Ravens rightfully ranked as best drafting team in NFL in five-year span

While every team tries to build their team through the NFL Draft, Eric DeCosta and the Baltimore Ravens seem to be a cut above the rest. Even after the Ozzie Newsome transition, Baltimore's history of nailing it in the first round seems to have stayed strong as they enter a new decade.

The Ravens will try to replicate recent successful drafts, in which they have landed Pro Bowls on the offensive line and in the secondary while finding a third-round gem at defensive tackle, in a 2024 class that may end up determining just how high the ceiling for this team can be.

The New York Post's annual ranking of every team's success in the draft in the last five years shows just how amazing the Ravens have been in the NFL Draft. Based on this metric, DeCosta's status as one of the best executives in the game is only going to grow stronger.

For the second season in a row, the Ravens were ranked as the best-drafting team in the league during the last five seasons. Contenders like the Cowboys and 49ers pulled up behind them in second and third, respectively, followed by the Lions and Jets rounding out the top five.

The Ravens' AFC North rivals are nowhere close to Baltimore, exemplified by the Browns falling from 10th overall last year to 29th in this year's ranking. The Steelers came in 24th overall in the ranking, with the Bengals' No. 18 ranking coming in as a less than exceptional second place.

Baltimore Ravens ranked as best-drafting team since 2018

While the second-place Cowboys had more Pro Bowlers (eight) than Baltimore (five) has in the last few years, the fact that Rashod Bateman is the worst selection the team has made in a five-season stretch shows how frequently DeCosta has nailed it with his premium selections.

The fact the Ravens didn't drop without Lamar Jackson factored into the equation speaks to their quality. Baltimore has also added Pro Bowlers like Justin Madubuike, Kyle Hamilton, and Tyler Linderbaum. The former just signed a huge contract that pays him $98 million over four years, which isn't bad for a third-round draft choice.

The Ravens might be giving their fans some anxiety over the lack of free agent activity and the departure of multiple starters on both sides of the ball, but their recent history suggests that DeCosta will be able to replace those veterans and find Pro Bowl talent while he's at it.