Ebony Bird
FanSided

Building the ultimate 53-man roster for 25 years of Ravens football

By Darin McCann

CHARLOTTE, NC - NOVEMBER 21: Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens talks to his wide receivers Derrick Mason #85 and Anquan Boldin #81 during a timeout against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on November 21, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - NOVEMBER 21: Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens talks to his wide receivers Derrick Mason #85 and Anquan Boldin #81 during a timeout against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on November 21, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LA – FEBRUARY 03: Joe Flacco #5 and Ray Lewis #52 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Ravens won the game 34-31. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – FEBRUARY 03: Joe Flacco #5 and Ray Lewis #52 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Ravens won the game 34-31. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

Quarterbacks: Joe Flacco, Lamar Jackson

This is probably the easiest position group of all. Flacco gave the Ravens a chance in every single game he started for the team and became a clutch player as he progressed through his career. Jackson is probably the most dynamic offensive player the team has ever had, and his ceiling is seemingly infinite. Who’s next? Steve McNair, who had one good season? Kyle Boller, who had zero? This one was easy.

Running backs: Jamal Lewis, Ray Rice, Willis McGahee, Priest Holmes

These are not only the top-four in rushing yards for the Ravens franchise, but they were clearly the four best backs the team fielded. Lewis was an amazing pure runner and had a toughness that was obvious to all. Rice was the do-it-all physical runner and receiver who had huge moments in huge games. McGahee and Holmes were the two who came before each of the first two, and did great jobs on their own.

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Fullback: Vonta Leach

This one was hard. Sam Gash, Kyle Juszczyk, Lorenzo Neal, Le’Ron McClain and Alan Ricard all plastered opponents and led the way for strong running attacks, and Pat Ricard is doing the same right now for the most prolific running attack in NFL history. But Leach is the one who stood out to me the most. I’ll accept all arguments on this one, however.

Wide receiver: Derrick Mason, Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith, Steve Smith, Quadry Ismail, Michael Jackson

To me, Mason is the best receiver the Ravens have ever had in their history. His ability to make a corner look silly on a comeback route and his toughness push him to the top. Boldin played like a beast at all times, and was an amazing blocker, and Torrey Smith is the best homegrown receiver the Ravens have ever produced. Steve Smith was electric in his time with the team, and Ismail was the top receiving option during some tough passing years for the team. Michael Jackson posted 1,201 yards and 14 touchdowns in 1996. That has to put you on our roster.

Tight ends: Todd Heap, Dennis Pitta, Shannon Sharpe

Heap is a no-brainer on this list. His hands and toughness were remarkable, and he was incredibly athletic when he first got to the team. Pitta was a reliable target during a great run in team history and Sharpe was a star for the franchise’s first Super Bowl winner. Mark Andrews barely missed the cut here, and will probably take Sharpe’s position in another year or two.

Offensive line: Jonathan Ogden, Marshal Yanda, Ronnie Stanley, Ben Grubbs, Matt Birk, Orlando Brown, Orlando Brown Jr., Kelechi Osemele

Ogden is in the conversation as best Raven ever, and Yanda is the clear second-best lineman to suit up for the black and purple. Stanley appears to be an absolute stud, and Grubbs and Birk both contributed strong seasons for good Ravens teams. The father-son duo featuring Orlando Browns makes my all-time lineup, and a young, healthy Kelechi Osemele can play guard or tackle, and not miss a beat.

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