OTL: Who are the Best Ravens at Every Position?

We are another week closer to the return of Ravens football, and with the Orioles storming into the MLB All-Star Break with the third-best record in baseball, the sports vibes in Baltimore couldn’t be higher right now.

Another Sunday closer! #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/jHLhTbShSs

— Nic Mason (@British_Raven19) July 9, 2023

Last week, I wrote about Lamar Jackson’s Florida training sessions with Zay Flowers and Odell Beckham Jr. with the trio working on their conditioning and chemistry ahead of a season with high expectations for the Ravens offense.

But this past weekend, Flowers and Beckham worked with Jackson in a different way, stopping by at their quarterback’s annual Fun Day in Pompano Beach.

.@obj and @ZayFlowers came out to show their support at LJ's annual Fun Day in Pompano Beach. pic.twitter.com/kpWzRMMhF0

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 9, 2023

You can tell how much it means to Jackson that his new teammates took the time to contribute to the event. Just look at Lamar hug OBJ upon his arrival in this video posted by the team:

.@obj and @ZayFlowers came through for @Lj_era8’s Fun Day 💜 pic.twitter.com/wlVUrNue4u

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 9, 2023

This made my Tomboy heart smile, @Lj_era8

🎥: IG new_era8 pic.twitter.com/uVmZfh1vNS

— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) July 9, 2023

This is what it's all about. 💜@Lj_era8 pic.twitter.com/lGHjYkBfr7

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 9, 2023

Whether he’s celebrating a touchdown or buying ice cream for all of the attendees – which the $460 million man can certainly afford to do – Jackson is for the kids.

When Lamar treats everyone to ice cream, you can’t say no!! 🍨🍦 @Lj_era8 #FundayWithLJ

🎥: TruzzProductionz™ pic.twitter.com/UMIvM35Akc

— Forever8Dreamers (@forever8dreame1) July 9, 2023

The Ravens are paying Jackson all of that money for his talent throwing the football, but they’ve historically prioritized character and leadership in their franchise players as well. With the contract saga behind them, Baltimore can be confident that Jackson can be their QB1 on and off the field.

It’s still early July, though, so beyond the glimpses we get on social media, it’s still a relatively boring time for football.

Who’s the best #Ravens player in their history at each position?

OFFENSE:

QB:
RB:
FB:
WR:
TE:
OT:
OG:
C:

— Cole Jackson (@ColeJacksonFB) July 9, 2023

So I thought this would be a fun exercise, with the added twist of including players who are currently on the team that could become the greatest Ravens at their position by the end of their career.

QB: No matter how brightly Joe Flacco’s legendary Super Bowl run shines in my memory, it’s clear that Jackson is the best QB this team has ever had and he easily has the chance to surpass Flacco’s team accomplishments and records. I’d be surprised if he didn’t.

Nothing will compare to Joe Flacco 2012 SB run.

He was on a whole other level. pic.twitter.com/iq5uuhm7KT

— Ravens Nation LIVE (@LIVERavenNation) July 9, 2023

RB: Jamal Lewis is the obvious pick here, as no running back in team history has come close to matching his single-season or career contributions. With the devaluation of the position, I’m not sure another RB will get a chance to top Lewis in Baltimore.

FB: The Ravens have a history of great fullbacks – Le’Ron McClain, Kyle Jusczyk, Patrick Ricard – but no one was as fearsome as Vonta Leach.

Vonta Leach was a different breed pic.twitter.com/X1E09b39GM

— RAMEY (@HoodieRamey) July 6, 2023

WR: Derrick Mason firmly belongs in this spot right now, but with Jackson throwing the ball in the most pass-happy offense in team history, both Rashod Bateman and Zay Flowers have the talent to take the throne if they stick around long enough.

TE: Mark Andrews is already the greatest TE in team history. Todd Heap may have him on career stats, but he never cracked 1,000 yards or double-digit touchdowns in a season, something Andrews has already done and will likely do again.

OT: No doubt about this one – Jonathan Ogden is one of the greatest OTs of all-time. Ronnie Stanley is uber-talented, his unfortunate injury may keep him from approaching Ogden’s legendary status.

OG: Marshal Yanda is another obvious pick, with an honorable mention for Ben Grubbs.

C: It wouldn’t be surprising if the Ravens’ highest-drafted center becomes their greatest, so I’ll go with Tyler Linderbaum here even though it’s very early in his career.

Now, onto defense…

DEFENSE

NT:
3T:
5T:
RUSH LB:
ILB:
oCB:
SCB:
FS:
SS:#RavensFlock

— Cole Jackson (@ColeJacksonFB) July 9, 2023

NT: The Ravens have had several great nose tackles in team history, but Haloti Ngata was by far the most dominant. He gets the nod here for breaking Ben Roethlisberger’s nose alone.

3T: This is a dead heat between Trevor Pryce and Calais Campbell, two 3-techs who came to Baltimore later in their careers and still put up impressive numbers and provided a ton of leadership.

5T: Michael McCrary arrived in Baltimore in 1997 and put up 35 sacks in his first three years as a Raven.

Rush LB: Peter Boulware is a legend, but Terrell Suggs has almost twice as many career sacks. I’ll take T-Sizzle any day.

ILB: Ray Lewis. Next!

CB: Chris McAlister is the franchise leader in passes defended, and his 26 interceptions trail only Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Jimmy Smith probably could have had this spot if his injury history didn’t limit his career.

sCB: Choosing Marlon Humphrey feels a little like cheating, but the Ravens have not been afraid to put their best cornerback in the slot when injuries or matchups require it. He might even need to step into that role again this year!

FS: Ed Reed. Double next!

SS: There are strong candidates for this spot in team history, but I really believe in Kyle Hamilton’s ability to become a franchise cornerstone for 10+ years in Baltimore. It’s not just his freakish size-athleticism; he’s an incredibly hard worker with both the humility and the ambition to go far in the pros.

Did you agree or disagree with my picks? Did I make any glaring omissions? Let me know in the comments below!