Who are the top 10 wide receivers in Ravens history? Here are my picks:
When you’re talking about Baltimore Ravens wide receivers, you’re not talking about the position the franchise is known for. The Ravens have had some good receivers, but this list is much more top heavy than our top 10 linebacker list or our top 10 defensive backs rankings. Before we get into the list, let’s give out some honorable mentions. Travis Taylor almost made the list. He was a bust as a top 10 pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. He didn’t live up to his draft position but he is seventh all time in receiving yards in franchise history. Marquise Brown is going to end up on this list, maybe even near the top. At the moment it’s a bit too early to include him. Brandon Stokley was also considered.
All Stats for this post were collected from Pro-Football-Reference.com
10. Mark Clayton
Mark Clayton wasn’t that bad of a wide receiver. He was traded away after the 2009 season. Clayton had some good moments in Baltimore. My favorite Clayton play was a long touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs to start the 2009 season. Clayton was a speedy receiver who you may be surprised to hear is the fourth leading receiver in franchise history.
Clayton was drafted as a first round pick in 2005. He wasn’t a first round caliber player, but he was better than you think he was. One could make the argument that the Ravens gave up on Clayton too soon. He was always involved in the offense during his tenure in Baltimore. Clayton’s lowest number of receptions was 41 as a member of the purple and black.
Clayton had some drops. The most notable drop came against the New England Patriots on what would have been a late game fourth down conversion. It was a regular season game in 2009, it wasn’t quite a Lee Evans level moment, but it’s memorable in all the wrong ways. Clayton was surely better than most fans will give him credit for but he certainly was not a superstar.
9. Jermaine Lewis
You remember Jermaine Lewis for being a kick return specialist. The most memorable moment of Lewis’s career was scoring the second of back to back kickoff returns for a touchdown in Super Bowl XXXV. The kick return of Lewis prevented the New York Giants from changing the momentum of the game. It kept the Baltimore Ravens rolling towards “Festivus Maximus” glory.
Lewis never scored a touchdown on a kickoff return in the regular season but he did have six career touchdowns as a punt returner. He returned 295 punts for over 3,000 yards and 212 kickoffs for over 4,000 yards. His kickoff return in Super Bowl XXXV was easily one of the most exciting moments in Ravens history. It almost seemed magical.
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Lewis actually made more of an impact as a wide receiver than you probably remember. He had 136 receptions, 1,984 yards and 16 receiving touchdowns as a member of the Ravens. Lewis has the seventh most receiving touchdowns for the franchise. Lewis had such good speed and he was a real difference maker in the open field. Lewis had elusiveness and good vision that helped him be a big play-maker. In the 2000 season he averaged over 16 yards per reception. Big plays were so critically important to the 2000 Ravens because moving the ball wasn’t always easy for that offense. You can’t forget what Lewis did as a pass catcher for the Ravens.
While he was a much more notable player as a return specialist (which is how he made it to the Pro Bowl twice) he wasn’t a bad receiver. He’s the longest tenured kick returner the Ravens have ever had and he still holds most of the records in the return game for Baltimore.
8. Qadry Ismail
You can’t have a top 10 list of Ravens wide receivers without Qadry Ismail. Ravens fans now know him as part of the 98 Rock broadcast team for Ravens football. He was a big part of the 2000 Super Bowl team, an offense that needed all the help it could get. Ismail only played for the Ravens for three seasons and he is still the fourth leading receiver for the franchise.
Ismail was one of the most consistent players on the Ravens. It didn’t matter if it was Tony Banks, Scott Mitchell, Stoney Case, Trent Dilfer or Elvis Grbac. Looking back at it, it’s almost amazing how many starting quarterbacks Ismail had to work with in just three years. Imagine what Ismail could have done with better quarterback play. He was an experienced receiver who knew how to get open and do a little extra once he had the football.
Ismail, who played for the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints before he came to Baltimore, had his best seasons as a Raven. His only seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards came in 1999 and 2001. He had 2,819 of his 5,137 yards with the purple and black. He scored over half of his career touchdowns for the Baltimore Ravens.
Ismail was a very quick receiver. He was a good route runner and by the time he joined the team in 1999 he was a savvy veteran. He was a reliable receiver. While he was never a superstar and he never got to a Pro Bowl, he was as dependable of a receiver as we saw in that era of Ravens football. Ismail will always be a fan favorite for the Ravens Flock.
He’s one of the coolest people Ravens quarterbacks have targeted in the passing game. It’s nice that he is part of the Ravens radio broadcast team because it connects the Super Bowl XXXV team with the current era.
7. Willie Snead
Willie Snead has been a good receiver for the Ravens. It’s easy to argue that his numbers don’t really paint the picture of what he brings to the table. Snead is coming off a season where he only had 31 receptions for 339 yards. In the Ravens run heavy offense, where tight ends were the main passing targets, that is a more respectable stat line than it appears to be. Let’s talk about what’s important when it comes to Snead. Snead scored five touchdowns last year and was a dependable receiver.
The Ravens have had trouble finding wide receivers. Yes, they have hit on free agent signings (Three of the top four players on this list came to the Ravens as free agents). The Ravens have also had a bunch of misses in free agency. Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin were supposed to give the team a lot more than Willie Snead did. Snead is the one that stuck. Snead has almost become the forgotten target. He is a play-maker that stays under the radar and makes timely plays, often in a big moment.
Remember that overtime win against the Pittsburgh Steelers? When Lamar Jackson needed a clutch first down to keep Baltimore alive in the fourth quarter, he went to Snead. It’s easy to forget that Snead had a reception in all but two games last year. In the 2018 season Snead had nine games with at least five receptions. Three of those games were after Jackson became the starting quarterback and the passing game changed dramatically.
Snead is not a Pro Bowl star. He’s not a huge play receiver. He is however a receiver who typically catches the ball when his name is called. He’s good at making himself available for the quarterback and he does whatever the team asks him to do. While he’s only 24th all time in receiving yards for the Ravens he is one of the seven most dependable wide receivers in Ravens history. That’s what gets him on the list.
6. Michael Jackson
I listed Michael Jackson as the most underrated wide receiver in Ravens history. Jackson was the original star at the wide receiver position for the Ravens. If I asked the average Ravens fan to name the top 10 franchise leaders in receiving yards, I am willing to bet they wouldn’t name Jackson. Jackson has the ninth most receiving yards in franchise history and was one of the top players of the early Ravens days.
The Ravens teams from 1996-1999 aren’t well remembered. The Ravens didn’t become consistent winners until they won the Super Bowl in the 2000 season. You have to remember though, how much players like Jackson meant to the city of Baltimore and the state of Maryland. Baltimore was without a team for way too long after the Colts moved to Indianapolis. Jackson was one of the most popular players at a time when Baltimore was just glad to have football back.
Jackson was a big play weapon for the purple and black. He had a career average of 15.3 yards per reception. In 1996 he scored 14 touchdowns and racked up 1,201 yards on 76 receptions. A fun fact about Jackson is that he was tied for the most touchdown receptions in the 1996 season. When Vinny Testerverde dropped back to pass Jackson was the player he felt most comfortable with in the passing attack. Jackson was the original go to guy in the history of the Baltimore Ravens. He was one of the players that moved to Baltimore when the Cleveland Browns relocated and became a whole new team.
One of the good things about ranking the top 10 players of each position group is that it shows you all of the history of the purple and black. Jackson is not the most recognizable player on this list. He’s not even close to the most famous Michael Jackson. He does deserve some recognition though, so this walk down memory lane is purposeful.
5. Jacoby Jones
Much like Jermaine Lewis, Jacoby Jones was mostly known as a kick returner. Jones may be a little elevated on this list, but you can’t write Ravens history without him. The Ravens wouldn’t have made it to Super Bowl XLVII without Jones. They also may not have put up enough points to hold off the San Francisco 49ers in that Super Bowl, without him. Jones had the most important reception in Ravens history. With the Ravens needing a game tying touchdown, Joe Flacco launched a “Hail Mary” to Jones. Jones caught it and ran into the end zone, forcing the Denver Broncos to go to overtime in the 2012 playoffs. It was the most exciting moment in the history of the franchise and Jones delivered it.
In terms of volume at the wide receiver position Jones didn’t do as much as most of the receivers on this list. He didn’t even have 1,000 yards receiving in his time in Baltimore. What he did as a return specialist, and his key receptions in the 2012 playoff run make him a top five receiver in Ravens history. Moments equal currency when you’re ranking the players that mean the most at each position. There are two ways to get on this list. One is by being one of the best statistical producers at the wide receiver position in Ravens history. The other is to make possible some of the biggest moment the team has ever had. .
Jones had one punt return for a touchdown in his time with the Ravens and it helped Baltimore prevail against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not counting the playoffs he had four kickoff returns for a touchdown. If Mike Tomlin hadn’t stepped onto the field and gotten in his way, Jones surely would have had another touchdown to add to his resume. He scored on the longest kickoff return in Super Bowl history. He also had a 56 yard touchdown reception in the Super Bowl, that was very memorable.
4. Steve Smith Sr.
Now we are getting to the best of the best. The receivers we have already talked about are solid and very respectable players. The four players we are about to talk about are on another level. Steve Smith Sr. is the most talented receiver the Ravens ever had. If he had spent more time with the purple and black, it would be easy to see him topping this list. Smith Sr. is a future Hall of Fame inductee who was a Carolina Panthers legend. Smith was a big signing for the Ravens in 2014. He came in and made a difference right away. The Ravens got back to the playoffs with the best regular season Joe Flacco ever had. Smith Sr. had 79 receptions for 1,065 yards and six touchdowns that season.
Smith Sr. was one of the many injured players of the 2015 season. In just seven games he had 46 receptions for 670 yards and three touchdowns. Most players would have probably retired after a brutal injury that late in their career. Smith Sr. had a strong 2016 season that showed how much heart and passion he had for the game. Smith Sr. was one of the most fun players Ravens fans have ever watched. He was a Hall of Fame caliber player who still had it when he came to Baltimore.
Smith Sr. was a leader, a play-maker and a difference maker. The 2014 Ravens may have won a Super Bowl if their secondary wasn’t so problematic. In a time where the Ravens were still getting used to life without Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, Smith Sr. was the big personality that rallied the team. Smith is the number one player you wish could have been with the Ravens longer. He is a legend and he is one of the most appreciated players ever to play for Baltimore.
3. Torrey Smith
Torrey Smith is ahead of Steve Smith Sr. because of the monumental moments he had with the team. Smith capped the 92 yard drive against the Steelers in 2011, with a touchdown. Smith had two touchdown receptions against the Denver Broncos in the 2012 playoffs. So far Smith is the best receiver the Ravens have ever gotten out of the NFL Draft. He scored 30 touchdowns for the Ravens in the regular season and four in the postseason. Smith is the third leading receiver in Ravens history.
While Smith had his only 1,000 yard season in 2013, he really was at his best in 2012. He was the perfect receiver to pair with Anquan Boldin. The trio of Joe Flacco, Anqaun Boldin and Torrey Smith was what made the passing game tick for the purple and black. He was more dangerous as the number two receiver, because defenses always had to worry about Boldin. In 2013 there was no Boldin, Dennis Pitta got hurt and Flacco had to force Smith the ball.
Smith was such a consistent player. In his first season he averaged 16.8 yards per reception. He averaged 17.4 yards per catch the next two seasons. In his rookie season he had seven touchdowns. He followed that up with eight the next two seasons. If Boldin had stayed a little longer in Baltimore, Smith may have stayed and continued to be a strong number two target. He was a little over extended as a number one receiver, however he was great for the Ravens.
Flacco will never have a deep threat that he values more than he valued Smith. That’s the big thing you have to remember about Smith. At his core he was a big play receiver. He averaged 16.9 yards per reception in his tenure with the Ravens. Smith is a fan favorite for a reason. He’s one of the easiest Ravens of all time to root for. He’s given a lot to the Ravens and the community.
2. Anquan Boldin
If you ask most fans, Boldin would probably be their number one wide receiver for the Ravens. Ranking Boldin anything lower than number two would be insanity. Much like Jamal Lewis and Ray Rice were basically the 1A and 1B running backs in franchise history, the Ravens have two top receivers almost completely even in merit.
Boldin was one of the biggest reasons the Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII. In that majestic playoff run from Flacco, Boldin was his favorite target. Like Flacco had one of the most historic playoff performances of all time at the quarterback position, Boldin was playing on an untouchable level. He had 22 receptions for 380 yards and four touchdowns in the four game stretch that gave Baltimore the Lombardi Trophy.
Boldin never had a 1,000 yard receiving season with the Ravens but he had a huge impact. He averaged 62 catches per season for the Ravens and he scored 14 touchdowns. He was the go to target for Joe Flacco and he was the biggest reason Flacco’s game elevated from his first couple seasons in the league. Boldin gave Flacco a receiver that he trusted. All Flacco had to do was throw the ball up and Boldin would leap up and make the play. In terms of toughness, and winning the 50/50 balls the Ravens will probably never see a receiver better than Boldin.
Boldin brought an edge to the Ravens that was necessary to win the Super Bowl in the 2012 season. Boldin was one of the most exciting play-makers in the history of the franchise. He never had breakaway speed but what he did have was the great body control, strong hands and the ability to win in tight coverage. When Boldin had the football, he was a hard man to bring down. He energized M&T Bank Stadium the same way that players like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed did. When you say “Play like a Raven” it means play like Boldin.
1. Derrick Mason
Derrick Mason was the most productive player the Ravens ever had at the wide receiver position. He has the most receiving yards in Ravens history, while Boldin is eighth in this category. Mason has the most receptions in Ravens history and is third all time in Ravens receiving touchdowns. Mason had six years in Baltimore and he did more in that time than any receiver in Ravens history. The most consistent player the Ravens ever had line up as a wide receiver is Mason.
Mason had over 12,000 career receiving yards, making him arguably a borderline candidate for induction in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He gave the Ravens 5,777 yards. Mason had a long run with the Tennessee Titans to start his career. He may be remembered more as a Titan than as a member of the Ravens. Mason had 18 more receptions with the Ravens than he did with the Titans. Mason had 103 receptions in the 2007 season where the Ravens were horrible. Steve McNair got hurt. Kyle Boller and Troy Smith were terrible. In a tough year Mason, put the offense on his back and had the most productive season of his career. This is perhaps the most incredible feat any player has ever had in Baltimore.
While Boldin has a great case for being the top receiver the Ravens ever had, Mason had double the time in Baltimore and did a lot with that time. While Boldin helped Flacco elevate his game, Mason helped him have success as a rookie quarterback. While Boldin had Flacco for his entire time in Baltimore, Mason had to catch passes from Boller, Smith and Anthony Wright. Boldin got the best two years of Flacco. Mason got one good year with McNair and the developing years of Flacco. Flacco wasn’t bad at all in his first two seasons but let’s not pretend he was elite. No wide receiver on this list did more with less than Mason.
There you have it. These are the top 10 wide receivers in the history of the Baltimore Ravens. The order is always debatable, however I do believe that these are the 10 best receivers the Ravens ever had.