32 53s: AFC North Pre-Training Camp 53-man Roster Projection

My initial roster projections for the Bengals, Steelers, and Ravens

Below, you can find my 53-man roster projection for the AFC North. You’re welcome to share my graphics wherever you please, just so long as you tag my social account or direct them back here! You can even share the graphic below and mark it up with any disagreements you might have! More info on my process can be found here.

Browns

I went into greater detail when summarizing my model’s projections for the Browns.

Bengals

The Bengals offseason has been defined by contract disputes. Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, B.J. Hill, and Mike Gesicki all re-upped for multiple years, but Cincinnati has been unable to lock down a new deal for Trey Hendrickson and is struggling to agree with 2025 1st round pick Shemar Stewart on his contract. Keeping with that theme, the Bengals were the least active team this offseason in terms of pursuing additions to their roster. Excluding UDFAs and draft picks from this spring, the Bengals 90-man roster has just 6 players who were not with the team last year, compared to the league-wide average of 15. My model expects 3.7 spots on the 53 to be occupied by those 6 players, also far below the league average of 9.5.

Steelers

The Steelers pushed through a considerable overhaul on offense this offseason, replacing their entire QB room, bringing in DK Metcalf, and allowing their multi-year starters at left tackle & running back to walk in free agency. Another blockbuster trade shockingly sent Minkah Fitzpatrick to Miami in exchange for Jonnu Smith and Jalen Ramsey. The offseason shuffle leaves the team short on depth at offensive tackle and safety. Pittsburgh still has solid depth at corner, so perhaps they’ll move some players around. On the offensive line, they may be still be looking to make a move, especially if a starter goes down. The Steelers have one of the more interesting special teams position battles as Cameron Johnston returns from injury against 2024 starter Corliss Waitman.

Ravens

The Ravens 91-man roster really chokes off in the middle, showcasing a team moves with conviction to lock in contributors. My model above has 8 corners in the top 53 with 4 safeties (including Washington, who is likely to miss the entire season) plus Brade who is right on the bubble. This is an area where we could see an unexpected cut as I’m unsure the Ravens will move forward with 12 defensive backs. Aside from that, the Ravens are playing with a lighter group on the defensive line than the typical 3-4 defense, but that has not been outside the norm for them. I suspect the Ravens initial 53 will be very close to what I’m showing in green.