PFF gives Bengals ‘B’ grade in Draft; Browns receive ‘A+’

Pro Football Focus released its 2021 Draft grades, and the Cincinnati Bengals finished third in the AFC North with a ‘B’ grade.

The Cleveland Browns, meanwhile, received a stellar ‘A+’ grade, the Baltimore Ravens a ‘B+’, and the Pittsburgh Steelers a ‘C’.

Cincinnati: PFF was high on the first round selection of LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who they gave a 91.1 grade the last time he played, back in 2019. They also opined that second round offensive lineman Jackson Carman out of Clemson “raises the talent level” of the Bengals’ offensive line with his “impressive combination of size and athleticism.” They noted that he played his best ball near the end of last season, giving promise of future development.

The team at PFF predicts that third round edge rusher Joseph Ossai out of Texas will make an early impact on account of his motor and athleticism. Meanwhile, edge rusher Cameron Sample from Tulane received an outstanding pass rushing grade of 90.4 for his breakout performance last year. And he just continued to shine after that, posting the “highest win rate of any defensive lineman in one-on-one drills at the Senior Bowl,” they wrote.

Cleveland: As for the Browns, who PFF called “one of the NFL’s smartest teams,” they received a high mark for grabbing a playmaking cornerback near the end of the first round in Northwestern’s Greg Newsome II. They then got value in the second round by taking Notre Dame’s Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who PFF had in their top 20 board. He’s an off-ball linebacker but can fill multiple roles. Lastly, the Browns committed “highway robbery” by taking Tommy Togiai, a three-tech defensive tackle who posted an 87.8 run-defense grade and a 77.0 pass-rush grade for Ohio State in 2020.

Baltimore: The Ravens, meanwhile, earned a solid grade for getting Lamar Jackson his WR1, Minnesota’s Rashod Bateman, with the 27th pick in the first round. They then added an exceptional athlete in Penn State defensive end Odafe Oweh with the 31st pick in the first. PFF deemed one of Baltimore’s two third round picks, Brandon Stephens, “a reach,” as the SMU corner lacks both the athleticism and technical skills to deserve his draft position.

Pittsburgh: Finally, the Steelers had a bad Draft by their standards in part because they selected a running back, Najee Harris from Alabama, without breakaway speed in the first, though PFF does believe he adds value as a receiver.

You can, of course, hear the grades that really matter in our Draft recap video below:

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