The 15 best wide receivers in the history of the Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens have produced multiple Hall of Famers on both sides of the ball during their three-decade tenure, but there has been one position where success has been very difficult for them to come across. The wide receiver rooms in Baltimore have never been among the best in the league.

Baltimore's receiver rooms consist primarily of first-round picks trying their hardest to break through into something worthwhile, plug-and-play stopgaps the Ravens churn in and out every single year, and greybeard veterans looking for a spot to resurrect their careers. Still, there have been a few gems.

These 15 players have proven they are the best in franchise history at the wide receiver positions. With some fairly impressive names at the top, any players Baltimore brings on in the next few years have some worthwhile names to aim for as they try to dethrone the old guard.

Criteria for selection

These wide receivers were chosen based on a combination of:

• Statistical Achievements
• Impact on Success
• Longevity
• Memorable Moments

The top 15 wide receivers in Baltimore Ravens history

15. Brandon Stokley

Stokley's best days came after he left the Ravens, as he compiled almost 4,000 receiving yards in eight total seasons with Peyton Manning's Colts and the Broncos in the early 2010s. Before those days, Stokley was a reliable tertiary receiver on some of the best teams in franchise history.

Stokley, a member of the 2000 championship team, recorded 913 yards and seven touchdowns in his first four seasons with the Ravens. His role increased in 2001 and 2002, as the departure of Qadry Ismail created more opportunities for Stokley to flex his route-running muscles. The sad part is that Indianapolis picked him up right before he broke out.

Stokley returned to Baltimore for a final season, but he was 37 years old and not overly effective.

14. Zay Flowers

Even after one season, in which Flowers recorded 77 catches for 858 yards and five touchdowns, the Boston College first-round pick has quickly assumed a role as the premier wide receiver in the Ravens' passing game. He became one of the most talented offensive players the team has ever put on display in their AFC Championship run.

Flowers came to Baltimore with some questions, as the idea of a 5-9 170-pound wide receiver without Tyreek Hill's speed becoming the No. 1 option in the passing game as a rookie seemed like fanciful thinking. Flowers proved them all wrong, recording 60 or more receiving yards in nine of the 18 games he played in.

While the Ravens have drafted multiple quality receivers in the past, retaining them has always been more difficult for them than most. Flowers could buck that trend, as offensive coordinator Todd Monken has gone out of his way to get Zay the ball in his hands as many times as possible.

13. Kamar Aiken

Aiken is a herald of a somewhat frustrating era of Ravens football. They were often prevented from returning to the Super Bowl due to some wildly inconsistent performances from Joe Flacco on the offensive side. Aiken, found off the undrafted scrap heap, managed to compile some impressive statistical seasons and postseason catches amid the chaos.

Aiken only had one season with more than 350 yards receiving, but his 2015 season with the Ravens helped him clock 944 yards and five touchdowns as his hypothetical odometer. The 6-2, 215-pound receiver could have benefitted from better offenses, as his OCs between 2015 and 2017 were Marc Trestman in Baltimore and Rob Chudzinski in Indianapolis.

12. Mike Wallace

Wallace made his bones as an old Ravens instigator, as his speed made him a valuable deep threat for Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers. After fizzling following his ill-fated contract with the Dolphins, Wallace signed with Baltimore to give his career one last lifeline before hanging it up.

Wallace totaled 1,017 yards and four touchdowns in 2016, marking his best yardage total since 2011. Flacco continued to link up with Wallace the year after, with 748 yards and four more scores coming his way. The shame of it all is the fact Wallace never made the playoffs while in Baltimore.

Wallace left to sign a contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, which led to a grand total of zero catches and a broken fibula that, for all intents and purposes, ended his career. Wallace had some bad luck, but AFC North fans will remember him as a speedster who was a problem to cover in his prime.

11. Jermaine Lewis

Lewis is one of the greatest punt returners the game has ever seen, as evidenced by his six career touchdowns in that area. Based exclusively on his ability as a receiver, Lewis still deserved wider recognition for his productive contributions at the turn of the millennium.

Lewis would finish his Ravens tenure, which lasted six season, with a hair under 2,000 yards and 16 touchdowns. 1998, his All-Pro season as a returner, saw him gobble up 784 yards and six scores. For a 5-7 receiver picked in the fifth round by a recently relocated team, Lewis made a solid career for himself.

10. Derrick Alexander

Alexander was the Ravens' first great wide receiver, as he was part of the Browns team that relocated. Those early Ted Marchibroda-coached Ravens teams threw the ball all over the yard with Vinny Testaverde under center, and Alexander was on the receiving end of a few deep balls that year.

Alexander caught 18 touchdowns in 30 games during his two-season Baltimore journey, recording over 1,000 yards in both seasons. Alexander had the choice to become a Ravens legend who could have challenged for the top spot on this list, but he signed a five-year contract with the Chiefs in 1998.

9. Steve Smith

The fact Smith is not in the Hall of Fame is such an egregious mistake that it calls into question the validity of the entire selection process. With nearly 15,000 yards amassed in a 16-year career, Smith is without question the greatest offensive player in Carolina Panthers franchise history.

Smith was a No. 1 wide receiver who reached the 1,000-yard plateau at age 35 in 2014. Smith had just under 700 receicing yards in seven games before an injury ended his 2015 season early. Even at 37 years old, Smith had his old separation skills combined with his trademark fire.

Smith, who added to his legend by throwing Pacman Jones into the next dimension with an otherwordly stiff arm, was still a playmaker other defenses had to respect when he played in Baltimore.

8. Michael Jackson

Jackson unfortunately passed away in 2017 at just 48 years old, but his contributions to the early days of the Ravens are still held in high regard. Like Alexander, Jackson assumed a prominent starting role after the Baltimore move following mixed results as a receiver with the Browns.

Jackson's 1996 campaign saw him tie for the NFL lead with 14 touchdowns, taking home over 1,200 yards as well. After another 900-yard season in 1997, Jackson's decline to 477 yards in 1998 led to his departure. After an unsuccessful attempt to stick in Seattle ended his pro career, Jackson retired with a strong resume from his days with Cleveland and Baltimore.

7. Marquise Brown

The Ravens didn't get to utilize the speedy Oklahoma star for very long, as the former first-round pick was traded to the Cardinals after getting frustrated with offensive coordinator Greg Roman's scheme. Had he not been let go, Brown would have shot up a few spots on this list due to his connection with Lamar Jackson.

Brown improved his numbers year over year, going from 584 as a rookie to 769 the following season and a career-best 1,008 in 2024. Quarterback injuries kept him from getting into a groove in Arizona. If he had stayed, an already deadly passing game could have been kicked up a notch.

Brown signed with the rival Kansas City Chiefs, giving Patrick Mahomes another weapon with which to combat the Ravens. While Baltimore managed to win the trade by turning Brown into tremendous young center Tyler Linderbaum, Hollywood's best times with the Ravens were appointment viewing.

6. Travis Taylor

The Ravens spent the No. 10 overall pick in the 2000 draft on Taylor with the thought he could be the marquee player in a limited passing game. While he never truly took off and could be considered a disappointment by some, Taylor did have some moments worth remembering during his time with the Ravens.

Taylor tallied 2,758 yards and 18 touchdowns with the Ravens, but those numbers were partially due to his comparative longevity. While Taylor had just one season of over 700 yards receiving, he is yet another player who could have reached his ceiling if he didn't have the limited Kyle Boller tossing him the ball in his prime.

5. Mark Clayton

Yet another late first-round pick that Baltimore tried their best to squeeze every ounce of talent out of, Clayton lasted five seasons before joining the St. Louis Rams. His career ended before he turned 30, though most of Clayton's highlights came in the days when he was clad in purple and black.

Clayton only found the end zone 12 times with the Ravens, but his 3,116 receiving yards rank third among all Ravens wide receivers. His 939-yard sophomore season seemed like the beginning of a breakout run, but Clayton never reached that high again in seven NFL seasons. A good player, if uninspiring.

4. Anquan Boldin

Like Smith, Boldin's fantastic career will be remembered primarily for what he did away from the Ravens. While Arizona is where Boldin shined at his best, it was in Baltimore where he was able to slip a ring on his finger after years of coming very close and missing out with the Cardinals.

Boldin was the picture of consistency with the Ravens, as the big-bodied possession receiver recorded between 837 and 921 yards in each of his three seasons. His playoffs run sealed his spot in Ravens history, as he piled up 380 yards in four games (including 104 yards in the Super Bowl) with four touchdowns.

Boldin was just as productive after leaving, tallying two 1,000-yard campaigns in San Francisco after leaving. Boldin has a legitimate Hall of Fame case. Though his numbers are borderline, his contributions to a championship-winning Ravens team might be enough to nudge him into Canton.

3. Qadry Ismail

Being a key contributor on a championship team will help win a lot of tiebreakers, and Ismail can ride his boost all the way to the top three. Ismail never had the gaudiest statistics, but he was one of the best receiving targets on a team that lacked tons of spectacular outside of him.

Ismail came to the Ravens in 1999 after two seasons without a catch. His primary quarterbacks were Tony Banks, Trent Dilfer, and Elvis Grbac in an offense that ran the ball as much as possible. Still, Ismail had two 1,000-yard seasons, helping Baltimore win a title in his lone sub-1K effort.

Everyone on defense knew the ball was going to either Ismail or Shannon Sharpe when Dilfer dropped back, and they were both still effective. Ismail could be a part of a father-son duo who both make impacts with the Ravens, as his son Qadir joined Baltimore as an undrafted free agent.

2. Torrey Smith

Smith came to the Ravens as a fairly unknown mid-round pick out of Maryland, and he left as one of the best receivers he franchise has ever seen. It's a shame Baltimore didn't keep Smith around longer than they did, as there was a period where his speed made him one of the more effective deep threats in the league.

Perhaps the best 1-2 punch in Ravens history was the thunder and lightning duo the muscular Boldin and elusive Smith created in the early 2010s. A champion with the Ravens, Smith ended his Baltimore career with 3,591 yards and 30 touchdowns in four seasons. His speed helped Flacco get the most out of his huge arm.

Smith had some success after Baltimore, as he signed a five-year contract with the 49ers and won another ring with the Eagles. Still, Smith is a Raven through and through. His ability to track the deep ball was so exemplary that Baltimore is comparing draftees to him more than a decade later.

1. Derrick Mason

Very few receivers in NFL history can claim to be the unquestioned best receiver in the history of two different franchises. Mason's best years were stamping his name in combined Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans record book, and he kept those productive ways up when he arrived in Baltimore.

After the Michigan State star became an All-Pro in Tennessee, Mason joined Baltimore in 2005 and immediately set about making a name for himself. Mason's 5,777 receiving yards are over 2,100 more than the second-place Torrey Smith. Mason's 471 catches are also the most in Ravens history.

In six seasons with the Ravens, Mason never had fewer than 750 yards in a season and topped 1,000 four times. Another ageless wonder who had 1,000 yards at age 35, Mason's veteran savvy was irreplaceable. The fact Mason chose to sign a one-day contract and retire as a Raven despite more games and similar production with the Titans speaks volumes about his role with this franchise.

Mason may not have had the gaudiest numbers in the world, but the gap between him and the second-best wide receiver in franchise history is comical. Both Titans and Ravens fans can't agree on much (especially those who were around for their slugfests in the early 2000s), but those two groups can recognize how great Mason was.

The 3 best wide recivers in Ravens history by receiving yards