Part I of this series takes a look back at the Ravens first and subsequent round picks, which suggest a continued bright future for the franchise.
Ravens First Round Picks
As the Baltimore Ravens and their general manager Ozzie Newsome look towards the NFL’s 2009 Draft they can look back on a history of outstanding success in picking players for the organization. Indeed, a selected look at Baltimore’s first round picks since the franchises’ inception shows Newsome and his staff excel at talent evaluation:
Year Player
1996 Ray Lewis
Jonathon Ogden
1997 Peter Boulware
1999 Chris McAlister
2000 Jamal Lewis
2001 Todd Heap
2002 Ed Reed
2003 Terrell Suggs
2006 Haloti Ngata
2008 Joe Flacco
All these players made immediate impacts, have been in the Pro-Bowl, and in the cases of Ray Lewis, Jonathon Ogden, and Ed Reed, are likely Hall of Famers. Younger players such as Suggs, Ngata and Flacco are just starting out, yet show tremendous promise for the future. Suggs is a perennial pro-bowler, Ngata is their defensive anchor, and Flacco may be the franchise quarterback for many years to come.
Ravens Middle Round Picks
Baltimore’s success is not just built on the first round picks. Newsome’s staff, working with Director of Player Personnel Eric DeCosta, also looks to fill in the team roster and build depth in the later rounds. They’ve done just that with a roster chock full of solid role players, backups and current starters. Recent mid-round picks have become either starters or solid contributors since being drafted.
Year Round Player
2003 4 Jarret Johnson
2005 4 Jason Brown
2006 5 Dawan Landry
2007 4 Le’Ron McClain
4 Antwan Barnes
3 Marshal Yanda
Jared Gaither, Supplemental Draft
Last year’s crop of late round picks included Ray Rice, Tom Zbikowski, and Haruki Nakamura, all of whom contributed to the Ravens late season run to the AFC Championship game and should continue to do so for many years to come.
Ravens Draft Picks in the NFL
The Ravens ability to draft NFL caliber talent is evident not only on their own roster, where 41% of players drafted are still on the roster, but throughout the NFL. According to The Elias Sports Bureau, since 1999, the Ravens rank second in the percentage of players drafted currently on NFL rosters, at 60.8% of those drafted, including players like Brandon Stokely (1999 round four), and Adalius Thomas (2000 round six). Newsome’s savvy late round drafting pays dividends throughout the season and into future years.
According to an article by Judy Battista in the April 20, 2009 New York Times, Football Outsiders analyzed the Ravens draft picks from 2001-2007 to determine the value of their picks, based on games started compared with players at the same position chosen within 10 spots by other teams. The Ravens picks had the best average value in the NFL, again highlighting the teams’ ability to spot and draft talent.
Clearly, Newsome, DeCosta and their respective staffs get the Ravens ready for the draft, and if prior success is a roadmap to the future, the Ravens should be ready for Saturday’s draft.
