Ravens’ Best/Worst Draft Picks by Round

Over 19 seasons, the Baltimore Ravens have accumulated 152 draft picks. Some work out, some don’t. Some become Hall of Famers, and some never step foot on an NFL field.

And while it’s easy to assume most, if not all, of the talented draft picks reside in the first few rounds, Ozzie Newsome has shown both Ravens fans and the entire NFL that talent can be found in every round.

On the flip side, this franchise is not perfect. Busts do happen in Baltimore, as they do in 31 other NFL cities. Some of the more notable names tend to send shivers up our spines (say Kyle Boller out loud- did you cringe a little bit?) but busts are an unfortunate part of the draft process.

Let’s see how many warm-fuzzy feelings and spine tingling chills we can produce by taking a look at the highlights and lowlights throughout the draft history of the Baltimore Ravens franchise.

1^st Round

BEST: Ray Lewis (1996). What can I say that you don’t already know about the future Hall of Famer and Baltimore icon? He is the face of the Ravens franchise, and arguably the best player to ever wear black and purple.

Honorable mention: OL Jonathan Ogden (1996).

WORST: Travis Taylor (2000). The Ravens absolutely whiffed by drafting Travis Taylor 10^th overall. Taylor managed 15 total TD’s during his time in Baltimore, hit 800 yards receiving only once, and was ultimately released in 2004. He made his way through five other teams before calling it a career in 2009.

Dishonorable Mention: QB Kyle ‘Twinkle Toes’ Boller (2003).

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2^nd Round

BEST: RB Ray Rice (2008). Pop quiz: how many of the Ravens’ 2^nd round picks have been to a Pro Bowl? Answer: only Rice, and he did it three times. Sure Rice has his demons with his recent issues, but that doesn’t discredit what he was able to accomplish on the field, and Rice without a doubt stood tall(ish) as the best 2^nd round pick by Ozzie Newsome.

Honorable mention: LB Jamie Sharper (1997).

WORST: LB Dan Cody (2005). Dan Cody was a walking injury from day one, starting with his rookie year when he blew his knee out on his first day of training camp, and missed the entire season. Cody tried to return in 2006… then reinjured the same knee again. But third times a charm, right? Nope. Cody had even more knee issues in 2007, eventually leading to his release in 2008, after playing five total quarters of football for the Ravens.

Dishonorable Mention: LB Sergio ‘Sleepwalking’ Kindle (2010).

3^rd Round

BEST: OL Marshall Yanda (2007). It’s hard to argue with Yanda as the cream of the crop in the 3^rd round. In his career, Yanda has been to four Pro Bowls, was a 2^nd team All-Pro from 2011-2013, was named 1^st team All-Pro by the AP for the 2014 season, and has been an anchor for what was once a revolving door at offensive line for the Ravens.

Honorable mention: CB Lardarius Webb (2009).

WORST: WR Yamon Figurs (2007). The Ravens apparently took the Al Davis route on this pick, selecting Figurs, who had the fastest 40 time (4.30) for WR’s at the NFL combine in 2007. And just like an Al Davis pick, he tanked. Here are Figurs’ offensive stats in two seasons as a Raven: 2 receptions, 79 yards, 1 TD. That’s it. He was so bad that despite being drafted to the NFL and bouncing around a few teams, his Wiki page lists him as a ‘former Canadian Football League player.’ That’s brutal.

Dishonorable Mention: DB David Pittman (2006).

4^th Round

BEST: LB Jarret Johnson (2003). The recently retired Double-J is undoubtedly the top dog in the 4^th round. While he never received much praise nationally, Johnson was phenomenal at setting the edge for the defense for nine seasons in Baltimore, while accumulating 20 sacks, nine forced fumbles & three interceptions. Despite not having the All-Pros and Pro Bowls under his belt, Johnson does currently hold the Ravens record for most consecutive games played at 129.

Honorable mention: OL Edwin Mulitalo (1999).

WORST: FS Christian Thompson (2012). While CT was far from the worst pick in terms of talent, any player with off the field issues deserves to be heavily chastised. Thompson was drafted as a free safety in 2012, with hopes to develop into Ed Reed’s successor. After failing to beat out Sean Considine for a backup spot in 2012, Thompson started off 2013 with a four-game PED suspension.. Shortly thereafter, Thompson was cut and the Ravens still struggle at the free safety position.

Dishonorable Mention: OL David Hale (2008).

5^th Round

BEST: WR Jermaine Lewis (1996). Lewis may have been drafted as a receiver, but he specialized as a return man. During his six years in Baltimore, Jermaine returned six punts for touchdowns, scored on another punt in the 2001 playoffs, and had a huge kickoff return in the Ravens 2000 Super Bowl victory. Add in 16 receiving touchdowns, two Pro Bowls and a 1^st Team All-Pro, and Jermaine Lewis is the pinnacle of all 5^th round picks in Baltimore.

Honorable mention: DE Arthur Jones (2010).

WORST: TE Davon Drew (2009). Drew had the size (6’ 4”), the speed, and all of the necessary physical attributes one could want in a tight end, but he failed to do anything with those gifts. By his 3^rd year on the team, Drew watched the Ravens draft TE’s Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta, who both move ahead of Drew on the depth charts almost immediately. Once the team added free agent Billy Bajema, Drew’s fate was sealed and he was released without ever playing a single game for the Ravens.

Dishonorable mention: RB Chris Barnes (2001).

6^th Round

BEST: LB Adalius Thomas (2000). Another great linebacker drafted by Ozzie & Company. Adalius Thomas was a solid LB/DE hybrid for seven years with the Baltimore organization before shipping up to Boston (technically Foxboro). During his career, AD stacked up 53 sacks, 15 forced fumbles and seven interceptions, while being named to the Pro Bowl twice and listed as a 1^st team All-Pro in 2006.

Honorable Mention: P Sam Koch (2006).

Worst: FB Steve Lee (1997). Not much can be said about Steve Lee, simply because not much is known about Steve Lee. He never played a single snap as a Raven, nor did he for any other NFL team. He more or less fizzled.

Dishonorable Mention: LB Ron Rogers (1998).

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7^th Round

BEST: DE DeAngelo Tyson (2012). Yes the pickin’s are that slim. Tyson has slowly developed into a serviceable defensive end for the Ravens. In limited play over three seasons, Tyson has recorded 42 tackles, three sacks, one interception, two fumble recoveries, and has started six games. With the impending reshuffle on the D-Line, Tyson’s workload is likely to increase in 2015, and there are high hopes that this true diamond in the rough will continue to shine.

Honorable Mention: The prospect that WR Michael Campanaro (2014) has promise.

WORST: Everybody else drafted prior to 2012. No 7^th Round pick by the Ravens has ever completed their rookie contract. Tyson stands to be the first to break the rookie contract barrier after the 2015 season, but the Ravens had selected 20 picks in the 7^th round prior to Tyson, and not a single one has made it to a second contract. Chalk it up to tough competition, or chalk it up to being a 7^th round pick. Either way, it’s an ugly stat.