The AFC North has long been known as one of the best and toughest divisions in football. However, this year the division has seemed to take a step back. Part of the problem has been due to injuries and part of the problem is age and salary cap catching up to teams. The Steelers and Ravens have taken a step back this year while the Browns seem to be on the rise. The Bengals are the most talented team in the division, but injuries are bringing them down right now. The season is half over and we know what each team’s strengths and weaknesses are. Let us take a look ahead to the 2014 NFL Draft and talk about each of the AFC North’s team needs.
Cincinnati Bengals:
Cornerback
Even before the season started cornerback depth was a concern. Then after Leon Hall went down with a second achilles injury cornerback depth became a huge need. Terence Newman and Adam Jones aren’t getting any younger and young players Brandon Ghee and Dre Kirkpatrick haven’t shown enough to make me think they can step up and be starters. The Bengals need a cornerback who can come in and take over as their starting corner if Hall can’t come back what he was or if Newman and Jones suddenly fall off. Look for the Bengals to take a corner early in the 2014 draft.
Center
Kyle Cook is not a good center and hasn’t ever put together more than a few average games. For some reason however, the Bengals seem to think he is a good center. He is constantly getting blown up on run plays and getting pushed into the backfield in the face of Andy Dalton. If Cook could hold up better at the point of attack, the line as a whole would be better and the running backs would be able to get farther upfield before initial contact. It would also give Dalton better vision in the middle of the field. An upgrade at center would upgrade the entire Bengals offense.
Cleveland Browns:
Quarterback
Yes I know that Brian Hoyer put a spark in the Browns offense and that he won two games before getting hurt, but he isn’t the answer at quarterback. Cleveland has an outstanding defense and some really nice weapons on offense. They need a quarterback who can get the most out of Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron. With the talent that they have on their offensive line and at the wide receiver and tight end position, a talented quarterback could very well put the Browns over the top and as one of the best teams in the AFC.
Cornerback
The Browns have one of the better defenses in the NFL and there are only a few places that really need help on it. One of those places is the cornerback position. Buster Skrine has been playing better this year, but he is still more of a slot cornerback and they drafted Leon McFadden in the third round of this past draft, but he hasn’t shown the ability to be a No. 2 corner. If the Browns could add a cornerback who could play the second corner spot across from Joe Haden, it could make a very good defense into an elite defense.
Baltimore Ravens:
Offensive Weapon
Whether it be a wide receiver or a tight end the Ravens have to add some offensive weapons to the passing game. When the Ravens traded Anquan Boldin they lost their best wide receiver down the stretch last year.
Then when Dennis Pitta went down with injury, they lost another big offensive weapon. Torrey Smith is still on the team, but one weapon won’t win you many games.
The Ravens paid big money to Joe Flacco and whether it be a wide receiver like Marqise Lee or a tight end like Eric Ebron, they have to add Flacco a weapon.
Outside Linebacker
This may not seem like much of a need with Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil on the team, but both are on the wrong side of 30 and it can never hurt to have more depth at the pass rush position. When Suggs was hurt, the Ravens defense wasn’t the same and with the offense struggling they can’t afford to have the defense take any kind of step back. If the Ravens can add another stud pass rusher, it gives them a lot more options on the defenses they want to run and will keep them fresh the whole game.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
Left Tackle 
If anyone has watched a Steelers game this year then you know that the left tackle position is by far the biggest need. Mike Adams has been terrible and when they traded for Levi Brown, he got hurt before he ever played a game for them.
If the Steelers want to get back to where they were they have to start protecting the quarterback better. They have some weapons on offense in Antonio Brown and Heath Miller but unless they start protecting the quarterback better, he won’t be able to get those weapons the ball.
Safety
Yes Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark are both good safeties, but both are also getting much older and Polamalu has had injury concerns all throughout his career. The Steelers defense has always been at its best when it has a playmaking safety on the backend of it. The Steelers took Shamarko Thomas in the fourth round of this past draft, but he hasn’t shown to be a future starter for them. The defense as a whole needs somewhere of an overhaul, but a good place to start would be at their aging safety position.
Quarterback
Now this may surprise some, but it shouldn’t. Ben Roethlisberger is one of the best quarterbacks in the league and has been since he came into it. That being said, the Steelers need a complete overhaul and he may be the only person on the team with any real trade value. At times Roethlisberger looks like a punch drunk boxer back there who has been hit too many times. The Steelers have failed to protect Big Ben his whole career and as big and strong as he is, his body will only be able to take it for so long. The Steelers need a backup plan in place so even if they don’t trade him, they have someone there who can take over if he gets hurt.