1st-round rulers: Stars found on opening night of NFL draft
Ogden, Lewis, Stanley and Jackson among selections by Ravens in the opener
With the first five first-round picks in Ravens history, Ozzie Newsome built a Super Bowl framework: two Pro Football Hall of Fame players (Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis), two multiple-time Pro Bowl defenders (Peter Boulware and Chris McAlister) and a ballhawk cornerback who left in free agency only because the team couldn’t afford him (Duane Starks).
The stories of Ravens glory are inextricable from the franchise’s first-round success. Lewis, the No. 16 overall pick in their seminal 1996 draft, was the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXXV, and running back Jamal Lewis (No. 5 overall in 2000) the Ravens’ most productive offensive player. Twelve years later, in Super Bowl XLVII, quarterback Joe Flacco (No. 18 in 2008) was the MVP and cornerback Jimmy Smith (No. 27 in 2011) the late-game defensive stopper.
As general manager Eric DeCosta considers the Ravens’ options at No. 28 overall in the first round of Thursday’s NFL draft, their draft history will either be a comfort or a burden. Across all of sports, few teams have had a Midas touch quite like the Ravens’. Of their 25 first-round picks over 24 years, 14 have appeared in a Pro Bowl, five have been honored as an offensive or defensive Player of the Year, and three have made the Hall of Fame.
Only one, Lamar Jackson, has been named NFL MVP, and the Ravens got the Louisville quarterback at No. 32 overall. The star of the league’s 2018 draft class is the Ravens’ crown jewel of a first-round stretch that most general managers would sacrifice their firstborn for:
In 2016, they took Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley at No. 6 overall. He was a first-team All-Pro last year and has started all but seven games over four seasons.
In 2017, they took Alabama cornerback
Marlon Humphrey at No. 16 overall. He was a first-team All-Pro last year despite often playing out of position in the slot.
In 2018, they took South Carolina tight end Hayden Hurst at No. 25 overall. He graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 11 tight end last year, his first at full strength. The Ravens traded him in March for the Atlanta Falcons’ No. 55 overall pick in the 2020 draft.
Seven picks after Hurst, the Ravens landed Jackson. He’s done all right.
In 2019, they took Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown at No. 25 overall. Despite offseason surgery and a not-fully-healed left foot, he had 46 catches for 584 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games.
“I think Eric said, ‘ Whether you’re picking sixth or 26th, you’ve got to have the guys lined up to pick,’ ” Ravens director of player personnel Joe Hortiz said during a predraft news conference earlier this month. “It’s challenging and it’s fun. You’ve watched some good players walk off the board before you’re up, but you always know you’re going to get a guy that falls to you, hopefully, and it’s exciting to watch it happen. I don’t think there’s a change in approach. It’s just getting the guys in the right order for the Ravens.”
Howmany teams last decade had a better five-pick run than Newsome and DeCosta? The list is short.
After considering a mix of quantitative and qualitative data — especially ProFootball-Reference’s Approximate Value, a statistic that attempts to measure the value of a player at any position — here are 10 challengers from the 2010s.
Buffalo Bills (2016-19): Over two years, the Bills found a cornerback who was named first-team All-Pro in his third season (Tre’Davious White) and a linebacker who made it to the Pro Bowl at age 21 (Tremaine Edmunds). Defensive tackle Ed Oliver is still an exciting prospect after a five-sack rookie season.
Defensive end Shaq Lawson, meanwhile, wasn’t anything special over his four years in Buffalo. And no one really knows for sure whether Josh Allen, the highest selection of these five first-rounders, can turn into an above-average passer.
Dallas Cowboys (2010-14): This is how you build a premier offensive line: Take left tackle Tyron Smith in 2011, center Travis Frederick in 2013 and guard Zack Martin in 2014, then watch the combined 18 Pro Bowl honors roll in.
Dez Bryant hasn’t caught a pass since 2017, but he averaged over 1,000 receiving yards and 11 touchdown catches per season from 2010 to 2014. The only disappointment here is cornerback Morris Claiborne, who, after his rookie season in 2012, started just 21 games for the Cowboys.
Houston Texans (2013-17): Defensive end J.J. Watt, a 2011 pick, is a tough-luck omission here, but Deshaun Watson brings more value as a top-tier dual-threat quarterback. DeAndre Hopkins is a fourtime Pro Bowl wide receiver, and Will Fuller is a nice complementary piece.
Defensively, cornerback Kevin Johnson (River Hill) struggled to stay healthy in his four seasons with the Texans, but edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney met most reasonable expectations as the 2014 draft’s top overall pick.
Kansas City Chiefs (2012-17): No misfires here. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes might be the NFL’s best player for the next decade, and Kansas City got him at No. 10 overall in 2017. Left tackle Eric Fisher made the Pro Bowl in 2018 and has started at least 13 games in all but one of his seven seasons. Dontari Poe was a Pro Bowl defensive tackle in 2013 and 2014.
Even this group’s departed players were success stories. Cornerback Marcus Peters, now with the Ravens, was an All-Pro as a first- and second-year player, while edge rusher Dee Ford had 35 sacks from 2015 to 2018.
Minnesota Vikings (2013-15): If you like erratic careers, this is the place to look. Xavier Rhodes has gone from shutdown cornerback to NFL punchline. Linebacker Anthony Barr made the Pro Bowl every year from 2015 to 2018 despite little love from the analytics community. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, a Pro Bowl selection in 2015 who attempted two passes over his next two Vikings seasons, has been up and down and now up again.
The busts are easy to spot. Injuries ruined defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd’s career, and wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson never developed into anything more than a gadget player.
New England Patriots (2010-14): The first round has been unkind to the Patriots in recent years, but they started the last decade on fire. In 2010, New England took safety Devin McCourty, who made it to the Pro Bowl as a rookie and again in 2016. Two years later, the team got both edge rusher Chandler Jones and linebacker Dont’a
Hightower, ultra-productive defenders. Nate Solder was a linchpin left tackle, protecting Tom Brady’s blind side from 2011 to 2017.
After no first-round pick in 2013, the hot streak ended in 2014. Defensive tackle Dominique Easley started just three games before being cut after the 2015 season.
New Orleans Saints (2011-15): You can’t say that the Saints haven’t found good help for quarterback Drew Brees. Running back Mark Ingram II, now with the Ravens, grew into his role with New Orleans, surpassing 1,500 yards from scrimmage in 2017. Wide receiver Brandin Cooks was traded for a first-round pick in 2017 after two1,000-yard receiving seasons. Guard Andrus Peat has made the Pro Bowl the past two seasons.
On the other side of the ball, defensive end Cameron Jordan has earned Pro Bowl honors in five of his nine seasons. Safety Kenny Vaccaro was a regular starter but a low-impact player.
Pittsburgh Steelers (2010-14): No surprise about where the Steelers did their best work here: along the lines and at linebacker. Center Maurkice Pouncey and guard David DeCastro have combined for 13 Pro Bowls. The first-rounder taken between them, defensive end Cameron Heyward, has been to the past three himself.
The last two picks in this period don’t hold up as well, but for different reasons. Outside linebacker Jarvis Jones had a mediocre four-year stretch in Pittsburgh, while inside linebacker Ryan Shazier, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, hasn’t played since suffering a spinal injury in 2017.
San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers (201216): Before they moved to Los Angeles, the Chargers found a couple of stud defensive ends. In 2012, it was Melvin Ingram, who’s developed into a perennial Pro Bowl player. Four years later, it was Joey Bosa, who’s been even more productive.
In between, it was a mixed bag. Running back Melvin Gordon made it to the Pro Bowl twice. Offensive lineman D.J. Fluker had four solid years before leaving in 2017. Jason Verrett was a Pro Bowl cornerback in 2015 but didn’t start more than four games in any other season.
St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams (2013-17): Want to acquire great young talent? Have a mediocre team, year after year, and hope the draft works out. Inside linebacker Alec Ogletree, an All-Pro in 2016, was the lowest of the five picks here, taken 30th in 2013.
After wasting the No. 2 overall pick on offensive tackle Greg Robinson the following year, the Rams got on a nice roll. Over the next three drafts, they landed defensive tackle Aaron Donald (No. 13), running back Todd Gurley (No. 10) and quarterback Jared Goff (No. 1). Only Donald might be worth bragging about in a couple of years, though.