Ranking Ravens' biggest NFL Draft Day 3 gems of the last decade

1. Matt Judon (146th overall, 2016)

Taking a Division II defensive end from Grand Valley State is about as low-key a move as a team could make in the NFL Draft, but this proved to be one of the best Day 3 moves in franchise history. Even though Judon bolted in free agency to join the New England Patriots, he gave the Ravens five tremendous seasons.

In those five years, Judon piled up 34 sacks and 103 quarterback hits while being named a Pro Bowler twice. The familiar sight of No. 99 screaming off the edge was a familiar presence on those late 2010s Ravens teams that came so agonizingly close to slipping a championship ring on their fingers.

Matt Judon was a tremendous selection for the Baltimore Ravens.

Judon's departure looks worse in hindsight, as he amassed 32 sacks in just 38 games with New England while finishing ninth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2022, his last healthy season. He even spent time trying to speak a Marlon Humphrey defection into existence.

As fleeting as his time with Baltimore may have been, Judon showed that his talent was not just a byproduct of playing alongside a collection of very talented Ravens defenders. If the Ravens draft someone half as good as Judon in 2024, Eric DeCosta can count that as yet another win.