Ravens Greatest Draft Choices of All Time

[ExiledRaven]

True, this year will really tell if they can just get him on the field (and they should). Could getting McGahee, who is effective in a single back formation, be a hint at this?

So...here are some fun stats. Two of these players went on to become mega-stars. One of them in Demetrius Williams

player 1: 28 catches, 329 yards, 11.8 average, 1 TD, 3 20+ yards, 0 40+
player 2: 22 catches, 396 yards, 18.0 average, 2 TD, 9 20+ yards, 1 40+
player 3: 35 catches, 520 yards, 14.9 average, 4 TD, 7 20+ yards, 2 40+

I'll post the two other players tonight @8 central if someone doesn't guess them.

[Gwaihir]

1. Ray Lewis - LB - #26 overall 1996 - Not sure we would have won the Superbowl without this pick! He was definitely the Leader of that team!

2. Jon Ogden - OT - #4 overall 1996 - Very close second, One of the best Left Tackles of all time! So good, half the time you take him for granted!

3. Ed Reed - S - #24 overall 2002 - How can you argue with a Defensive Player of the Year! Best Safety in football.

4. Chris McAlister - CB - #10 overall 1999 - Multi-Year Pro-Bowler. One of the best Corners in the game, - still, 7 years later! Pretty rare for a top Corner!

5. Peter Boulware - LB - #4 overall 1997 - Definition of a Total Team Player! Multi-Year Pro-Bowler! Enough said!

6. Jamal Lewis - RB - #5 overall 2000 – Helped us win a Superbowl, definitely a Key Player on that team, almost broke the single season rushing record. Good strong, tough back, definitely the best the Ravens ever had. I loved to watch him run in his prime!

7. Todd Heap - TE - #31 overall 2001 - Carried the offense on his back with Jamal for many a year. Muti-Year Pro-Bowler! Does everything you ask him to do, including incredible catches over the middle when he knew he was going to get hammered!

8. Terrell Suggs - LB/DE - #10 overall 2003 – Multi-Year Pro-Bowler and now a fixture on the best defense in the league!

9. Adalius Thomas - DE/LB - #186 overall 2000 – Multi-Year Pro-Bowler and biggest mis-match on the best defense in the league. How much did the Pats think he was worth this year?

10. Jamie Sharper - LB - #34 overall 1997 – Solid OL for a few years. Texans thought he was good enough to make their first pick in the expansion draft.

As soon as one of the young guys, (Clayton, Ngata, Williams, Landry), proves it for a few more years, Sharper will be knocked out of the Top 10. That’s when it will be really tough to pick. I didn’t have too much trouble with this list, but when those youngsters prove eligible, it’s going to be really tough!

[ExiledRaven]

I'm a bit late...but

#1 Chad Johnson
#2 D. Williams
#3 T.O.

[RAVENOUS52]

Great lists guys! I disagree with very little on any of them.
Definitely my top 5 are:

1. Ray Lewis- Besides insane amounts of talent, desire and dedication to his craft he has the football instincts and leadership ability of a John Unitas. Two DPOY award and a Super Bowl MVP and numerous other awards are merely icing on the cake. I feel like one of the luckiest fans in the world everytime I get to see him come out of that tunnel on gameday.

2. Jonathan Ogden- Often referred to as the latter-day Anthony Munoz with more size and slightly less mean-streak. All I know is that he anchors our offense and has a seat waiting for him in the Hall next to Unitas, Marchetti, Donavan and the rest of Baltimore's legends. You'd think that a guy with such nimble feet would be a better dancer though...LOL

3. Ed Reed- Bottom line-- When the Ravens draft from the University of Miami, they strike gold everytime. DPOY, numerous Pro Bowl nods and like a Philadelphia crackhead, the dude covets the rock and more often than not, takes it to the house. Lays a mean smackdown on opponents as well...The future of the Ravens defense and a franchise player in the same vain as #52.

4. Peter Boulware- Sackmaster extraordinaire, with the ability to play in pain. A lynchpin of the BEST. DEFENSE. EVER. as well as a model citizen. A Pro Bowl participant who never dogged it and left it all out on the field for the Purple and Black. A well-deserved Ring of Honor member to boot.

5. Todd Heap- The Stormin' Mormon has been our best receiver since arriving in Baltimore, period. Pro Bowler with flypaper hands and the ability to take a licking and keep on ticking (Just ask Shawne Merriman). Humble and unassuming in a Clark Kent sort of way, with the ability to step into the phone booth at any time and make catches anywhere on the field. Master of the Jump-ball and a scoring threat.

[UKRavenStockers]

3. Ed Reed- Bottom line-- When the Ravens draft from the University of Miami, they strike gold everytime.

Nearly, but I think we can give Ozzie a pass on Richard Mercier. :)

[RustonRifle]

My top ten-
1. Ray Lewis- I feel Ray is at 1 because he was a late first rounder and what he has meant to the franchise. The spiritual and statistical leader of a defense that brought us a championship a coach on the field. How many Ravens rookies have benefited from his leadership or teaching them how to go about the business of preparing themselves for gameday in the NFL?

2. Johnnie O -First ballot HOF'r . Perennial Pro Bowler. Looking back, Art wanted Lawrence Phillips, we're all glad Art let Ozzie make the call.

3. Todd Heap -The only real pass catching threat in this offense for years. Outstanding pick at the end of the first round. Better blocker than most people give him credit for.

4. Chris MacAlister- Arguably the cornerstone of our defensive backfield, hasn't slowed down any. It's scary to wonder how good this guy would be if he didn't have to alter his game some, The physical corners were the ones hurt by the NFLs rule change and catering to everything Manning in light of the New England defense mugging the Colt receivers. [Officials just needed to enforce the rules in already in place]

5. Ed Reed- Another late first round gem by Ozzie and the staff.
Playmaker. I like when he lays the wood and then his gait afterwards.
Cool move.

6. Adalius Thomas 6th round pick, underrated by the national media for years but we knew what he meant to this franchise. Knowing tough choices need to be made , I'll still miss 96.

7. Jamal Lewis- When the Ravens had no resemblance of a passing game he was the offense. One of my favorite Ravens ever, lots of great memories.

8. Peter Boulware 7 productive seasons for the Ravens. If healthy his entire career, he'd be another future hall of famer and certainly higher on my list. Great player, great person.

9. Jermaine Lewis 5th round pick, tremendous weapon on special teams. To this day I would have liked him to get more touches on offense.
Give him a little crack and he's was taking it to the house.

10. Terrell Suggs- Hard to believe the guy is only 25. A couple Pro Bowls in his pocket with more to come. By the time his career is over he'll probably be higher on everyone's list of best picks.


It's tough to leave Mule, Edge, Chet and Jamie Sharper off any list of best draft picks. Looking back it shows you how blessed we are with the Ravens front office.

The last two drafts gave us Clayton ,Terry and Brown from 2005 and Ngata, Chester, Landry, Williams and Sam Koch from the 2006 draft class. Those two drafts definitely lessened the pain from the 2004 class.

[RAVENOUS52]

Nearly, but I think we can give Ozzie a pass on Richard Mercier. :)

Richard WHO???

[UKRavenStockers]

Richard WHO???

5th rounder in 2000, 38 picks before we took Adalius.

[crazyraven]

I don't know how any of you can put Heap anywhere in the top 3. Yes he is a great guy and player but top 5 draft pick overall is ludacris. Bottom line a Top 1,2, 3 , 4 or 5 Draft choice needs to have a championship under their belt. Don't you think so?

[jonboy79]

So the only players that should be listed are players that were drafted pre-2000 so they have a ring?? That is merely one measure of a player or draftpick, not the end all. Playoff success is the rule of measure for a team.

[Gwaihir]

I don't know how any of you can put Heap anywhere in the top 3. Yes he is a great guy and player but top 5 draft pick overall is ludacris. Bottom line a Top 1,2, 3 , 4 or 5 Draft choice needs to have a championship under their belt. Don't you think so?

I don't really think you need to win a Championship to make the list, look at Marino. Was he not a good pick since he didn't win a Championship?

Having said that, I looked at my list again and noticed that 5 of my top 6 were on the SB team! The only one that wasn't was Ed Reed at # 3. I think a Defensive Player of the Year qualifies.

Also, after thinking about it for a while now, I wish I would have put Jermaine Lewis at # 9 instead of Adalius Thomas, keeping Sharper at 10, mostly because of his impact on the SB team. I'm not so sure we would have gotten there, much less won it without him! With that change to my list, it would give me 7/10 from the SB team!

So even though I don't think a Championship is a prerequisite to making the list, it definitely has a tremendous impact!

[crazyraven]

That is merely one measure of a player or draftpick, not the end all. Playoff success is the rule of measure for a team.

Gwaihir made a good point when he spoke about ed reed. He won defensive MVP for a season. While in my eyes it doesnt trump a SB win, it is a very close second. Heap, while he is a great player, I just dont think he has done anything worthy of being put in a class with JO or Ray.

Maybe its because of the top 2. JO and Ray are two awesome players so being in that 3 slot, to me, you'd better have more accolades than just "Heap has been the only offense" and if you think about it that isnt very true-- we have had other offense. For example Jamal Lewis has brought more to the table than Heap plus he has a SB under his belt, Offensive player of the year and a 2000 yard rushing campaign.

Being slotted 3 for this team is tough because of who number one and two are but no way would i agree that Heap gets there.

I might put Boulware at 3. Maybe.