ESPN's AFC North blogger James Walker wrote an article highlighting who he thinks are the division's biggest future stars. By "future star," Walker means, "a player who could dominate the AFC North from 2014 to 2016." When it came to the Cleveland Browns, he chose cornerback Joe Haden. It's not exactly a leap of faith by Walker after the stellar rookie year that Haden had, but I can't complain about the positive press.
Joe Haden, Cleveland Browns cornerback: There was some skepticism a year ago about whether Haden was worthy of the No. 7 overall pick. Despite a slow start, Haden put all those concerns to rest once he entered the starting lineup in the second half of the season and finished with 64 tackles and six interceptions. Haden displayed very good ball skills, solid tackling and the willingness to mix it up and compete with the physical receivers in the AFC North. He's only 22 and should continue to develop into one of the better corners.
The players chosen for the other teams include Mike Wallace, Ray Rice, and A.J. Green. Those are all plausible picks, although it is tough to project any running back will have the legs these days to be an impact player more than a couple of years; after all, 2014 is still a couple of years away for Rice.