The Best Starting Lineup in Ravens History

With a bye week comes reflection. Self-scouting, as coaches call it.

Fans and analysts are no different.

Baltimore has gotten off to another tremendous start, and still seems primed for one of their patented December runs, so it seems like the perfect time to enjoy how good this team is and has been for so long.

Instead of making lists and rankings, I wanted to take a different approach. I wanted to assemble who I think is the best starting lineup in Ravens history.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like for Lamar Jackson to play with Jonathan Ogden? Or, what about if Ed Reed and Marlon Humphrey patrolled the same secondary?

Even though the franchise is just 26 years old, numerous All-Pros and star players have put on the purple and black. Based on talent, demeanor, work-ethic, production and chemistry, here’s who I believe to be the best starting players the Ravens have produced.

(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)

Offense

Offensive Line (left to right):

Jonathan Ogden ©, Ben Grubbs, Mike Flynn, Marshal Yanda, Kelechi Osemele

Wide Receivers: Derrick Mason, Steve Smith, Sr., Anquan Boldin

Running Back: Jamal Lewis

Tight End: Todd Heap

Quarterback: Lamar Jackson ©

Analysis: Right away, the biggest potential contention point is quarterback. I’m a huge Joe Flacco guy. I think he was wildly underappreciated by his own fans. He didn’t yell and scream all the time, and his passing numbers weren’t always Madden-friendly, so apparently people get amnesia with regards to how clutch he was.

That said, Lamar Jackson is different. And considering the construct of this offense, with how powerful the Ravens would be at every other position, they need the dynamic play of Jackson to keep the defense guessing. As we’ve seen, even if the defense isn’t guessing, Jackson can still make them look helpless.

Led by Hall of Famer Jonathan Ogden, the offensive line would look to mash you, plain and simple. There’s perhaps no better combination of power, skill, and resiliency than these five guys—who have all played at the highest level despite substantial and persistent injuries.

The wide receiver core? Forget about it. No unit would be tougher or more dependable. I wonder how great the Ravens would’ve been if Derrick Mason, Steve Smith, Sr., and Anquan Boldin would’ve been drafted by Baltimore.

For the record, the respective players the Ravens immediately selected before those players were drafted were:

• Running back Jay Graham (Round 3, Pick 64, 1997)
• Defensive back Gary Baxter (Round 2, Pick 62, 2001)
• Quarterback Kyle Boller (Round 1, Pick 19, 2003)

That is not, in any way, meant to be a slight to the Ravens personnel department, which I believe is the best in the business. As a matter of fact, it’s kind of a testament to their prowess that they were able to acquire those great players after missing out on them on draft day.

Jamal Lewis and Todd Heap, what can you say about them? As hard-nosed and as talented as the Ravens have ever had at that position. Man, they were studs. Lewis (franchise leader in rushing yards: 7,801) and Heap (franchise leader in receiving touchdowns: 41) were prototypical Ravens. They have a starting spot on my team any day.

Defense

Nose tackle: Kelly Gregg

Defensive tackle: Haloti Ngata

Defensive End: Michael McCrary

Sam linebacker: Peter Boulware

Mike linebacker: Ray Lewis ©

Will linebacker: Jamie Sharper

Rush linebacker: Terrell Suggs

Left Cornerback: Chris McAlister

Right Cornerback: Marlon Humphrey

Nickel Cornerback: Lardarius Webb

Strong Safety: Rod Woodson

Free Safety: Ed Reed ©

Analysis: What else needs to be said? The Baltimore Ravens are defense, and that defense starts with stopping the run.

Kelly Gregg setting the tone up front, bookended by the strength and athleticism of Haloti Ngata and Michael McCrary, would be a scary proposition for any offensive line to face.

Ray Lewis is in the Hall of Fame, and Terrell Suggs will join him one day. Suggs ranks 12^th all-time in sacks (139.0), and, after Lewis and Ed Reed, was the best overall defender the Ravens have ever had. Jamie Sharper and Peter Boulware were as relentless as they come. So talented but also so hungry. If you haven’t seen them live, look them up. They were truly great.

Speaking of Reed, for my money, there has never been a better defensive back in the history of football. His intuition, heart for the game, and sheer will to succeed was unparalleled. He has a gold jacket for good reason. Pair him with fellow Hall of Famer Rod Woodson and you get a legendary back end that fans can only dream of.

Special Teams

Kicker: Justin Tucker ©

Punter: Sam Koch

Long snapper: Morgan Cox

Kick returner: Jacoby Jones

Punt Returner: Jermaine Lewis

Analysis: Justin Tucker, the most accurate kicker in NFL history, is one of four players in Ravens history to be named an All Pro at least four times (Lewis 7, Reed, 5, Ogden 4, Tucker 4). He’s a fan favorite and captain, and as good as the league has ever seen. It’s hard to believe he was at one time in a training camp competition after being undrafted out of Texas.

Sam Koch and Morgan Cox complete the wolfpack trio. They were perennially among the very best special teams units in the league. They’re consistency was underrated.

As if this squad wasn’t dangerous enough, imagine having to kick to and defend the long speed of Jacoby Jones and the shiftiness of Jermaine Lewis. Both can do either job, so placing them in these roles is kind of splitting hairs. Still, they were excellent during their time with the Ravens and would thoroughly complete this roster.

Coaching Staff

Head Coach: John Harbaugh

Offensive Coordinator: Greg Roman

Defensive Coordinator: Marvin Lewis

Special Teams Coordinator: Jerry Rosburg

Analysis: Most fans, I think, would agree Harbaugh is the best coach this team has ever had. His command of operations, big and small, as well as his ability to communicate is top-notch. As of now, he’s on the verge of the Hall of Fame, and assuming things continue on this path, I have no doubt he will be in Canton one day.

Offensive Coordinator was tougher to pick, but Greg Roman gets the nod here because of his ability to channel Jackson’s immense talent and mesh it with 10 other players to produce a premier offense.

Marvin Lewis was both an easy and difficult choice for defensive coordinator. Easy, because he marshalled the best defense of all-time. Hard, because most other “DCs” that have patrolled the sidelines in Baltimore have been almost as good.

Coach Rosburg was so knowledgeable. He knew the ins and outs of every special teams unit. He was able to not only motivate players to perform on special teams but get them to perform on special teams. And of course, he was the one who called that intentional safety at the conclusion of Super Bowl XLVII. Brilliant stuff.

If you were playing head coach, who would you pick to fill out the Ravens all-time roster? Who do you agree with? Who would you replace? Let us know!