AFC North Notes: Jones, Browns, Ravens

Taking first-round tackles in back-to-back years, the Steelers have seen the first of those picks — Broderick Jones — struggle to live up to his No. 14 draft slot. Jones is now rehabbing from neck surgery. That rehab process is under the microscope, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicating a setback occurred. Jones is scheduled for an evaluation this week with regards to readiness for training camp and/or the regular season. While the Bears may need a veteran stopgap while Ozzy Trapilo recovers from a patellar tendon tear, Jones’ struggles before suffering the injury in Week 12 of last year may point the organization to another early-round draftee. The Steelers are unlikely to pick up Jones’ fifth-year option — valued at $19.07MM — and this injury may determine if another long-term tackle option is sought in this year’s first round.

GM Omar Khan, however, said (via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac) nothing has changed with Jones’ rehab timeline; though, it remains unclear. A host of tackles are expected to go off the board in Round 1; Ely Allen’s PFR mock draft sends Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor to Pittsburgh.

Here is the latest from the AFC North:

• The Browns are (again) conducting a quarterback competition. Unlike last year, Deshaun Watson is part of it. Todd Monken has not dismissed the embattled veteran when asked about a possible comeback, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport made a recent guess during a Rich Eisen Show appearance that it will indeed be Watson calling signals for Cleveland when the season opens. Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel struggled as rookies, and while GM Andrew Berry did not rule out an addition to the team’s QB room, it is possible the draft comes and goes without Cleveland making a move here. Watson is entering the final season of a disastrous five-year, $230MM fully guaranteed contract. The dead money consequences this year will keep Watson rostered, as his play with the Browns has certainly not warranted retention, and the 30-year-old passer will attempt to come back from two Achilles tears — and a second missed season this decade — to reclaim a starting job. To open offseason team drills, Sanders (per The Athletic’s Zac Jackson) drew the first snaps. Watson, per the Akron Beacon Journal’s Chris Easterling, was first up in seven-on-seven work.
• Dax Hill has toggled between outside and slot cornerback duty. Although the Bengals traded their first-round pick to the Giants for Dexter Lawrence, the team addressing the corner spot on Day 2 could affect Hill’s usage, Ben Baby of ESPN.com writes. The team had Hill primarily manning the slot — with DJ Turner and Cam Taylor-Britt outside — to start the season before closing the campaign with a Hill-Turner boundary duo. Hill primarily played on the perimeter upon being moved to CB in 2024, but an ACL tear ended his season early. His 2025 season brought a near-even snap split (366 in the slot, 409 outside). How the Bengals use the former first-rounder this year will go a long way toward shaping his free agent market, should the team not extend the converted safety (a rumored scenario).
• The Ravens ultimately drafted Georgia safety Malaki Starks in last year’s first round, but The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec indicates the team considered Ohio State tackle Josh Simmons at No. 27. Viewed as a player who would have gone higher were it not for a patellar tendon tear in 2024, Simmons ended up going 32nd overall to the Chiefs. He then missed time due to a personal issue and wrist injury during an eight-game rookie season. Baltimore’s interest in Simmons is notable considering the team had just re-signed Ronnie Stanley and used a 2024 second-round pick on RT Roger Rosengarten. Baltimore has been connected to Proctor, Spencer Fano and Vega Ioane in this year’s first round. Were Proctor or Fano chosen, the player’s immediate Maryland duty would likely be guard to complement Stanley and Rosengarten (whereas Ioane is a natural guard). But one of the tackles having a future role as a Stanley successor — and present place as insurance for the injury-prone LT — would be in play as well.
• The Lions released former second-rounder Josh Paschal last month. The edge rusher has resurfaced in Cleveland, with TheLandonDemand.com’s Tony Grossi noting he is going through a tryout at Browns workouts Tuesday. Paschal (18 career starts) spent last season on the NFI list due to back surgery.