All-Time Ravens Team – Defense

The offseason is long, and there is a lot of time to write fun and interesting articles you might not be able to write during the season. Therefore, I decided to make a list of the best Ravens at each position in the history of the franchise, or an all-time Ravens team. Last week, I reviewed the best offensive player in Ravens history here. This week, I decided to review the best defensive players in Ravens history.

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

A couple points of clarification. First, this list of the best players DURING THEIR TIME ON THE RAVENS. For example, Deion Sanders might be the best cornerback to ever play on the Ravens, but he didn’t contribute much during his time here. Second, even though the Ravens have had great success as both a 3-4 and a 4-3 defense, I decided to make this team a 3-4 defense to showcase the linebacker talent the Ravens have accumulated over the years.

Michael McCrary – Defensive End

Throughout the Ravens history, most of the team’s premier pass rushers have been linebackers. From Peter Boulware, Adalius Thomas, and Terrell Suggs, most of the Ravens pass rush has been generated by outside linebackers. Michael McCray, however, is the exception. McCray is 3^rd all-time in career sacks for the Ravens and nabbed a first team All-Pro in 1998. He’s most likely the best defensive end in franchise history.

Haloti Ngata – Nose Tackle

Ngata is clearly the best nose tackle in the history of the franchise. Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa were two great nose tackles that might make this list if they were on other teams, but Ngata absolutely blows them out of the water. What makes Ngata so uniquely effective in Ravens history is his versatility. At 340 pounds, Ngata is and was a great space eater who could effectively control both A gaps in the run game. But Ngata also had surprising quickness, and could play the three technique or generate interior pressure if necessary. This versatility earned him three first team All-Pro and two second team All-Pro appearances. I miss him already.

Adalius Thomas – Defensive End

What are you talking about? Adalius Thomas played some defensive end early in his career! I’m totally not cheating here! Ok, I am cheating here, but only because I couldn’t pick between Thomas and Bart Scott. Thomas has the 8^th most career tackles in Ravens history, the 5^th most sacks in Ravens history, and two first team All-Pro seasons. He also had one of the finest seasons by a Ravens defender ever in 2006. And while it has nothing to do with his time on the Ravens, I love how he never lived up to his contract in New England. I like to believe he acted as the Ravens inside man to sabotage the Patriots perfect season run in 2007.

Peter Boulware – Outside Linebacker

One of the best pass rushers on the late 90s early 2000s Ravens, he was a key member of the Ravens defense in 2000, which was the BEST DEFENSE OF ALL TIME^TM. He earned a second team All-Pro spot in 1999 and has the 2^nd most sacks in Ravens history with 70. A Raven for his whole career, Boulware clearly deserves a spot on this list.

Bart Scott – Inside Linebacker

Scott is exhibit A in the Ravens ability to mold defensive players into some of the best in the league. Scott was an undrafted free agent that joined the Ravens in 2002 who eventually became a Pro Bowler. Scott, along with Thomas, were good enough that they helped spurs the Ravens switch to a 3-4 defense so they could showcase his talent. And while I think you could make a case for someone like Jamie Sharper, Scott was such a core part of the mid-2000s defensive identity that this choice just seems right.  

Ray Lewis – Inside Linebacker                        

Ray Lewis is the best player in the history of the franchise. He leads the team in career tackles, and has more than 1000 compared to Terrell Suggs, who is in second. He was selected to 10 All-Pro teams in his 17 year career. He was a two time defensive player of the year. He led the team to a super bowl. He retired a Raven. And to this day, he defines the franchise.

Terrell Suggs – Outside Linebacker

Suggs is likely a top five player in franchise history. The best pass rusher ever on the team, Suggs leads the Ravens in career sacks and is the only player on the team in the 100 sack club, and is 24^th all-time in sack totals. But he’s not just the kind of pass rusher that you wind up and let rush with reckless abandon. He was also strong against the run and great at sniffing out screen passes, and stopping those constraint plays with either an interception or a stop in the backfield. He’s the only player other than Ed Reed and Ray Lewis to win defensive player of the year.

Chris McAlister – Cornerback

The Ravens haven’t had the best corners through the history of the franchise, and McAlister is far and away the best. In his nine year career with the Ravens, McAlister racked up two first team All-Pro appearances and was the closest thing this team has ever had to an absolute shutdown corner.

F̶r̶a̶n̶k̶ ̶W̶a̶l̶k̶e̶r̶Duane Starks – Cornerback

There isn’t exactly a standout choice for the second cornerback on this team (I considered Lardarius Webb), I eventually settled on Starks. While not a terrific player by any means, he racked up the interceptions during his stint on the early 2000 teams and returned an interception for a touchdown in the super bowl.

Rod Woodson – Safety

While the Hall of Fame player put in his best time on the Steelers (ugh), he was also a very good contributor to the Ravens. He led the secondary during the Ravens 2000 super bowl run and earned pick on the second All-Pro team.  

Ed Reed – Safety

While Ray Lewis is definitely the best Ravens player in the history of the franchise, Ed Reed was definitely the most exciting. The eight time All-Pro player and 2004 defensive player of the year was electrifying to watch. He goaded opposing quarterbacks into throwing downfield, ball hawked the interception, and returned it downfield throughout his whole career. A transcendent talent, I’m not sure we’ll ever see a safety who can do what Reed did again.