While positions like quarterback, wide receiver, and EDGE rusher generate the most attention and buzz, particularly in the AFC North, games are won and lost in the trenches, particularly on the interior, on both sides of the football.
When it comes to the interior defensive line, Pittsburgh Steelers’ All-Pro Cameron Heyward is the cream of the crop, and it’s not close. But outside of Heyward, there are some solid players and some decent depth top to bottom in the rugged division.
Baltimore’s Nnamdi Madubuike is one of the better pass-rushing interior defensive linemen in the division, while Cleveland rookie Mason Graham has a lot of hype entering the NFL. In Cincinnati, the youth movement is underway and needs to progress from a development standpoint.
Things look solid on the interior of the defensive line in the division, much like other positions do as well.
Let’s see how things shake out in the AFC North iDL rankings in the Ranking the Rooms series.
1. PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Having the best player at the position in the division — and arguably in the league — is a great starting point for the Steelers. Even at 36 years old, Cameron Heyward remains a dominant force. There were questions about him entering the 2024 season due to his health and his age after missing a chunk of time in 2023 and not being as effective, but with a two-year extension in hand and plenty of fuel to his fire from all the noise surrounding him, Heyward went out and put up another All-Pro season.
That first-team All-Pro season seemingly helped solidify his Hall of Fame career, too, as Heyward had another 8.0 sacks, and even batted 11 passes at the line of scrimmage, all while remaining a dominant run defender.
He needs some help, though, in the trenches, and the Steelers gave him some this offseason through the draft.
Keeanu Benton returns for Year 3 and is poised to take a significant step forward with more playing time available in sub-package now that Larry Ogunjobi is no longer in the Steel City. At the same time, rookie first-rounder Derrick Harmon brings a lot of hype and expectations after a dominant season at Oregon.
Fifth-round pick Yahya Black brings great size and physicality as a run defender, too, which should help shore up some issues in that department for the Black and Gold.
Along with those four, veteran Daniel Ekuale joins the group after signing a one-year deal in free agency, bringing some run defense to the table. At the same time, Isaiahh Loudermilk returns as well, bringing experienced depth.
Second-year pro Logan Lee looks to crack the roster after missing all of last season with a calf injury, while Dean Lowry remains in the mix, too, able to play up and down the line of scrimmage.
Other names, including Domenique Davis, Esezi Otomewo, and Jacob Slade, will battle it out for possible depth on the 53-man roster or as practice squad pieces. The real wild card is DeMarvin Leal. Is he an OLB? Or will he play more hand in the dirt again and kick inside in passing situations?
2. CLEVELAND BROWNS
Losing Dalvin Tomlinson in the offseason was a significant blow to the Browns’ interior defensive line, considering he’s one of the better run defenders in football. But adding a talent like Mason Graham at No. 5 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft was a nice piece of the puzzle for the Browns.
Graham is the headliner here for the Browns, who are counting on him quite a bit to be impactful right from the jump on the interior, taking advantage of one-on-one matchups next to Myles Garrett. He had a great career in college at Michigan and was a force week after week. He was the top defensive line prospect in the class, too, and should fit well in the Browns’ 4-3.
He has some experienced pieces next to him, with the likes of long-time veteran Shelby Harris and free agent signee Maliek Collins. Harris started 13 games last season and finished with 37 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and five tackles for loss, serving as a nice complementary piece in the middle of the defense from a run perspective. He and Collins, who signed a two-year, $20 million deal in free agency, will likely split snaps.
Collins started all 17 games last season for San Francisco and had five sacks, providing some juice on the interior as a rusher, which the Browns need.
Depth is decent here with Cleveland.
Mike Hall Jr. returns for Year 2 in the NFL after a quiet rookie season that saw him deal with some off-the-field troubles in the process, while Jowon Briggs enters Year 3. Ralph Holley is an undrafted free agent trying to make the roster out of Western Michigan.
3. BALTIMORE RAVENS
Having a top-tier pass rusher on the interior like Nnamdi Madubuike is a great building block for the Ravens along the defensive line. Just two years ago, he had 13 sacks, earning a massive contract from Baltimore. Last season, he was quieter with 6.5 sacks, but was still tough to deal with as a pass rusher, as he had 56 pressures.
He has some nice depth around him, too, including the run-stopping Travis Jones, who enters Year 4 with Baltimore. He’s that big, physical, space-eating defensive lineman who plays primarily run downs and gives the Ravens a real boost in the middle. There’s not a ton there as a pass rusher, though, as he had just 30 pressures and one sack last season.
The Ravens drafted Aeneas Pebbles out of Virginia Tech in the sixth round, giving Baltimore another interior pass rush option after Peebles was quite impactful in that role in college. He’s on the smaller side, but a good athlete and can win with quickness on the interior.
The Ravens just recently signed veteran John Jenkins to help shore up the run defense. He’s entering Year 13 in the NFL and had a decent season in a limited role with the Raiders. Veteran Broderick Washington also returns, having recorded two sacks last season in a reserve role.
The Ravens also have guys like Adedayo Odeleye, C.J. Okoye, C.J. Ravenell, and rookie Jayson Jones battling it out for end-of-the-roster and practice-squad roles.
4. CINCINNATI BENGALS
Much like they have issues at EDGE, the Bengals have some issues in the trenches along the defensive line, too.
B.J. Hill returns for another season with the Bengals and is coming off a 56-tackle, three-sack season in the middle of Cincinnati’s defense. He remains a good run defender and can provide the occasional juice as a pass rusher.
The Bengals are hoping second-year pro Kris Jenkins takes a major step forward and grabs hold of the top role on the interior. He was a big-name draft pick out of Michigan last year, but he struggled in his transition to the NFL, grading out at a 45.4 overall from PFF in 496 snaps. He had just 11 pressures but three sacks, showing flashes of interior pass rush.
Cincinnati did well to add veteran T.J. Slaton in free agency, giving them a big presence in the run game, and McKinnley Jackson returns for his second season as well. But outside of those four, there isn’t a ton to be excited about.
Rookies Eric Gregory and Howard Cross III are developmental pieces that are probably best suited for the practice squad this year, while Dante Barnett is a practice-squad option, too.
The Bengals desperately need the young pieces to take a step forward this season. If not, it could be a long year in the trenches.
2024 AFC NORTH IDL RANKINGS:
No. 1 – Cleveland Browns
No. 2 – Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 3 – Baltimore Ravens
No. 4 – Cincinnati Bengals
Related Items:AFC North, Baltimore Ravens, Cameron Heyward, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Derrick Harmon, Keeanu Benton, Kris Jenkins, Mason Graham, Nnamdi Madubuike, Pittsburgh Steelers, Trending
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