Lamar Jackson's deal part of how Browns' AFC North rivals improved on NFL Draft Day 1

The Browns were expected to be absent in terms of a first-round presence in Thursday's opening night of the NFL Draft. That didn't mean they couldn't be impacted directly by the happenings of the evening.

In fact, the first impact came some four hours before the first round even began. That's when the Baltimore Ravens announced that, after months and months of haggling, they had come to terms on a new five-year extension with quarterback Lamar Jackson, who had been a free agent under the non-exclusive franchise tag.

That contract dispute had gotten so contentious that Jackson had issued a trade demand on March 27, literally as Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was sitting down to talk to the media at the NFL Owners Meetings in Phoenix, Arizona.

Lamar Jackson's new contract details with Baltimore Ravens

A month later to the day, though, they came to terms on what has been reported as a five-year, $260-million extension.

The $52 million in average annual value makes Jackson the highest-paid player in the NFL. Just last week, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts' five-year, $255-million extension, at an AAV of $51 million, had set the market.

"I mean, it was dope," Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson had said on April 18 of Hurts' extension. "I'm excited for him. … I sent him a congratulations and told him dinner’s on him when we go to Philly and he said it's on him. So I took care of it last year. This year he's got to take care of it. So it's definitely good to be able to see him, he deserves every penny and all the other guys that are up next deserve it, too."

What Jackson's deal didn't do was come close to matching the fully guaranteed money in Watson's fully guaranteed five-year, $230-million deal with the Browns. That contract was thought to be the bar Jackson was going to set for his demands with the Ravens.

Instead, according to CBS Sports' Josina Anderson, Jackson's deal only features $185 million in fully guaranteed money. Hurts' featured $179 million in fully guaranteed cash.

"I mean, I reach out to Lamar all the time," Watson said of Jackson's negotiations on April 18. "We talk through texts, through Instagram. We don't really talk about the business side because that's his space, that's his privacy. From the outside looking in, I hope he gets what he wants."

The Jackson deal was just the start of an evening in which the Browns watched as their AFC North rivals — not just Baltimore, but also the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers — looked to improve themselves. Time to assess just what those three teams did in that regard, through the context of how it may or may not impact the Browns.

Baltimore Ravens gets Lamar Jackson a receiver in Zay Flowers

Before the first round, the Ravens gave Jackson a new contract. With the 22nd pick — technically the 23rd due to the Miami Dolphins forfeiting No. 21 due to a tampering violation — in the first round, they went out and got him a wide receiver in Boston College's Zay Flowers.

The biggest issue consistently with Baltimore's offense has been the receivers. The line's solid, the backs are good and tight end Mark Andrews has been a nightmare more often than not for the Browns to handle.

The receivers, though, have been an issue, with the second-fewest receptions as a position group in the league last season with 124, behind the Chicago Bears (121). Flowers could potentially change that dynamic.

Flowers is on the small size at 5-foot-9, 182 pounds. However, he's also very much on the quick and fast side as well, with one draft analyst comparing him to the Browns' newly acquired Elijah Moore.

Holdover Rashod Bateman and newly signed Odell Beckham Jr. are returning from injuries. Flower's addition is another bite at the apple for the Ravens to give their former MVP quarterback a deeper pool of targets.

Pittsburgh Steelers don't go for a cornerback, yet

Most of the mock drafts entering Thursday linked the Steelers with a cornerback with Cameron Sutton having signed with the Detroit Lions in free agency and Levi Wallace entering a contract year. The corner they were specifically linked to was a legacy in Penn State's Joey Porter Jr., son of the former Pittsburgh All-Pro outside linebacker.

When Pittsburgh traded up with the New England Patriots from No. 17 to No. 14, many thought Porter, or some corner, was going to be the target. Instead, the Steelers looked to upgrade at tackle, where they started Dan Moore Jr. on the left side and Chukwuma Okorafor on the right side, two players who ranked lower than 30th in pass-block win rate last season.

Pittsburgh selected Georgia's 6-5, 311-pound Broderick Jones at No. 14. Jones is seen as a likely day one starter, meaning an immediate introduction — whenever they play on the yet-to-be-released schedule — to the Browns' All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett.

The Steelers, though, could quickly rectify the cornerback issue as well. They own the first pick in Friday's second round, meaning there's nothing to prevent them from taking the player they absolute want.

Cincinnati Bengals beef up defensive line with Clemson DE Myles Murphy

The thought always goes to the offense when the conversation turns to the Bengals. Considering the talent they possess, it's understandable.

The thought for the Bengals on their first-round pick at No. 30 was clearly about stopping other teams' offenses. Specifically, they want to do so by getting to the quarterback.

So Cincinnati looked to add a little more athleticism to its pass-rush group with Clemson defensive end Myles Murphy. With Trey Hendrickson still having two years left on his deal and hometown hero Sam Hubbard having three more left on his, along with Joseph Ossai in the defensive end rotation, the Bengals have an opportunity to allow Murphy to develop a bit while still getting plenty of reps in the rotation in certain packages.

There's another connection for Murphy to the AFC North besides his new team. It's also home to the player Murphy has tried to model his own game around.

"Myles Garrett," Murphy said at the NFL Scouting Combine in March. "I've been watching him for years. I've been watching him since freshman year."

Now, Murphy can watch him from the opposite sideline twice a season in the Battle of Ohio.

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns' AFC North rivals get boost with Lamar Jackson, NFL Draft Day 1