Our NFL Thursday miniseries creeps closer to its conclusion this week (only 3 more!) with our assessment of the Baltimore Ravens. This franchise was “born” in 1996 from the ashes of the original Cleveland organization that decided to move to Maryland. Therefore, it was not a traditional “expansion” team by any means, which explains all the rich talent on this list for a team is less than 30 seasons old, technically.

No. 10: Peter Boulware, LB/DE—69 AV (1997-2003, 2005)

The No. 4 overall pick in the 1997 Draft, he made 4 Pro Bowls (1998-1999, 2002-2003) before his career was cut short by injuries which forced him to miss the entire 2004 season. He was voted the Defensive ROTY, as he compiled 70 sacks and 14 forced fumbles in his career. Like many on this list, he was a member of the 2000 championship squad that put forth a stellar defensive performance in Super Bowl XXXV. Not bad.

No. 9: Chris McAlister, CB—83 AV (1999-2008)

Another Top 10 pick on that SB-winning defense, he made 3 Pro Bowls (2003-2004, 2006) and topped the NFL in interception-return yardage once (2000) and interception returns for touchdowns once (2006), as well. Overall, he had 26 INTs in his Baltimore tenure, which also was cut short by injuries once he reached his 30s. With 138 passes defended in 135 regular-season games with the team, he was always making plays.

No. 8: Lamar Jackson, QB—93 AV (2018-present)

He’s not close to being done yet, as the No. 32 overall pick in the draft is one of the most dynamic players in NFL history. Twice, he’s won the NFL MVP vote (2019, 2023), along with making 3 Pro Bowls (2019, 2021, 2023) so far. He also led the league in TD passes once (2019) while also topping the NFL in yards per rushing attempt in the same season. Think about that for a moment; that’s how unique of a force he is in the game.

No. 7: Haloti Ngata, DL—109 AV (2006-2014)

As the No. 12 pick in the draft, he delivered 5 straight Pro Bowls (2009-2013) at 2 different positions (defensive end, nose tackle) while also playing defensive tackle as a rookie. He registered 13 tackles and 5 QB hits in the 2012 postseason as the Ravens won a second Super Bowl that year. From 2008-2013, he averaged 14.7 AV a year. That’s a big pile of value in the defensive line every season for a quite a stretch of time. Bingo.

No. 6: Joe Flacco, QB—113 AV (2008-2018)

When the Ravens picked him 18th overall in the draft, very few probably expected him to lead the team to a Super Bowl victory. But he did, winning the MVP honors in the process with a perfect postseason of sorts. He was 106-72 as a starter for Baltimore, despite his 84.1 regular-season QB rating. He never topped the NFL in any statistical categories worth mentioning, and he never made a Pro Bowl, either. But he has a ring.

No. 5: Marshall Yanda, OL—116 AV (2007-2019)

Easily the most anonymous guy on this list, he made 8 Pro Bowls overall, including 6 in a row at one point (2011-2016, 2018-2019). Not bad for a third-round pick, of course. During his career, all with the Ravens, he played 4 positions on the offensive line (everything but center). That’s flexibility and versatility, along with some serious quality even though he mostly played right guard during his Pro Bowl seasons. Also? A ring.

No. 4: Jonathan Ogden, T/G—124 AV (1996-2007)

A Hall of Famer who was the No. 4 overall pick, he played guard in his rookie year before switching to tackle and making the Pro Bowl for the final 11 seasons of his career. Oddly, he only played in 8 postseason games, but he did anchor the offensive line for the 2000 Super Bowl champs. Not much else to say except that he was a mountain of man at 6-foot-9 and 345 pounds. That’s not an easy anchor to move when you’re on defense.

No. 3: Ed Reed, SS/FS—127 AV (2002-2012)

Three times he topped the NFL in INTs (2004, 2008, 2010) while also leading the league in INT yardage twice (2004, 2010). He posted 2 INT returns of over 105 yards in his career as well, and he made 9 Pro Bowls (2003-2004, 2006-2012), too, as a late first rounder. Every one of those Pro Bowl seasons featured double-digit AV, and in 15 playoff games, he added 9 INTs and 19 PDs. He was a menace all over the field, really.

No. 2: Terrell Suggs, LB/DE—149 AV (2003-2018)

He was our pick for overall ROTY after being the No. 10 overall pick in the draft. He ended up making 7 Pro Bowls (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010-2011, 2013, 2017) by the time he left Baltimore, too. With 132.5 sacks and 191 QB hits, he certainly did plenty of damage to the opposing offenses—including 33 FFs. In 18 playoff contests, he added 12.5 sacks, 20 QB hits, 4 FFs, and an INT. Overall, he played 247 games for the franchise.

No. 1: Ray Lewis, LB—224 AV (1996-2012)

A controversial figure, he ranks as the top Ravens player ever due to longevity and talent: 12 Pro Bowls (1997-2001, 2003-2004, 2007-2011), 2 Super Bowl titles (2000, 2012), 3 NFL tackling titles (1997, 1999, 2001), and 2 top AV seasons (2000, 2008). He posted 218 total tackles in 21 postseason games as well. He often made big plays at key moments, like this postseason pick six which remains pretty legendary today.