The AFC North is the best division in the NFL. I don’t think anyone would argue with that.

The division produced three playoff teams last season, and every AFC North club finished above .500. Not only that, but the Baltimore Ravens finished with the best record in the NFL.

The AFC North should be one of the most intriguing storylines in the league next season.

Will the Ravens win the division yet again? Will the Cincinnati Bengals make a big jump with Joe Burrow now healthy? How will Deshaun Watson look for the Cleveland Browns? Does new Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson have anything left in the tank?

As you can see, there is a lot to discuss.

For now, let’s focus on one player from each AFC North squad who could potentially break out during the 2024 NFL campaign.

Baltimore Ravens: Isaiah Likely, TE.

We know that Lamar Jackson loves to utilize his tight ends. After all, his favorite target since entering the league back in 2018 has been Mark Andrews.

But with Andrews sidelined for a good chunk of last season due to an ankle injury, another young tight end emerged in the aerial attack: Isaiah Likely.

Likely caught 30 passes for 411 yards and five touchdowns in 2023, which represented his second NFL season. He logged 36 catches for 373 yards and three scores in Year 1.

Here’s the thing with Likely: he totaled just four grabs for 42 yards in eight games between September and October of last year. However, from November on, he rattled off 26 receptions for 369 yards and five touchdowns.

Obviously, much of that was a result of Andrews being out, but Likely has now proven he can be a big-time threat and has almost surely worked his way into the Ravens’ daily gameplan.

Likely is an athletic freak who definitely has more yardage-after-the-catch potential than Andrews, so Baltimore may use him in different packages.

Cincinnati Bengals: Chase Brown, RB.

The Bengals traded Joe Mixon earlier this offseason and replaced him with Zack Moss in free agency.

Moss displayed the ability to be a featured back with the Indianapolis Colts last year, but in spite of putting together some terrific performances in Jonathan Taylor’s absence early on, he ended up rushing for just 794 yards while averaging a rather pedestrian 4.3 yards per carry.

It seems hard to imagine Cincinnati putting all of its eggs in Moss’ basket as far as the backfield is concerned, which could open the door for second-year running back Chase Brown.

Brown didn’t get much burn in 2023, carrying the ball 44 times for 179 yards. But he may finally get his chance in 2024 now that Mixon is out of the equation.

The 24-year-old enjoyed an incredible career at the University of Illinois, concluding his stay with the Fighting Illini by racking up 1,643 yards on the ground during his final season there.

That’s not to say that Brown will post those types of numbers on the NFL level, but I see no reason why he can’t develop into a very solid complementary back alongside of Moss as soon as next season. Plus, Brown has the ability to catch passes out of the backfield.

Cleveland Browns: Martin Emerson Jr., CB.

Last season, Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was one of the club’s top breakout players, making the Pro Bowl in just his third season.

Could cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. be next?

There is a reason why Cleveland was rumored to be considering trading fellow cornerback Greg Newsome Jr. this offseason. The Browns really like Emerson, and his emergence this past season may have made Newsome expendable.

Emerson totaled 59 tackles, four interceptions and 14 passes defended in 2023, but as good as he was, he was still overshadowed by Cleveland’s top corner, Denzel Ward, and the rest of the Browns’ vicious defense that also includes reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.

Emerson was a third-round pick of the Browns in 2022 and immediately established himself as a solid defensive back in his rookie campaign.

Cleveland’s ferocious front seven make things a heck of a lot easier for the secondary, so Emerson could ultimately take that next step in 2024. Perhaps a Pro Bowl is in his future.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Pat Freiermuth, TE.

Running back Jaylen Warren is the popular pick here, and it makes sense given how good he was this past year and because the Steelers just declined Najee Harris’ fifth-year option.

But Pat Freiermuth is due for a much better season after an injury-riddled 2023 campaign.

Not only that, but Freiermuth is entering the final year of his deal, so he is going to want to show out so he can get paid next offseason.

The 25-year-old already has one very strong season under his belt, as he hauled in 63 receptions for 732 yards and a couple of touchdowns in 2022.

However, after logging just 32 catches in 12 games this past season, what he did during his sophomore campaign has been largely forgotten.

Pittsburgh traded wide receiver Dionate Johnson earlier this offseason, leaving the club with George Pickens and not much else in terms of viable weapons in the passing game. The Steelers did draft receiver Roman Wilson, but he is entirely unproven.

Freiermuth may end up representing a security blanket for the aforementioned Wilson, who really hasn’t had a consistent presence at tight end since Jimmy Graham.

Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.