When the original Cleveland Browns became the Baltimore Ravens in 1996, they left behind a storied legacy but quickly began creating one of their own.
Since their inception, they are among the most successful franchises in the NFL. Since 2000, they’ve been to the playoffs 15 times, won seven AFC North division titles, played in five AFC Championship Games, and won two Super Bowls.
Along the way, the Ravens have had some of the best players in pro football play for them, some of whom are now in the Hall of Fame. Even though their history only goes back to the mid-90s, it’s already pretty hard to narrow down a list of their best players to a top ten.
Let’s give it a shot with the 10 best Baltimore Ravens of all time.
10. Tony Siragusa
Perhaps the most beloved player on this list is Tony Siragusa. If Ray Lewis was the leader of those 1990s and early 2000s Ravens’ defenses, The Goose was the heart and soul. He was the type of guy that most fans could relate to, he was strictly a blue-collar guy on and off the field. While he was never elected to a Pro Bowl, Siragusa won a Super Bowl and ended his NFL career with 562 tackles (416 solo), 22 sacks, five forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries for 12 yards, and 28 pass deflections in 170 career games.
9. Justin Tucker
It’s rare to see a placekicker on these lists but Justin Tucker is special. A seven-time Pro Bowler and 8-time All-Pro, Tucker holds the NFL records for career field goal percentage (90.2%) and longest NFL field goal of all time (66 yards). He was also named as the kicker for the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team. If a Ravens game comes down to a field goal, you can almost guarantee that Tucker will make it.
8. Joe Flacco
Is Joe Flacco elite? The debate will forever rage on, especially now that he’s back in the NFL at 38 years old leading the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs. But Flacco made his mark as the Ravens quarterback between 2008 and 2018. The high water mark of his career was leading Baltimore to its second Super Bowl title in 2013, being named Super Bowl MVP in the process. He still holds just about every notable Ravens quarterback record (for now) and has amassed over 43,000 passing yards and over 260 total touchdowns in his career.
7. Jamal Lewis
Lewis spent most of his 10-year NFL career with Baltimore and established himself as their first superstar running back. He was a strong contributor to their Super Bowl XXXV win as a rookie. However, he blew the doors off the NFL in 2003 when he rushed for 2,066 yards during the season, garnering an AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year honor, Pro Bowl selection, and first-team All-Pro nod. A member of the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, Lewis is also a member of the Ravens’ Ring of Honor.
6. Marshal Yanda
Marshal Yanda anchored the Ravens offensive line for 13 years as one of the NFL’s best guards. A Super Bowl champion, he was named to eight Pro Bowls, was a seven-time All-Pro, and is a member of the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team.
5. Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson changed the way the Baltimore Ravens played offense. For years, the franchise relied on their defense to carry them, but that changed when he arrived. In six seasons with the franchise he has become a superstar. Named NFL MVP in 2019, he’s likely to get a second one this season as well. In 2019, he set the single-season record for quarterback rushing yards and led the NFL in touchdown passes. He has since become the first quarterback to have multiple seasons with 1,000 rushing yards and now has the Ravens on the precipice of their third Super Bowl appearance.
4. Terrell Suggs
Ray Lewis gets a lot of the glory but those dominant Baltimore Ravens defenses wouldn’t have been the same without Terrell Suggs. A seven-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro, and 2011 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Suggs won a Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2012 (and a second with the Chiefs in 2019). Suggs played 16 seasons for the Ravens and amassed 886 tackles, 139 sacks, and 39 forced fumbles in his storied career. He is the Ravens’ all-time leader in sacks and forced fumbles.
3. Jonathan Ogden
Jonathan Ogden was an OG for the Ravens in 1996 and anchored their offensive line until 2007. In those years, he made the Pro Bowl eleven straight times and was named All-Pro nine times. A member of the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team and NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, he was also on Baltimore’s Super Bowl-winning team in 2001.
2. Ed Reed, safety
The front seven of those dominant Baltimore defenses gets a lot of credit, but safety Ed Reed made a huge difference in the secondary as well. An 11-year player for the Ravens, Reed was named 2004 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and selected for nine Pro Bowls. He led the NFL in interceptions three times and still holds league records for the two longest interception returns, interception return yardage, and postseason interceptions. A Super Bowl champion, member of the 2000s All-Decade Team, and member of the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, Reed was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019.
1. Ray Lewis, linebacker
From his locker room speeches to his play on the field, there was no one quite like Ray Lewis. Lewis became the de facto leader of the Ravens almost from the moment he joined the team. The two-time Super Bowl champion is also the Super Bowl XXXV MVP, 13-time Pro Bowler, three-time NFL tackles leader, and two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He also is part of the NFL’s 2000s All-Decade Team and NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. He also still holds several NFL records, including the most career combined tackles (2,059). Lewis is now a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
