Ed Reed, not Ray Lewis, is the greatest Baltimore Raven of all-time

Ray Lewis is widely regarded as the greatest Baltimore Ravens player in franchise history, but I’m here to tell you that title belongs to Ed Reed instead.

Discussing the value of certain positions in the NFL is a difficult one. Sure, the obvious choice for most important is the quarterback spot, followed by left tackle or edge rusher. After that, the debate can rage on for certain positions. Still, you can’t overlook the importance of having an elite ballhawk like Ed Reed playing on your defense.

This may seem strange, considering having a middle linebacker like Ray Lewis captaining the defense seems more valuable. However, having a threat in the secondary in players like Ed Reed make a world of difference.

In reality, the two were quite the duo, as both put the fear of God into offensive players for the brute strength, cunning intelligence, and anything else you can think of. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed may be the greatest defensive duo in NFL history. Both have a large claim to being the best at their respective positions.

Lewis was doing virtually everything in the world in the front-seven, ranging from crushing hits to big-stops when the Ravens needed them. All the meanwhile, Reed was doing something just as, if not even more, important for Baltimore: getting turnovers.

Ed Reed finished his career with the Baltimore Ravens with 61 interceptions, 11 forced fumbles, and 13 fumble recoveries. That’s a lot of opportunities for the offense. You knew every time that Reed was on the field tat you had an opportunity for a turnover.

The best part was the it didn’t matter what you tried to do offensively. Quarterbacks could tell themselves all day that they would avoid throwing in the direction of #20, but it didn’t matter. Someway, somehow Ed Reed was going to locate the football, take it away from you, and make you look stupid.

While Ray Lewis is certainly the unquestioned heart and soul of Baltimore, Maryland, it was his partner in crime who was more vital to their success. Again, Lewis did everything well, including turning the ball over. However, was Ed Reed was doing was more remarkable because he turned the Ravens defense from a feared unit into an elite unit.

The Baltimore Ravens have seen many greats players for the purple and black throughout their franchise history. The argument between who is the best to ever suit up for the Ravens seems to universally sway towards Ray Lewis, but perhaps it is Ed Reed who is truly the greatest Baltimore Raven of all-time. But don’t worry, you can’t go wrong with either answer!