Ravens Greatest Draft Choices of All Time

**TL24x7** · 03-26-2007, 09:49 AM

A couple of years ago in one of our Top Guns articles, we listed the top ten Ravens' Draft Picks of All Time. You can check them out here: Top 10

Two years later, I'm sure you would say the list should change. Let us know what you think today...re-write the list for us...it would make for a good topic of conversation on GAMETIME this coming Sunday!

**UKRavenStockers** · 03-26-2007, 10:32 AM

1. Jon Ogden - OT - #4 overall 1996 - All-time great LT, elite player at the 2nd most premium position on offense.

1a. Ray Lewis - LB - #26 overall 1996 - No brainer, all-time great MLB.

3. Todd Heap - TE - #31 overall 2001 - Top drawer TE and one of the new breed that does it all.

4. Ed Reed - S - #24 overall 2002 - Best safety in football right now and has the sort of range rarely seen before.

5. Peter Boulware - LB - #4 overall 1997 - A career that gave a lot but had even more taken away by injuries. Pro Bowl calibre LB in his day and did what was best for the team by his time spent at DE in a couple of season.

6. Terrell Suggs - LB/DE - #10 overall 2003 - Passed on by most because of questions over his ability to stand up to the run and that his 40 time was too slow. The Ravens swooped and knocked yet another first rounder out of the ballpark. A top notch pass rusher, good enough against the run and not dreadful in coverage. When he keeps his head up when rushing the passer there's few tackles that can handle him.

7. Adalius Thomas - DE/LB - #186 overall 2000 - This low because I place higher merit on teams that nail their first day picks, these are the picks most important to you, they cost you the most money, allow the greatest immediate impact and as such are the most important for your team. Adalius is the model of how you want your day 2 project picks to pan out with the right coaching. I give the greater credit to the coaching staff here than the FO, there's massive physical talent throughout the draft (both days) and the credit goes to the coaching staffs that develop the day two talent rather than the FO in my opinion.

8. Dawan Landry - S - #146 overall 2006 - A rare immediate impact on the second day. Playing in such a talented secondary helped him, but the FO really hit on this one.

9. Chris McAlister - CB - #10 overall 1999 - Another hit in the first round, to get a 7 year (probably will be 9 or 10) starter at corner is rare, to have a guy who has been a top 10/15 corner for 5 or so years is truly top notch.

10. Jamie Sharper - LB - #34 overall 1997 - Another day one hit, formed an elite trio with Ray and Peter B for many a year. Hit like a train, flowed to the ball well and not overly stiff in coverage either. Injuries saw his star didn't burn as brightly as it should have.

That's my £0.02 (two penneth), I feel that hitting on your first day picks is the greatest marque of your FO than developing second day guys. Developing the day two guys is the coaching staff doing their jobs and coaxing out the talent that you can find throughout the draft.

**Rochardrik** · 03-26-2007, 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by UKRavenStockers

1. Jon Ogden - OT - #4 overall 1996 - All-time great LT, elite player at the 2nd most premium position on offense.

1a. Ray Lewis - LB - #26 overall 1996 - No brainer, all-time great MLB.

3. Todd Heap - TE - #31 overall 2001 - Top drawer TE and one of the new breed that does it all.

4. Ed Reed - S - #24 overall 2002 - Best safety in football right now and has the sort of range rarely seen before.

5. Peter Boulware - LB - #4 overall 1997 - A career that gave a lot but had even more taken away by injuries. Pro Bowl calibre LB in his day and did what was best for the team by his time spent at DE in a couple of season.

6. Terrell Suggs - LB/DE - #10 overall 2003 - Passed on by most because of questions over his ability to stand up to the run and that his 40 time was too slow. The Ravens swooped and knocked yet another first rounder out of the ballpark. A top notch pass rusher, good enough against the run and not dreadful in coverage. When he keeps his head up when rushing the passer there's few tackles that can handle him.

7. Adalius Thomas - DE/LB - #186 overall 2000 - This low because I place higher merit on teams that nail their first day picks, these are the picks most important to you, they cost you the most money, allow the greatest immediate impact and as such are the most important for your team. Adalius is the model of how you want your day 2 project picks to pan out with the right coaching. I give the greater credit to the coaching staff here than the FO, there's massive physical talent throughout the draft (both days) and the credit goes to the coaching staffs that develop the day two talent rather than the FO in my opinion.

8. Dawan Landry - S - #146 overall 2006 - A rare immediate impact on the second day. Playing in such a talented secondary helped him, but the FO really hit on this one.

9. Chris McAlister - CB - #10 overall 1999 - Another hit in the first round, to get a 7 year (probably will be 9 or 10) starter at corner is rare, to have a guy who has been a top 10/15 corner for 5 or so years is truly top notch.

10. Jamie Sharper - LB - #34 overall 1997 - Another day one hit, formed an elite trio with Ray and Peter B for many a year. Hit like a train, flowed to the ball well and not overly stiff in coverage either. Injuries saw his star didn't burn as brightly as it should have.

That's my £0.02 (two penneth), I feel that hitting on your first day picks is the greatest marque of your FO than developing second day guys. Developing the day two guys is the coaching staff doing their jobs and coaxing out the talent that you can find throughout the draft.

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that Demetrius Williams will be a greater pick, when all is said and done than Sharper, Landry, Jamal, AND Heap!

**flraven** · 03-26-2007, 10:52 AM

Good post UK, I agree.

**ExiledRaven** · 03-26-2007, 11:00 AM

T1: Ray Lewis '96 #26 Anytime you draft a two time player of the year who becomes THE icon at a position for a decade you do very well.
T1: Jon Ogden '96 #4 Has his ups and downs but likely a hall-of fame left tackle and even though it was an early "can't miss" pick, he's no Robert Gallery.
3: Ed Reed '02 #24 One of the top game-changing safeties since arriving in the league. Has a safety ever taken over a game the way he did against the Redskins?
4: Chris McAlister '99 #10 Has his bad moments, but Cmac is truly great considering how much the Ravens demand of their corners. You'll also notice it's always the #2 corner a team throws at (Starks, Rolle, etc)
5: Peter Boulware '97 #4 Another great defensive player and the original terror to opposing quarterbacks. If injuries hadn't slowed him, we might be speaking of him the breath after Ray Lewis on defense.
6: Adalius Thomas '00 #186 Random unknown on the practice squad to clear all-pro Thomas' ability to do everything allowed the mad scientist to play with the defense.
7: Terrell Suggs '03 #10 T-sizzle the sackmaster. He's too slow. The Ravens said, 'that's ok with us'. Seems like they made the right choice as Suggs is averaging 10 sacks per year.
8: Dawan Landry '06 #146 Immediate impact starter in the 6th round? You've got to be kidding. 3 sacks, 5 ints...if he wasn't on the Ravens he might have been actually mentioned for DROY (it was a crime that he wasn't top 3).
9: Todd Heap: '01 #32 Festivus changed my mind on this. He was the primary decent reciever on this team post superbowl purge until this past year where the wideouts finally overtook him. Not the best blocker, but a tough player who isn't afraid to get hit to make a play. Pro-bowler one year and borderline most years, Heap might have been more recognized if he played with a complete offense instead of the Ravens dark ages.
10: Haloti Ngata: '06 #13 There wasn't a lot to see of him in 2006, but it seemed like each game he played he was better than the game before. Filmstudy's great analysis shows how much better the defense as a whole was with him on the field. This kid will be special and could easily move into the top of this group.

Just outside looking in:
11: Jamal Lewis: '00 #5 Unfortunately, there were only two years Ravens fans were able to enjoy Jamal Lewis, but it showed the front office's wisdom in selecting him. A 2000 yard season, taking the starting job from Priest Holmes and powering the Ravens to the superbowl. As for the injuries there isn't much to be done. But imagine if the Ravens took Dayne! Fans may be bitter now, but without Lewis around that '00 team doesn't win the title.

edit: Boiling under (the next 9 in no order) ~ Jamie Sharper, Jermaine Lewis, Mark Clayton, Demetrius Williams, Ovie Mughelli, Chester Taylor, Chad Williams, Jeff Mitchel, Ed Hartwell

**jonboy79** · 03-26-2007, 11:21 AM

Wow, I was going to write a message statign that you missed Heap, then I see you notice this. I was right there with you through 9 picks, then I see a rookie over Heap.

**ExiledRaven** · 03-26-2007, 11:26 AM

Yeah, I look at big bang for the pick a little more than UK. You're supposed to hit 1st round selections, so unless they're perennial all-pros or win a player of the year of MVP, then I don't view it as a "great pick"

That's the big reason you see AT and Landry up there.

Heap is good, but putting him high on that list to me means equating him with Tony Gonzales and I can't do that. However, he has been the better "pick" than jamal, a #5 who really only had 2 great years in retrospect. Well, that and chad johnson got picked about 7 slots later. That might have been a better choice, but I am quibbling ;)

**festivus** · 03-26-2007, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by ExiledRaven

9: Jamal Lewis: '00 #5 Unfortunately, there were only two years Ravens fans were able to enjoy Jamal Lewis, but it showed the front office's wisdom in selecting him. A 2000 yard season, taking the starting job from Priest Holmes and powering the Ravens to the superbowl. As for the injuries there isn't much to be done. But imagine if the Ravens took Lawrence Phillips! Fans may be bitter now, but without Lewis around that '00 team doesn't win the title.

edit: Boiling under (the next 10 in no order) ~ Todd Heap,

I'd swap these two. Jamal Lewis at #5 proved an excellent back for a couple of seasons, but at #5 he was hardly a steal. The one notable thing about this choice was they passed on Ron Dayne, which in retrospect was a good thing. :)

Todd Heap on the other hand, at 31, plays like he was an early to mid 1st rounder. I might even put him higher than 9.

I'm happy with Ngata as 10 on this list, ask me again in two years & he may be higher.

**ExiledRaven** · 03-26-2007, 11:30 AM

Yeah, good point. I keep forgetting Jamal was a #5, I'll go back and edit that and flip in Heap and put jamal at #11.

I also realized I got Phillips confused with the JO pick. I am having a slow slow day.

**B-more Ravor** · 03-26-2007, 11:33 AM

1a. Ray
1b. JO
3. Heap
4. Reed
5. AD
6. McAlister
7. Boulware
8. Sharper
9. Mulitalo
10. Landry

HM: Hartwell, Mitchell, Clayton, Jamal

UDFA picks:

1. Priest
2. Bart Scott
3. Kemo
4. Demps
5. Dalton