of offseason hype. He was ESPN’s 81st highest-ranked WR on the season and ranked just 66th in yards per route run (1.14).
  • Cedric Tillman failed to gain more than 55 yards or catch more than four passes in a game despite being given a full-time role after Cleveland traded Donovan Peoples-Jones to the Lions during the middle of last season.
  • David Bell ranks 107th in yards per target (6.6) among 129 WRs with at least 50 targets over the past two years.
  • Michael Woods coming off a ruptured Achilles and suspension; the former sixth-round pick caught just five passes in 10 games as a rookie in 2022.

Marquise Goodwin and Jakeem Grant are free agents and wouldn’t exactly add much firepower to this list even if re-signed.

The list of Browns WRs drafted since 2010 is … horrific. The only real hit was Josh Gordon, and even he was a Round 2 supplemental pick who (sadly) didn’t exactly provide long-term excellence.

Honorable mentions 

It’d be reasonable to say QB based on Deshaun Watson’s performance as a whole. Overall, the ex-Texans signal-caller's EPA + CPOE composite score ranks an ugly 35th among 46 qualified QBs over the past two seasons. Of course, repeated brutal weather games and an 11-game suspension largely doomed the first campaign, and shoulder problems sunk his chances of rebounding in 2023.

Watson did admittedly look much better during his final two games of the season, completing more than a few downfield dimes against the Cardinals before not letting a pass hit the ground during a second-half comeback over the Ravens in Baltimore. Regardless: The Browns can’t realistically get out of this contract without a trade partner until at least 2027. … More RB depth could be needed depending on Nick Chubb’s recovery from knee surgery; Kareem Hunt is an unrestricted free agent.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Quarterback

Head coach Mike Tomlin has already gone on record stating that the Steelers plan on bringing in competition for Kenny Pickett. This comes with both Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph set to hit free agency.

It’s easy to blame Matt Canada for everything, but Pickett’s lack of overall production is truly alarming. Pickett is the only QB in the Super Bowl Era with a passing TD rate under 2% among 335 dudes who attempted 500-plus career passes.

And it’s tough to really overly blame the environment. There are talented options available at WR, RB and TE alike; it’s time for a true change under center in Pittsburgh — and it sure seems like Tomlin knows it.

Offensive Line

This group got better as 2023 went on and ultimately finished as PFF’s 17th-best unit. 

And yet, the Steelers already have the 11th-most 2024 dollars wrapped up with their big uglies up front.

This comes down to more of a performance issue: 

  • Pittsburgh ranked just 23rd in yards before contact per carry (1.1).
  • Steelers QBs were pressured on 38.1% of their dropbacks — the 22nd-worst mark in the NFL.

Broderick Jones marked the first time that the front office used a top-50 pick on the group since 2012 when they selected him in the first round last year. Perhaps continuity simply leads to better success in 2024, but it’d help if the team paid just a bit more attention to the group in April considering the Steelers have spent just two draft picks inside of the first three rounds on their offensive line over their past five drafts.

Cornerback

But even then this is a bit nitpicky. The league’s most expensive defense in terms of 2024 dollars, Pittsburgh accordingly has a deep group that is fairly solid at all three levels.

Still, some added depth wouldn’t hurt with corners Levi Wallace and Chandon Sullivan set to hit the open market. Joey Porter Jr. sure looks like a long-term answer on one side of the field, but Patrick Peterson turns 34 in July and graded out as just PFF’s 92nd-best cover corner among 150 qualified players at the position last season.

Dec 23, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) reacts against the Cincinnati Bengals during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Pittsburgh won 34-11. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

If there was one area that the league’s reigning seventh-ranked defense in EPA allowed per play struggled last season — it was defending opposing WRs:

Steelers defense on targets to WRs:

  • Total yards allowed: 2.775 (22nd)
  • Yards per attempt: 8.8 (24th)
  • Explosive pass play rate: 23.9% (30th)

Fantasy LIfe’s Matthew Freedman has the Steelers filling this need in the form of Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry in his first 2024 mock draft. Sign me up!

Honorable mentions

The Steelers can save $10 million against the cap by releasing Allen Robinson and also could lose backup WR Miles Boykin in free agency.

Calvin Austin flashed some tantalizing speed at times in 2023, but it’d make sense if one of the league’s best organizations at drafting WRs invests at least one of their five top-120 picks at the position with this year’s class (allegedly) being loaded.

Cincinnati Bengals

Wide Receiver

Having Ja’Marr Chase as your No. 1 wide out certainly helps ease this concern, but there’s only so much one man can do.

Each of Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and Trenton Irwin are unrestricted free agents — AKA the team’s three most-productive WRs not named Ja’Marr last season.

Tee Higgins

Dec 16, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) catches a pass against the Minnesota Vikings in the second half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

There’s a lot of cap space at the moment, although the Bengals will obviously have an eye toward Chase’s eventual mega-extension — a deal that could be done in 2024, but it is probably more likely for 2025 given the lack of history with first-round WRs signing an extension before their fourth season.

Chase, Higgins and Boyd have been a common finalist for those pondering the league’s single-best WR trio over the years; maintaining the group should be enough for Joe Burrow to continue putting up big-time numbers through the air. If not, at least some work needs to be done to improve the available secondary pass-catching options.

Speaking of that…

Tight End

The Bengals have *zero* 2024 dollars currently devoted to the TE position. Each of Irv Smith Jr., Drew Sample, Tanner Hudson and Mitchell Wilcox are unrestricted free agents.

Not great, although this offense has spent the better part of recent years ignoring the position since drafting Chase in 2021. In terms of expected PPR points per game from Bengals TEs:

  • 2021: 7.6 (No. 31)
  • 2022: 9 (No. 27)
  • 2023: 10.8 (No. 20)

Tyler Eifert (1.21, 2013) marks the only TE since 2011 that the Bengals felt good enough about to use a top-50 pick on. Perhaps they go back to the well this April; if not, Hunter Henry and Dalton Schultz stand out as the most accomplished free agents at the position.

Secondary

No. 1 CB Chidobe Awuzie is the defense’s only free agent at corner and safety alike, but ex-starting safeties Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell weren’t exactly replaced without a problem in 2023.

No corners were consistently solid outside of Mike Hilton in the slot. The result was a far worse defense than what we’ve seen from a Lou Anarumo-led group in recent years — particularly when it came to defending the pass:

  • Points per game: 22.6 (No. 21)
  • EPA allowed per play: +0.030 (27th)
  • EPA allowed per dropback: +0.074 (No. 24)
  • Explosive pass play rate allowed: 16.3% (No. 31)
  • Yards per attempt allowed: 8.1 (No. 32)

The pass rush wasn't incredible (35.4% pressure rate, 15th), but it’s hard to be overly critical when lined up against the secondary play.

In short: Just get better, please.

Honorable mentions

The Bengals can save $5.75 million against the cap while eating "just" $2.75 million in dead money if they decide to release Joe Mixon. Veteran Trayveon Williams is an unrestricted free agent, meaning the team will need to find someone to complement speedster Chase Brown should both Mixon and Williams wind up out of the picture.

Adding resources geared toward better protecting Burrow makes sense, and Fantasy LIfe’s Matthew Freedman accordingly has the Bengals taking Georgia OT Amarius Mims in his first 2024 mock draft.

Team Needs 2024-25