Top 15 best draft picks in Baltimore Ravens history
By Justin Fried
8. Haloti Ngata, NT, Ravens (12th overall – 2006)
The Ravens and Browns agreed to swap picks in 2006 to allow the former to move up one spot and select big Oregon nose tackle Haloti Ngata. It was the first time the Ravens had ever selected a defensive lineman in team history, and it’s fair to say that it certainly worked out.
Ngata was a cornerstone of the Ravens’ defense for nearly a decade and one of the best nose tackles in recent NFL history. In nine years in Baltimore, Ngata earned five Pro Bowl nods, two first-team All-Pro selections, and three second-team All-Pro honors.
The most recent induction into the Ravens’ Ring of Honor, Ngata was a key part of the Ravens’ Super Bowl XLVII winning squad and he will go down as one of the most important players in franchise history.
Ngata busted narratives and shed labels all the way to being one of the best draft picks in the history of the Baltimore Ravens.
7. Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens (32nd overall – 2018)
This is the player who might be the most heavily debated on this list. How do you rank a 25-year-old quarterback who has only played four years in the NFL, but someone who has also won an MVP and made multiple Pro Bowls?
Lamar Jackson may have fewer than 50 starts to his name at the time of writing, but he’s already on pace to be one of the greatest Ravens of all time. It’s just very difficult to gauge where he ranks right now.
Drafted 32nd overall in 2018, Jackson was the fifth quarterback taken in his draft class. The Ravens moved back into the first round to grab him, and that’s easily one of the best decisions the team has made in their history.
Still on his rookie contract, it’s hard to say where Jackson will end up on this list by the time he ultimately retires. But one thing is absolutely clear: he has a chance to go down as the greatest Ravens draft pick of all time.