This week, College Football 24/7 takes a division-by-division look at the best and worst all-time NFL draft picks for every team, continuing today with the AFC North and NFC North teams.
For this exercise, where a player was selected in the draft and the sum of their NFL accomplishments (or, lack thereof) were taken into account.
Baltimore Ravens
Best pick:Ray Lewis (1996 NFL Draft, Round 1, No. 26 overall)
The lowdown: In the franchise's first year in Baltimore, the Ravens scored a draft haul that would be the impetus for the team's rise as a perennial contender. With the No. 4 overall pick, the Ravens took Pro Football Hall of Famer Jonathan Ogden, and then 22 selections later took a player who would become the heart of soul of the team for most of his 17 seasons in Baltimore. Lewis was a part of two Super Bowl-winning teams in Baltimore -- he was named game MVP in Super Bowl XXXV. That first Super Bowl title capped what was one of the most dominant defensive performances in league history.
Worst pick:Kyle Boller (2003 NFL Draft, Round 1, No. 19 overall)
The lowdown:Â Baltimore was kind of a revolving door of mediocre quarterbacks in the early 2000s. The team picked Boller to be a franchise quarterback and provide some stability at that position. Instead, Boller was injury- and turnover-prone. Three years after taking Boller in the first round, the Ravens traded for an aging Steve McNair. Two years after that, coach Brian Billick was out of a job and the new coaching regime took their own guy to be the franchise quarterback, Joe Flacco.
Cincinnati Bengals
Best pick:Anthony Munoz (1980 NFL Draft, Round 1, No. 3 overall)
The lowdown: Munoz was considered a risky pick at the time, but the Bengals wound up with the dominant offensive tackle of his era. In 13 NFL seasons, Munoz made the Pro Bowl 11 consecutive times and earned a spot on the NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team. He was also a vital part of two Bengals teams that reached the Super Bowl.
Worst pick:Akili Smith (1999 NFL Draft, Round 1, No. 3 overall)
The lowdown: Remember the trade Mike Ditka pulled off that sent a bounty of draft picks to the Washington Redskins so that the New Orleans Saints could select Ricky Williams? Yeah, that could have been the Bengals. In one of many follies from this franchise during a horrific run of futility in the 1990s to early 2000s, the Bengals turned down that massive haul so that the team could get Smith. In the middle of a run of 14 consecutive losing seasons, the Bengals drafted Smith, who failed to establish himself as a starting quarterback. In four seasons in Cincinnati, Smith started just 17 games. He started 11 of those games in 2000, but accounted for 13 turnovers (six interceptions and seven lost fumbles).
Cleveland Browns
Best pick:Jim Brown (1957 NFL Draft, Round 1, No. 6 overall)
The lowdown: In nine dominant seasons in Cleveland, Brown earned a prominent place in any "greatest football player ever" conversation. He led the NFL in rushing in eight of those nine seasons, and was a three-time NFL MVP. He was also a vital part of the Browns' last championship team in 1964.
Worst pick:Johnny Manziel (2014 NFL Draft, Round 1, No. 22 overall)
The lowdown: It was with overwhelming fanfare that Manziel entered the league. Now, it appears that Manziel is on the fast track toward joining the likes of Ryan Leaf, Tony Mandarich and JaMarcus Russell among the greatest NFL draft busts. He became the first redshirt freshman to win the Heisman Trophy in 2012, and was one of the most polarizing draft prospects in recent memory entering the 2014 draft. Rather than revive the Browns' offense, off-field misadventures and on-field shortcomings prevented Manziel from meeting expectations, which were lofty. After two seasons with the Browns -- during which Manziel started eight games -- the team released the quarterback as off-the-field issues derailed his once-promising NFL career. While Manziel is no longer in the league, two quarterbacks that the Browns could have drafted instead -- Teddy Bridgewater and Derek Carr -- are developing into quality starting quarterbacks who could be in the NFL for years to come.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Best pick:Mike Webster (1974 NFL Draft, Round 5, No. 125 overall)
The lowdown: In the greatest draft class in league history, the Steelers selected four future Pro Football Hall of Famers. Before Webster capped this incredible haul, the Steelers selected Lynn Swann in Round 1, Jack Lambert in Round 2 and John Stallworth in Round 4. The 1974 season also kicked off a run of four Super Bowl titles in six years for Pittsburgh. Webster was a nine-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro, and was selected to the NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.
Worst pick:Huey Richardson (1991 NFL Draft, Round 1, No. 15 overall)
The lowdown: Richardson played just five games for the Steelers, and made no impact whatsoever. After the 1991 season, Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll retired and Bill Cowher took over. Cowher jettisoned Richardson before the 1992 season, trading him to the Washington Redskins. Richardson played just four games for the Redskins, who released him. He got picked up by the New York Jets, for whom Richardson played in seven games. After appearing in 16 games over two seasons for three different teams, Richardson's NFL career was over.
Follow Jim Reineking on Twitter @jimreineking.
