The AFC North underperformed expectations in 2025. Many had the Baltimore Ravens destined to make a deep playoff run, but injuries played a part in that not happening. The Cincinnati Bengals had to battle through another season-ending Joe Burrow injury, plaguing their season, and throughout it all, the Pittsburgh Steelers came out on top in the division. Oh, and the Cleveland Browns are, ya know, the Browns.
Every team made upgrades this offseason, hoping to perform better than last season. It’s time to dive into which position groups they addressed well and which ones can limit them.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Most improved position group: Wide receiver
Last season, Steelers receiver DK Metcalf was suspended for two games due to an altercation with a fan in Detroit. It made everyone realize that the depth behind Metcalf wasn’t great. The starting trio was Adam Thielen, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Calvin Austin III. It’s not exactly a group that moves the needle. General Manager Omar Khan made sure that wouldn’t be the case for the 2026 season.
Throughout the offseason, the Steelers traded for Indianapolis Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and drafted Germie Bernard to solidify the starting trio. The team has good backup options in Roman Wilson, Ben Skowronek and Kaden Wetjen if one of the top three guys went down. The Steelers’ passing offense ranked 17th in terms of EPA/Play. With Aaron Rodgers taking snaps, he averaged 6.7 yards per attempt, which ranked 27th in the NFL last season. Khan and new head coach Mike McCarthy hope both those numbers go up this season.
Position needing improvement: Quarterback
The Steelers have addressed the quarterback position in the past two drafts by selecting Will Howard and Drew Allar. The team still has Mason Rudolph under contract, and the big question mark is Rodgers’s future. No one exactly knows what’ll happen with Rodgers, but the belief is he’ll come back for the 2026 season.
Rodgers coming back still doesn’t change the team’s needs. The bottom line is that Rodgers isn’t the quarterback he once was, and it’s a harsh, sad truth. He ranked 21st in EPA/Dropback last year and had the lost time to throw in the NFL last season at 2.59 seconds, because he didn’t push the ball down the field efficiently. The second he faces pressure, at his age, it’s not pretty. His passer rating last season was 92.1, but dropped to 67.5 when he was under pressure. Rodgers is the Steelers’ best option at quarterback for 2026, but I wish they had been more aggressive or gone in a different direction this offseason.
Baltimore Ravens
Most improved position group: Edge rusher
The Ravens’ pass rush ranked 28th in the NFL with 30 sacks last season. The unit faced injuries throughout the season and lacked serious depth, but on the outside, there wasn’t a true disruptor. The team knew this and tried to trade for Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby, and did, until they backed out of the trade due to a failed physical.
General manager Eric DeCosta quickly pivoted, signing Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson in free agency and drafting Zion Young. Hendrickson is a proven pass rusher in this league, getting 17.5 sacks in back-to-back years from 2023 to 2024. He had four sacks last season but played in seven games. Young plays with power and is more of a run stopper right now on the edge, but has upside as a pass rusher. In the 2025 NFL draft, the team selected Mike Green in the second round, and the hope is that he can make a jump going into his second year.
Position needing improvement: Tackle depth
Looking at the Ravens’ roster, I was surprised to find they don’t really have a screaming need. Linebacker and corner were two I debated, but ended up choosing tackle depth for this Ravens team. Tackle Ronnie Stanley has been dominant when healthy, but the problem is that he’s never healthy. He’s struggled with injuries. Opposite him is Roger Rosengarten, who hasn’t been bad, having given up seven sacks in his two years in the NFL.
With the assumption of Stanley going down at some points this season, the main backup options are Carson Vinson and Gerald Lichtenhan. The team signed Diego Pounds, the tackle from Ole Miss, as an undrafted free agent, and he has a real shot to make the roster for the exact reason of Stanley’s health. I expected them to draft a swing tackle or add depth in free agency, but they opted not to, so it’ll be interesting to see how it plays out this season.
Cincinnati Bengals
Most improved position group: Defensive line
The Bengals’ defense has been a laughing stock in the NFL for the past couple of seasons. The team made sure that wasn’t the case going into 2026. They added Cashius Howell in the draft and signed or acquired Jonathan Allen, Dexter Lawrence and Boye Mafe in free agency.
Last season, the starters for the defensive line were Myles Murphy, T.J. Slaton Jr., B.J. Hill, and Joseph Ossai. Going into Week 1 in 2026, it’s Murphy, Allen, Lawrence, and Mafe. A significant step up from last season. Add Shemar Stewart and Howell to the mix, and the Begnals have a real pass rush with depth next season. All the additions will improve the 35 sacks and 32.6 percent pressure rate the team had last season.
Position needing improvement: Cornerback
Adding talent to the front seven should help the entire defense, but the Bengals allowed 28.9 points per game last season, ranking 30th in the NFL, and gave up 233.8 passing yards per game, ranking 26th. The secondary could’ve used improvement, and the only additions the team made were signing Bryan Cook and Kyle Dugger and drafting Tacario Davis. Davis has upside as a corner, and Cook should help in the back-end.
The overall improved pass rush would help the secondary in coverage with the simple notion of getting pressure on the quarterback, so the starters from last season, Jalen Davis, DJ Turner II, Jordan Battle and Dax Hill, should have better seasons this year. I just suspected this team would add some more competitions and overall talent to the room.
Cleveland Browns
Most improved position group: Offensive line
There wasn’t a more glaring need going into this offseason than the entire Browns offensive line. General manager Andrew Berry knew it, and he loaded up the room with talent. The team acquired Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins and Tytus Howard in free agency. Then drafted Spencer Fano, Parker Brailsford and Austin Barber. While not all will start, it gives the team the needed depth, and the upside of this group is its positional versatility.
It gives new head coach Todd Monken the ability to put the best five out there at all times.
Position needing improvement: Defensive end (opposite Myles Garrett)
I had to preface the opposite of Myles Garrett, just in case someone thought I was downplaying Garrett’s talent. In all seriousness, this Browns defense is loaded with talent, but one area they could improve in is getting a consistent threat opposite of Garrett. The interior has upside with players like Mason Graham and Maliek Collins, who can collapse the pocket and win in their own right. Alex Wright is the projected starter opposite of Garrett, and he totaled seven sacks with 22 pressure last season.
Numbers that aren’t horrible in the NFL, but I thought the team could add more versatility on the opposite side to give offensive lines around the NFL more complicated looks.
