The Baltimore Ravens have had some pretty amazing players in their relatively short history. Their first two draft picks were hall of fame players (Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis). The Ravens have had the best free safety of all time in Ed Reed. There have been so many great players in the past 20 seasons, and many of the good players lived under the radar.
The attention cannot always go to guys like Lewis, Reed and Ogden. The attention cannot always go to players like Terrell Suggs and Joe Flacco. Along the way the Ravens have had plenty of help from strong role players.
Here are the top 5 players who did not get enough appreciation when in the Purple and Black. These players won’t end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame like a few of the Ravens top stars, but were very good at their jobs.
Next: Jarrett Johnson
5. Jarrett Johnson
Jarrett Johnson played on some pretty amazing defenses in his nine years with the Ravens. With all the big names around him it is easy to forget that he was a constant opposite of Terrell Suggs at the outside linebacker position. He made 506 tackles and sacked the quarterback 25.5 times in his career.
Johnson was a fourth round pick from Alabama in 2003. The Ravens got the steal of the draft in Johnson. He broke a record for the most consecutive games starting for the Ravens with 115. It’s not the name most people would guess this record would belong to. That’s why he is such an underrated player.
Johnson was a staple of the Ravens defense. He was a strong run stuffer. He could run with tight ends. He could rush the passer. Johnson did it all and he did it for a long time in the Purple And Black.
Next: 4. Qadry Ismail
4. Qadry Ismial
I always wondered what would have been if Qadry Ismail had a really good quarterback when he played the wide receiver position for the Ravens. Ismial was nicknamed “The Missile” and he was a pretty important player for three seasons with the Ravens. When you talk about great receivers in Ravens history, the names Anquan Boldin and Derrick Mason come to mind. Ismial is also worth mentioning.
Ismial was an integral part in the Ravens first Super Bowl run. In an offense that was not explosive, Ismial had big play capability. He was a dependable receiver who caught 191 of his 353 receptions as a member of the Ravens. In Baltimore Ismial had two seasons where he gained more than 1,000 receiving yards. The 2001 season was his most statistically accomplished season of his 10 years in the NFL.
Now Ismial is part of 98 Rock’s coverage of Ravens games, next to Gerry Sandusky and Stan White. He is beloved in Baltimore and has a perfect personality for the media. If the offense around Ismial was better in his tenure as the Ravens top target, he would be remembered like Boldin and Mason are in Ravens history.
Next: 3. Trevor Pryce
3. Trevor Pryce
Trevor Pryce played in the NFL for 15 seasons and recorded 91 career sacks. He spent four of his most productive seasons with the Ravens before being released early in the 2010 campaign. Pryce had 82 tackles and 26 sacks with the Ravens. Pryce gave the Ravens a strong defensive end who was a leader.
Pryce played a big part in the Ravens 2006 season where the team built an impressive 13-3 record. Pryce had 13 sacks in that season. He was a dominant edge rusher who helped out against the running game as well. The Ravens needed some pass rushing opposite of Terrell Suggs to really strike fear into every offensive line they faced. The defense in those years was just a thing of beauty.
Pryce gave the Ravens an awful lot. He wasn’t Terrell Suggs. He wasn’t a Ravens legend. He was just one of those stars that helped the team win. You cannot forget the impact that Pryce had on the Ravens. He spent most of his career with the Broncos but he will always be a Raven in my mind.
Next: 2. Willis McGahee
2. Willis McGahee
The two most prolific running backs in Ravens history were Jamal Lewis and Ray Rice, but we cannot forget about the massive impact that McGahee made to the team. He was a powerful running back that scored a total of 35 touchdowns as a member of the Ravens. From 2007-2010 the former Bills first round pick was the Ravens stiff arm machine.
In 2007 McGahee had 1,207 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. He had 43 receptions that year as well, racking up 231 yards as a receiver. In 2008 Rice came to the Ravens and took over the receiving running back spot and eventually the bulk of McGahee’s playing time. In 2009 he had about 100 less rushing attempts and still put up 671 yards and 7 more rushing touchdowns. McGahee played a big role even when Rice came on strong at the same position. The Ravens had an incredible one, two punch. Leron McClain also had his fun in 2008.
The Ravens made a wise move when they acquired McGahee. They had a superstar running back do some pretty impressive things for four fun packed seasons. McGahee was part of the Ravens toughness.
Next: 1. Kelly Gregg
1. Kelly Gregg
There was a time when the NFL didn’t really know the name of one of it’s best nose guards. His name was Kelly Gregg and he did so much of the dirty work in the trenches for the Ravens. He was an incredible player who allowed others to excel. He was a big space eater who kept centers and guards off of Ray Lewis. Gregg was a run stuffing player who dominated many centers in the NFL.
The 6’0″ 300 pound defensive tackle was one of the toughest players in football and he is an awesome person too. When I played the nose guard position in High School he was my idol. He did the unsung job that needed to be done. It gave me motivation as a nose tackle that didn’t get much playing time to keep going. So I may be biased in my affection for Gregg. The performance though speaks for itself. He was awesome.
Next: NFL Draft Profile: Joey Bosa OLB Ohio State
While he wasn’t known as a pass rusher he did get to the QB for 20.5 sacks. He had 385 tackles. The former Oklahoma Sooner was one of my favorite players of all-time and I hope others remember him the same way.