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The Ravens’ identity is inextricable from their history in the NFL draft, that team-building tool most cherished by franchise architect Ozzie Newsome and his successor, current general manager Eric DeCosta. No matter how astute or misguided their other moves, Newsome and DeCosta have spent 30 years falling back on their ability to accumulate and maximize draft picks.

Newsome selected two Hall of Fame building blocks, Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis, before the Ravens ever played a game in Baltimore, foreshadowing a run of first-round success that has continued into recent years. There have been misses as well, a few spectacular, but as DeCosta prepares to make his next first-round selection this week, it’s time to take stock of the 33 who have come before.

Which 1996 first-rounder was more essential? Which wide receiver busted hardest? Which trade for a quarterback paid the greatest dividends? We answer these questions and more as we count down every first-round pick in franchise history, from worst to best.

33) Kyle Boller — 2003, No. 19 overall

Was Boller the worst player the Ravens ever drafted in the first round? That’s debatable. But he was the face of a frustrating period for the franchise, which struggled to transition from its first Super Bowl victory to its next era of sustained winning, squandering some of the most talented defenses in NFL history in the process. Newsome traded his 2004 first-round pick so he could jump in at No. 19 and pick a quarterback whose efficiency at Cal never matched his physical gifts. Boller was supposed to give coach Brian Billick the golden arm he needed to build an offense worthy of sharing a locker room with Lewis & Co. It never happened. Boller went 20-22 as a starter over five seasons in Baltimore and finished his career with a 69.5 passer rating. His last season with the Ravens was, not coincidentally, Billick’s last as coach. When you take a big swing and whiff at quarterback, the fallout is severe.

32) Breshad Perriman — 2015, No. 26 overall

Again, we can debate whether Perriman was worse than a few guys who rank ahead of him on this list. He had a pretty good season as a deep threat for Tampa Bay in 2019. But his time in Baltimore, where he was supposed to give Joe Flacco a big downfield target, felt cursed from the jump. Perriman’s 4.26-second time in the 40-yard dash and propensity for acrobatic practice catches had fans salivating. But what was announced as a bruised knee on the first day of training camp turned into a ligament sprain that would not heal. Perriman missed his entire rookie season as the Ravens stumbled to a 5-11 record, and when he returned the next year, he drove coaches and fans crazy with his inconsistency. The next year was worse, and the Ravens took the extraordinary step of releasing their former first-round pick before the start of his fourth season.

31) Matt Elam — 2013, No. 32 overall

The Ravens had just won their second Super Bowl, but their defense, old and slow at key positions, barely held on in the playoffs. Elam, a safety who had starred at Florida, was supposed to bring shots of speed and moxie as a new era dawned. Well, he couldn’t play and couldn’t stay out of trouble. It’s a bad sign when a guy starts 15 games his rookie year, 11 his second and none his third. A drug suspension, a torn biceps and a knee injury hastened his downfall, which was punctuated by an arrest on multiple drug charges before what would have been his fourth season. Elam, who had picked off exactly one pass, never played another NFL snap

30) Hayden Hurst — 2018, No. 25 overall

Hurst will live on as a trivia answer: Name the journeyman tight end whom the Ravens picked ahead of Lamar Jackson. He wasn’t a disaster on par with Elam, Perriman or Boller, but he quickly fell behind his pal and draft classmate Mark Andrews on the depth chart. The Ravens traded Hurst after just two seasons, picking up the 2020 second-round pick that would turn into running back J.K. Dobbins. Hurst never made them regret it, playing for four teams over the next five years and topping out at 56 catches in a season.

29) Mark Clayton — 2005, No. 22 overall

We enter the land of underwhelming wide receivers. Clayton was no all-time bust. He started 59 games for the Ravens and came close to a 1,000-yard season in his sophomore campaign. He just never became a star playmaker for an offense that badly needed one. The Ravens traded him to the Rams at the start of the 2010 season, and he played just seven games after that.

28) Travis Taylor — 2000, No. 10 overall

You could argue Taylor was a greater disappointment than Clayton because he was picked 12 spots higher, but he finished with more career starts, receiving yards and touchdowns, so he gets the slight nod. Again, we cannot outright dismiss a guy who reached 869 yards in a season and lasted seven years as an NFL starter. But the Ravens thought they’d added a home run threat with their second first-round pick of 2000, and Taylor never became that.

27) Rashod Bateman — 2021, No. 27 overall

It’s more difficult to place guys whose stories remain in progress, but Bateman took a significant step back with a poor 2025 season that killed his momentum from a breakout 2024. He has flashed every tool needed to be a standout NFL receiver. He just needs to avoid the injuries and ill-timed drops that have marred his five seasons in Baltimore. He might be down to his last chance to make it work with Jackson.

26) Odafe Oweh — 2021, No. 31 overall

The Ravens essentially gave up on Oweh last year, declining to pick up his fifth-year option and trading him for safety Alohi Gilman as a midcourse correction to their floundering defense. Oweh immediately upped his production for the Chargers and earned a $96 million deal from Washington. Was he simply an imperfect fit in Baltimore despite the 10-sack season he produced in 2024? Why couldn’t he become the every-down, edge-setting force the Ravens envisioned when they drafted him as a super athlete out of Penn State? Oweh will make the Ravens, who pride themselves on player development, look bad if he flourishes just down the highway for the Commanders.

25) Marquise Brown — 2019, No. 25 overall

It’s a testament to Newsome and DeCosta that we’re already well past players who simply could not hack it. Brown made an instant, sensational connection with Jackson, catching two long touchdown passes in his first NFL game. He surpassed 1,000 yards in his third season and showed up big time in the playoffs. But nagging injuries and frustrations with coordinator Greg Roman’s offense kept Brown from reaching his potential in Baltimore. DeCosta traded him in a draft-day shocker that gave the Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum. Brown has continued to struggle with consistency and durability in the four years since.

24) Michael Oher — 2009, No. 23 overall

Some might think of Oher as a disappointment because he never became the next great left tackle hyped in “The Blind Side.” But he started 80 games in five seasons for the Ravens, grading as an above-average tackle for most of that time and holding down the right side for the 2012 Super Bowl champions. That’s good value late in the first round, no matter how the Hollywood narrative might skew perceptions of Oher’s career.

23) Malaki Starks — 2025, No. 27 overall

Starks could push his way up this list, though the competition gets fierce in a hurry. He was billed as a complete, seasoned, ready-made starter coming out of Georgia, and that’s pretty much what he delivered in his rookie season. Can Starks build on his solid debut to become more of a star playmaker in Year 2? That will determine his ultimate place in Ravens draft annals.

22) Nate Wiggins — 2024, No. 30 overall

Many draft analysts graded Wiggins — lean, competitive, fast as anybody on the field — the best cover corner in the class of 2024. He has looked like that at times over his first two seasons, establishing himself as a key member of the secondary. But Wiggins did not take the loud step toward the Pro Bowl his biggest fans expected last season, mixing in clunkers with his exemplary performances. New Ravens coach Jesse Minter drew rave reviews for his defensive schemes and player development with the Chargers. Can he help Wiggins break out? Regardless, a good starting corner at the end of the first round is nothing to sneeze at.

21) Duane Starks — 1998, No. 10 overall

Newsome used two consecutive first-round picks to build out the back end of a historically stingy defense. Starks wasn’t as good as the corner drafted the year after him, whom we’ll get to, but he picked off 20 passes over four seasons with the Ravens. He peaked with six interceptions and 23 passes defended for the 2000 defense that holds the NFL record for fewest points allowed per game.

20) Ben Grubbs — 2007, No. 29 overall

Grubbs was about as no-frills a top pick as you’ll ever find, a soft-spoken, small-town Alabamian who played a sturdy guard for Auburn and projected to do the same in the pros. He did not disappoint, starting at least 10 games in each of his five seasons with the Ravens and making the Pro Bowl in 2011. He left in free agency before he could win a Super Bowl ring and was overshadowed by the other guard the Ravens drafted two rounds after him, Marshal Yanda. But Grubbs was plenty good.

19) Patrick Queen — 2020, No. 28 overall

If there’s a defining formula behind the Ravens’ draft success, it’s their tendency to snag productive college stars at nonpremium positions late in the first round. Queen, though he hadn’t started a ton of games at LSU, was an example. He was only 20 when drafted and needed a few years of maturation, and a partnership with Roquan Smith, to come into his own. But he made the Pro Bowl in his fourth season and, after the Ravens failed to make a competitive bid, signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

18) Jimmy Smith — 2011, No. 27 overall

At his best, Smith looked like a Pro Bowl cornerback — big, smooth and confident he could go step for step with Antonio Brown and A.J. Green. He was injured too often to be that guy full time, but he made the play that saved the Ravens’ second Super Bowl win and became an improbable Baltimore institution (not to mention a personal favorite of coach John Harbaugh). Smith spent his entire 11-year career with the Ravens.

17) Tyler Linderbaum — 2022, No. 25 overall

The only center on this list, Linderbaum defined the term plug-and-play, with the Ravens sticking him at the heart of their offensive line from the first snap of his first offseason workout as a rookie. He was an unusually rangy interior lineman, a low-key source of humor in the locker room and a Pro Bowl pick each of the last three seasons. That package made him such an attractive free agent that the Las Vegas Raiders blew the top off the center market to lure him away from Baltimore. It was a blow to the Ravens, who rarely lose homegrown stars they regard as potential foundation pieces.

16) C.J. Mosley — 2014, No. 17 overall

Mosley faced unique pressure as a middle linebacker chosen to fill the void left a year earlier by Lewis’ retirement. Coming from a Southeastern Conference powerhouse with well-rounded skills and ample big-game experience, he was suited to the task. He wasn’t Lewis, but who could be? Mosley started 77 of a possible 80 games over five seasons in Baltimore and made four Pro Bowls. Like Linderbaum, he bucked Ravens tradition by departing at the end of his rookie deal. But he was the team’s centerpiece defender during the stretch between the second Super Bowl win and the rise of Jackson.

15) Todd Heap — 2001, No. 31 overall

Newsome built his defense first, then turned to offense in 2000 and 2001, choosing playmakers with all three first-round picks from those years. Heap missed out on the first Super Bowl run but returned tremendous value for an end-of-round selection. He set the standard for a franchise that has continued to love its tight ends, making two Pro Bowls in 10 seasons with the Ravens and peaking with 75 catches for 855 yards and seven scores in 2005. He was a consistent bright spot during bleak offensive years, only to age out of his prime as the Ravens were taking off with Joe Flacco at quarterback.

14) Zay Flowers — 2023, No. 22 overall

A high ranking for a player who’s about to enter his fourth season and has hurt the team with turnovers in big games. But the Ravens finally nailed a wide receiver pick after many disappointments at one of the sport’s most glamorous positions. Though he lacks the height and muscle of a traditional No. 1, Flowers gives Jackson a dangerous target at all levels of the field. He has made two straight Pro Bowls, reached 1,211 receiving yards last season and could rewrite the team’s record book if he signs a contract extension — great value from his draft slot.

13) Ronnie Stanley — 2016, No. 6 overall

Given a chance to pick inside the top 10 for the first time since 2003, Newsome did not miss. Stanley came out of Notre Dame as an unusually polished pass blocker and needed no ramp-up time to step in as an above-average left tackle. He was better than that, arguably the finest pass blocker in the world, in 2019. Injuries have kept him from returning to that peak, but Stanley is still in Baltimore and still the anchor of an offensive line that would be in trouble without him.

12) Peter Boulware — 1997, No. 4 overall

After crushing the top of his first draft in Baltimore, Newsome added another Pro Bowl defender in Boulware, a can’t-miss pass rusher coming off a decorated career at Florida State. He hit the ground running, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, was a key member of the great 2000 defense and finished with 70 sacks over eight seasons in Baltimore. Though overshadowed by Lewis, Boulware is in the team’s Ring of Honor

11) Marlon Humphrey — 2017, No. 16 overall

Though he was the son of an NFL star, a former track standout and an All-America product of Nick Saban’s Alabama machine, Humphrey wasn’t the most hyped defensive back in his draft class. With four Pro Bowl appearances, two All-Pro selections and eight seasons as a starter on his ledger, he might go down as the best of a group that included Jamal Adams and Marshon Lattimore. Humphrey’s inside-outside versatility has set him apart, and he could be headed for a second act at safety, though for now he remains one of the Ravens’ starting cornerbacks.

10) Chris McAlister — 1999, No. 10 overall

That all-time great 2000 defense would not have been complete without an elite cornerback, and Newsome found one in the confident McAlister, who debuted with five interceptions as a rookie and added four as a starter on the first Super Bowl team. He peaked a few years later with All-Pro selections in 2002 and 2003. Though injuries slowed McAlister later in his career, he gave the Ravens eight seasons of excellent value at a premium position.

9) Haloti Ngata — 2006, No. 12 overall

Newsome felt strongly enough about adding a mammoth playmaker to the middle of his front seven that he traded up a spot to make sure he got Ngata. He never regretted it. Ngata started as a rookie for a defense that by some metrics surpassed the famous 2000 version. He made five straight Pro Bowls from 2009-13 and anchored the defensive front for the 2012 Super Bowl champions. In his prime, Ngata displayed shocking mobility for a 6-foot-4, 340-pound man, even picking off five passes over nine seasons with the Ravens.

8) Jamal Lewis — 2000, No. 5 overall

It’s no longer en vogue to draft running backs near the top of the first round. The Ravens haven’t picked one higher than the second round since Newsome tabbed Jamal Lewis to be the workhorse for an offense that struggled to move the ball through the air. Lewis paid off the investment, running for 1,364 yards as a rookie on the 2000 Super Bowl champion and blowing that away with 2,066 yards on 387 carries in 2003. He was never quite the same after, but he set the standard for Ravens backs with five 1,000-yard seasons in six years.

7) Terrell Suggs — 2003, No. 10 overall

Suggs fell into the Ravens’ lap thanks to underwhelming combine measurements and their failure to execute a trade-up for quarterback Byron Leftwich. Newsome showed his customary discipline, caring more about the linebacker’s outstanding production at Arizona State than his stopwatch struggles. Suggs became the third prong in a remarkable defense led by Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, piling up 132 1/2 sacks for the Ravens and winning Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2011. He was just as good against the run as against the pass, and his intelligence kept him producing over 16 seasons in Baltimore. Suggs seems likely to join Lewis and Reed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the next few years.

6) Kyle Hamilton — 2022, No. 14 overall

Hamilton over Suggs after four seasons? There’s some projection involved, but now that he has signed his extension, the All-Pro safety feels like heir to the defensive legacy created by Ray Lewis and Reed. He’s a unique force who can line up anywhere on the field and an appealing face for the franchise off of it. Like Suggs, he was touted as a potential top-five pick but slid because of his position and unremarkable sprint speed. DeCosta, like his mentor, Newsome, was disciplined enough to take the best player on the board, even though the Ravens did not ostensibly need a safety. As a result, they have their cornerstone defender for years to come.

5) Joe Flacco — 2008, No. 18 overall

Was Flacco as good at his position as Suggs was at his? No. But quarterback is different, and after Boller’s failure, Newsome needed to take another big draft swing to achieve stability at the sport’s most important position. This one did not whiff. Flacco’s huge arm, deep calm and underrated toughness made him the Ravens’ first franchise quarterback. He faced plenty of criticism for uneven play but peaked at the perfect time in 2012 with a postseason run for the ages, capped by a Super Bowl MVP performance.

4) Ed Reed — 2002, No. 24 overall

You get an inner circle Hall of Fame safety and the coolest player in franchise history at No. 24, and it’s not the greatest pick in franchise history? That’s a testament to how well the Ravens have drafted at the top. There were those who maligned Reed as a boring pick, despite his dazzling résumé as a college playmaker at Miami. He rapidly put the lie to that notion, picking off five passes his first season, seven his second and nine his third, when he was named Defensive Player of the Year. Reed made nine Pro Bowls in 11 seasons with the Ravens, capping his run with an interception in the team’s Super Bowl win in his home state of Louisiana. Again, Newsome hit the jackpot by taking a player with a great track record at an unglamorous position.

3) Jonathan Ogden — 1996, No. 4 overall

There’s an argument that Reed, drafted 20 slots lower, returned more value than Ogden, but Ogden’s import goes beyond his greatness as a player. (And he was awfully great, a no-brainer, first-ballot Hall of Fame selection at one of the most important positions.) The towering left tackle was the first player Newsome drafted, and the new director of football operations had to convince owner Art Modell that Ogden should be the choice over troubled but gifted running back Lawrence Phillips. With one masterstroke, the Ravens set their template, eschewing a needless risk as their owner deferred to his football experts. Ogden made 11 Pro Bowls, Phillips made none and a course was set.

2) Ray Lewis — 1996, No. 26 overall

You make a franchise-defining pick at No. 4, and somehow that’s not even your most impactful move in the round? As great and important as Ogden was, the man drafted next rapidly became the face of Ravens football. He still is in many ways. Lewis might be the greatest middle linebacker in history, but he brought much more than that over 17 seasons in Baltimore, from maniacal film study to fiery pregame sermons to his mythic “last ride” to the Super Bowl. Whether you bought into everything he ever did or viewed him with healthy skepticism, he breathed highly specific life into a team that arrived from Cleveland with no particular identity.

1) Lamar Jackson — 2018, No. 32 overall

From Newsome’s first two first-round picks to his last. How could he devise a curtain call that would stand up to drafting Ogden and Lewis in the same round? How about trading into the last pick of the first round for one of the most exciting players in NFL history? Did the Ravens know Jackson would win two Most Valuable Player awards (and counting?) while becoming the chief protagonist of a fresh chapter in team history? If they did, they would not have taken Hurst seven slots ahead of him. But, if this list tells us anything, it’s that a dose of magic is required for the greatest draft picks. Why does Jackson rank ahead of Lewis, who won two Super Bowl rings? Because teams exhaust extraordinary resources to find (or fail to find) franchise quarterbacks, while the Ravens snagged theirs with a bit of late-night draft élan.