The 2026 NFL Draft is roughly two weeks away, meaning every NFL team will be looking to improve its roster for the upcoming season. Some teams are looking at full-scale rebuilds, while others are hoping to put the finishing touches on a Super Bowl-caliber roster.
The AFC North came down to the wire last season, with the Pittsburgh Steelers claiming the division crown in a Week 18 win over the Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers will be looking to repeat as division winners, while the Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, and Cleveland Browns will look to claim that title for themselves. The Ravens, Browns, and Steelers all have new head coaches, which means that the teams, including their draft strategies, could be heading in new directions.
Ravens coach Jesse Minter and Browns coach Todd Monken are first-time head coaches, and how they adjust to the leap from coordinator to coach will heavily impact each team’s season. The Browns will have two first-round picks due to trading with the Jacksonville Jaguars in last year’s draft, and making the most of these picks will be key to avoiding another last-place finish. The Steelers opted for experienced coach Mike McCarthy, but the uncertainty regarding the future of starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers makes the team’s future just as uncertain. The Bengals opted to keep coach Zac Taylor around for this season and will look to bounce back from a disappointing season that saw franchise quarterback Joe Burrow miss nine games with injury, and one of the worst defensive units in the NFL.
Each team faces several key challenges and questions entering the draft, and the team that responds best to those could find itself winning a division title next season.
