{"id":44238,"date":"2025-04-27T01:35:16","date_gmt":"2025-04-27T01:35:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44238"},"modified":"2025-04-27T01:35:16","modified_gmt":"2025-04-27T01:35:16","slug":"ranking-10-greatest-baltimore-ravens-of-all-time-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=44238","title":{"rendered":"Ranking 10 greatest Baltimore Ravens of all time"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Would it be surprising to find defensive players near the top of this list?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In 1996, the\u00a0Baltimore Ravens\u00a0came into NFL existence. And they quickly earned a spot among the league\u2019s best teams. Their\u00a0franchise cornerstone player went out in a blaze of glory\u00a0in their last Super Bowl year, and this season\u00a0they grabbed a big-name running back\u00a0to make another title charge.<\/p>\n

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You probably know who that cornerstone is, but how do the rest of the top 10 Ravens of all-time rank?<\/p>\n

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The Ravens came to life when Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell decided to relocate his historic franchise. Subsequently, he reached a deal with the city of Baltimore to move his team. As part of the agreement, Cleveland kept the Browns\u2019 name, history, and colors for a future replacement team \u2014 which occurred in 1999.<\/p>\n

The newly named Ravens \u2014 which is taken from the famous poem by Baltimore native Edgar Allan Poe \u2014 received a classification from the NFL as an expansion team. They struck gold in their first NFL draft, grabbing a pair of Hall of Famers. And four years later, the Ravens earned their first Super Bowl title.<\/p>\n

Since winning that championship in 2000, Baltimore has reached the playoffs 14 more times. The Ravens won their second Super Bowl in 2012 and reached the conference championship three other times. With the\u00a0Ravens preparing for the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, let’s rank the 10 greatest players in Ravens history.<\/p>\n

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Ravens safety Ed Reed ranks high on the list<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Reed had a terrific 11-year run with the Ravens. People around the NFL considered him one of the most feared defensive backs in the league.<\/p>\n

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In a franchise loaded at the top end, Reed found his spot in the top three. Here’s the way the top 10 played out.<\/p>\n

10. CB Marlon Humphrey<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In eight seasons with the Ravens, Marlon Humphrey been named to the Pro Bowl four times and made First Team All-Pro twice. He also has shown a nose for the ball with 19 career interceptions and 15 career forced fumbles.<\/p>\n

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Humphrey actually led the NFL in forced fumbles in 2020, which is highly unusual for a cornerback. He already is third all-time in Ravens history in forced fumbles, trailing only\u00a0Ray Lewis\u00a0and\u00a0Terrell Suggs. Only 28 years old, he has plenty of time to climb up the Ravens’ all-time lists.<\/p>\n

9. PK Justin Tucker<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s get real for a moment. Being a placekicker in the NFL is not the same as a guy who puts his body on the line play after play after play. Then a dude trots onto the field with a few seconds remaining, kicks the ball with his foot, under the heaviest of protection by NFL rules, and gets called a hero.<\/p>\n

Really? How about the lineman who spent 60 game minutes getting beat all to pieces to set up the opportunity for that soft-shoe kick?<\/p>\n

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But when the kicker arguably the greatest in NFL history, he should certainly be included. Tucker is an eight-time All-Pro selection. Yep, eight. He once kicked a 66-yard field goal. Crazy. Plus, he has made an NFL record for field-goal percentage at 89.1. He also is 21-for-24 in the postseason.<\/p>\n

8. DT Haloti Ngata<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A first-round pick in 2006, Ngata turned in an impressive nine-year run with the Ravens.<\/p>\n

A starter on the defensive line from Day 1, the 6-4, 340-pounder made life tough for opponents running games. In his third season, he earned All-Pro honors. And he eventually turned it into five consecutive years before adding another Pro Bowl honor in 2013.<\/p>\n

From 2008-11, Ngata earned praise as the best defensive lineman in the NFL. Former Ravens linebacker Jameel McClain told pressboxonline.com Ngata\u00a0made a huge difference.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was so easy to have Haloti in front of you, because he just dominated the offensive line\u2019s attention,\u201d said McClain. \u201cNot just the offensive line, but he dominated the offensive coordinator\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou had to prepare for where he was and what he could do. If some (lineman) ever came up on me fast, I\u2019d be like, \u2018What happened to Haloti? Oh, he wasn\u2019t in on that play.\u2019 I mean, this guy was a freak of nature.\u201d<\/p>\n

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7. RB Jamal Lewis<\/h2>\n

One season usually can\u2019t get a guy on an all-time greats list, but Lewis\u2019 work in 2003 surely helped more than most. He carried a staggering 387 times for 2,066 yards and 14 touchdowns. The yardage total ranks third on the all-time NFL single-season list.<\/p>\n

Lewis earned AP offensive player of the year honors and finished fourth in the MVP voting.<\/p>\n

Coming into the league on a high note, Lewis rushed for 1,364 yards as a rookie and finished second in the AP offensive rookie of the year voting. The Ravens won the Super Bowl that season, and Lewis set a record he still holds as the youngest-ever player in the big game.<\/p>\n

He missed the 2001 season because of a knee injury, but bounced back for 1,327 yards in 2002. In his six seasons in Baltimore, he racked up 7,801 yards and 45 touchdowns.<\/p>\n

Floyd Reese, who was general manager for the Ravens\u2019 rival Tennessee Titans, told baltimoreravens.com that Lewis\u00a0had it all.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s nobody in the league with a better combination of size, speed, and power,\u201d said Reese. \u201cHe doesn’t use a lot of moves, but he doesn’t have to. I imagine he’s broken more tackles than anyone in the league.\u201d<\/p>\n

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6. G Marshal Yanda<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Once Yanda found his groove, the 6-3, 305-pound bruiser kept it rolling. Drafted in the third round in 2007, Yanda made his first splash in 2011. He earned second-team All-Pro honors.<\/p>\n

Over the next five years, he earned two first-team All-Pro spots, two second-team honors, and a Pro Bowl appearance. He came back in 2018 and 2019 with two more second-team All-Pro honors. All of those appearances put him in the conversation with all-time great guards like Randall McDaniel, Will Shields and Larry Allen.<\/p>\n

In 2014, then-offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak said Yanda was as good as any offensive lineman he’s been around. In 2015, coach John Harbaugh\u00a0offered a prediction\u00a0to espn.com.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe’s just a special human being and a special player,\u201d Harbaugh said before adding, \u201cand he’s a Hall of Famer someday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yanda started 166 games in his 13-year NFL career, all with the Ravens.<\/p>\n

5. LB Terrell Suggs<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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In some ways, Suggs lived behind the scenes. But he helped form a fearsome duo with Ray Lewis in the early part of the century.<\/p>\n

A seven-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro, and 2011 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Suggs helped the Ravens win the 2012 Super Bowl. He played 16 seasons for the Ravens and amassed 855 tackles, 132.5 sacks, and forced 33 fumbles. He stands as the Ravens\u2019 all-time leader in sacks.<\/p>\n

His coach, John Harbaugh told pressboxonline.com that Suggs was\u00a0very deserving of<\/a>\u00a0his 2023 induction into the Ravens Ring of Honor.<\/p>\n

\u201c[I] couldn\u2019t be more happy for him,\u201d Harbaugh said. \u201cNobody is more deserving. Obviously, that was a no-brainer, right? And what he meant to this organization and to our team and to our defense. \u2026 I\u2019m just personally very grateful for Terrell Suggs and what he\u2019s done for the Ravens.\u201d<\/p>\n

4. QB\u00a0Lamar Jackson<\/strong><\/h2>\n