Flashback Friday: Baltimore Ravens 1999 NFL Draft Class
One of the most underrated drafts in Ozzie Newsome’s career as general manager was in 1999. The Ravens only had four selections but they made the most of them.
The Baltimore Ravens picked Chris McAlister with the 10th pick in the 1999 NFL Draft. The year before the Ravens had drafted Duane Starks with the 10th pick. In back to back years the Ravens secured a dynamic duo at cornerback which helped to build the 2000 Super Bowl winning defense.
McAlister was a signature hit for Newsome in the NFL Draft. He made three Pro Bowls and was with the Ravens until 2008. He had 26 interceptions in his career and he scored seven defensive touchdowns. McAlister was one of the toughest cornerbacks in football. To this day, the argument could be made that McAlister was the best cornerback in team history,
The Ravens didn’t have a second or a third round pick. They made the most of their two fourth round picks that year. Brandon Stokely wasn’t a great receiver but he had a long career as a reliable target. Stokely’s top highlight with the Ravens was scoring a touchdown in Super Bowl XXXV. The peak of his career came in Indianapolis with Peyton Manning. The Ravens got a decent return for a fourth round pick.
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The Ravens next pick was Edwin Mulitalo. The Ravens found a starting offensive guard in the fourth round, that stayed with the team through 2006. Mulitalo was one of the most underrated players in Ravens history. He was a great all around guard. For years, the Ravens struggled to find the right quarterback. The only thing Baltimore could count on was defense and the running game. Mulitalo helped Jamal Lewis make the Ravens running game a real strength of the team.
The Ravens finished the draft with a seventh round selection of Anthony Poindexter. Poindexter made it three years with the Ravens and didn’t make a big impact in his time. This is a forgettable ending to a draft class that is worth remembering.
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The legacy of this draft class is having only four picks and seeing three of them play a key part in winning Super Bowl XXXV. The Ravens found a Pro Bowl caliber cornerback, a long time starting guard and a decent receiver. This is one of the smallest draft hauls the Ravens ever had, yet it was quietly one of the more important drafts the Ravens have had.