Flashback Friday: The Baltimore Ravens 2000 NFL Draft class

On the last Flashback Friday, we looked at the Baltimore Ravens 1999 NFL Draft Class. It made sense to start where we left off:

The 2000 NFL Draft was a very important moment for the Baltimore Ravens. That’s where they found Jamal Lewis, one of the most pivotal players in their history. The draft class was also somewhat disappointing after Lewis was taken with the fifth overall pick.

The Ravens had two first round picks and the committed both of them to the offense. Lewis worked out. He became one of the best running backs of the 2000’s and he was the focal point of the offense for years to come. Lewis gave the Ravens five seasons with over 1,000 rushing yards. In 2003 he rushed for 2,066 yards which was close to the NFL single season record.

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The second of the first round picks was Travis Taylor who was a flashy wide receiver from Florida. The Ravens fell in love with Taylor’s speed and they drafted him with the 10th overall pick. Taylor played five seasons with the Ravens. The closest he ever came to having 1,000 yards in a season was in 2002; he put up 69 receptions for 869 yards that season. Taylor was a somewhat solid receiver yet he was a draft bust. He never lived up to being a top 10 pick.

The Ravens drafted Chris Redman in the third round. He was a quarterback out of Louisville. Redman became a solid backup elsewhere in the NFL but he never developed into a good starting quarterback. He started most of the 2002 season. When Kyle Boller was drafted a year later, that was the end of Redman’s hopes in Baltimore.

The only other notable pick from this draft class was Adalius Thomas. Thomas was a sixth round pick who proved to be a diamond in the rough. He proved to be one of the most versatile outside linebackers the Ravens ever had. He had two Pro Bowl seasons with the Ravens. After the 2006 season he signed with the New England Patriots as a free agent.

The other two players drafted in this class were Richard Mercier and Cedric Woodward. Mercier was a guard and Woodward was a defensive tackle.

Overall the draft class is saved by Lewis being worth the fifth overall pick and Thomas being an absolute steal. Lewis is one of the few offensive players that comes to mind immediately when you think of that time of Ravens football.