Who are our top 5 best/worst draft picks of all-time?

[Warren2621]

I think an argument could be made for Torrey Smith. The addition of him took the offense to another level, along with many other factors, but still, without Smith the offense would have never finally transformed.

1. Ray
2. Reed
3. Ogden
4. Ngata
5. Suggs

1. Boller
2. Travis Taylor
3. Terrance Cody

[MARYLANDMIKE21224]

[quote name='Blackbirds Rule' timestamp='1365092988' post='1424788']
Jay Graham, Yamon Figurs and Gooden were 3rd round picks. 3rd round picks aren't supposed to be dominant or become probowl players. They are fringe starters and depth players for the most part. 1st and 2nd round picks are the only ones I see that can be busts.
[/quote] yanda,webb,pierce, dickson are far from fringe players all 3rd rounders

[Blackbirds Rule]

[quote name='MARYLANDMIKE21224' timestamp='1365685997' post='1430717']
yanda,webb,pierce, dickson are far from fringe players all 3rd rounders
[/quote]

True but Yanda was drafted to play RT and once converted to a G blew up. Webb and Pierce panned out for us but usually 3rd rounders are hit and miss. They sometimes become better than the first rounders but they usually always find the roster as depth guys. Ozzie struck gold with Webb, Pierce, and Yanda. Dickson not so much his hands are a little inconsistent but luckily we double dipped and got Pitta.

[The King]

Best:
1. Ray Lewis
2. Jon Ogden
3. Ed Reed
4. Joe Flacco
5. Terrell Suggs

Honorable Mention: Adalius Thomas for being such a great contributor for a late round pick, which I wasn't quite sure how to weight into evaluating their contributions.

Worst:
1. Kyle Boller
2. Travis Taylor
3. Mark Clayton
4. Kyle Boller
5. Sergio Kindle

Seriously, Kyle Boller was awful. And we gave up so much to get him that he deserves to be mentioned twice.
5.

[TheRavengers]

Boller was easily the worst, followed by Sergio Kindle and Mark Clayton IMO.

Even funnier about this is that when they picked Boller the Patriots ended up with their pick, which was Vince Wilfork.....and look at him now.

[black blood purple passion]

what I find funnier is when there are franchises that have been in the league a long time and people complain about the 5 or 6 guys that aren't on their teams list. Its only five people, be blessed and take solace in the fact that you're team has drafted so well over the years and don't attack the author. That said I feel blessed to have a debate over the top 5 given the fact our team is so young relatively speaking, thats a good problem to have.

[JohnnyBoy8102]

I figured to see more DeRon Jenkins mentions in this thread.

He was a top 60 pick in '96 (30 picks or so after Ray) and had a lot of Frank Walker in him.

The Ravens did get great value in the 5th Round with Jermaine Lewis. (Obviously their two 1st round picks were incredible value.)

[izvoodoo]

[quote name='JohnnyBoy8102' timestamp='1365986403' post='1433767']
I figured to see more DeRon Jenkins mentions in this thread.

He was a top 60 pick in '96 (30 picks or so after Ray) and had a lot of Frank Walker in him.

The Ravens did get great value in the 5th Round with Jermaine Lewis. (Obviously their two 1st round picks were incredible value.)
[/quote]
Brian Dawkins was like 5 picks later too.

[JohnnyBoy8102]

[quote name='izvoodoo' timestamp='1365990469' post='1433797']

Brian Dawkins was like 5 picks later too.
[/quote]

Good point. Imagine he and Ray as teammates throughout their careers. That amount of intensity would be ridiculous!

[HoldingCall]

TOP FIVE
Ray Lewis
Ed Reed
Jonathan Ogdon
Jamal Lewis
Terrell Suggs

[izvoodoo]

[quote name='JohnnyBoy8102' timestamp='1365997493' post='1433867']
Good point. Imagine he and Ray as teammates throughout their careers. That amount of intensity would be ridiculous!
[/quote]
Couldn't order coffee without pyrotechnics.

[edreedfromtheu]

[quote name='ravensfan2430' timestamp='1365092020' post='1424778']
I'd switch Cody and Clayton. I'm convinced we didn't use him correctly. He started to play well for a short time with the Rams
[/quote]

AND he was playing with BOLLER.

Boller HAS to be the absolute worst pick. Sure, he stayed longer than come of the other names on your list... but that's because he was hand-picked by Billick, and he was getting paid a lot of money!

Kyle Boller not only couldn't throw... but he was one ofthe worst QBs at handing the ball off. I imagine Jamal Lewis would have had even better numbers if he wasn't having to guess what in the world Boller was doing on running plays. Tripping over his own two feet. Turning the wrong direction. And pitching the ball when it's supposed to be a handoff.

Boller, hands down... the worst.

Tavares Gooden, Sergio Kindle, Dan Cody, were all bad... but Boller takes the cake.

There's only one RECENT pick I consider REALLY GOOD. Torrey Smith. Obviously, he's a great player. But I'm even more shocked the Ravens took him because it was viewed by a lot that he was only popular because he was local to the area. And after seeing Heyward-Bey come out a year earlier... it put even more doubt in people's minds. I wanted them to take him, as I knew he was a stud and really only limited by Maryland's offense and QB. Unlike Heyward-Bey... Smith showed up EVERY week, and actually ran routes. I didn't think the Ravens would take him, but they did... and I have to say that's probably top 5 for me.

Besides the obvious picks early in the Ravens history... it's hard to pick any GREAT draft picks. Lately, I feel they've manipulated the free agency market better than they've drafted.

When they got Leach, Jacoby Jones, Pollard... Boldin... Justin Tucker signed as a free agent.

Recently, when the Ravens have had a pick high enough to do anything with.... they trade it. I can't think of a GREAT pick the last couple years. I guess the closest would be Pitta.


And to add a little dimension to the topic... I think we can all agree that Michael Oher was the most over-hyped draft pick due to the storyline ESPN and Hollywood fed us. He did play pretty great his rookie year though.

[Blackbirds Rule]

[quote name='edreedfromtheu' timestamp='1366052713' post='1434210']


AND he was playing with BOLLER.

Boller HAS to be the absolute worst pick. Sure, he stayed longer than come of the other names on your list... but that's because he was hand-picked by Billick, and he was getting paid a lot of money!

Kyle Boller not only couldn't throw... but he was one ofthe worst QBs at handing the ball off. I imagine Jamal Lewis would have had even better numbers if he wasn't having to guess what in the world Boller was doing on running plays. Tripping over his own two feet. Turning the wrong direction. And pitching the ball when it's supposed to be a handoff.

Boller, hands down... the worst.

Tavares Gooden, Sergio Kindle, Dan Cody, were all bad... but Boller takes the cake.

There's only one RECENT pick I consider REALLY GOOD. Torrey Smith. Obviously, he's a great player. But I'm even more shocked the Ravens took him because it was viewed by a lot that he was only popular because he was local to the area. And after seeing Heyward-Bey come out a year earlier... it put even more doubt in people's minds. I wanted them to take him, as I knew he was a stud and really only limited by Maryland's offense and QB. Unlike Heyward-Bey... Smith showed up EVERY week, and actually ran routes. I didn't think the Ravens would take him, but they did... and I have to say that's probably top 5 for me.

Besides the obvious picks early in the Ravens history... it's hard to pick any GREAT draft picks. Lately, I feel they've manipulated the free agency market better than they've drafted.

When they got Leach, Jacoby Jones, Pollard... Boldin... Justin Tucker signed as a free agent.

Recently, when the Ravens have had a pick high enough to do anything with.... they trade it. I can't think of a GREAT pick the last couple years. I guess the closest would be Pitta.


And to add a little dimension to the topic... I think we can all agree that Michael Oher was the most over-hyped draft pick due to the storyline ESPN and Hollywood fed us. He did play pretty great his rookie year though.
[/quote]

Osemele, McPhee, Jones, Upshaw, Pierce, Pitta, we'll find out about Gino, and I personally like RT Oher. We'll find out about Jackson, Doss, Cody, Thompson, Streeter, and Smith this year.

[The Raven Effect]

Top 5 BEST picks: Top 5 WORST Picks:
1. Ray Lewis. 1. Kyle Boller
2. Jon Ogden. 2. Mark Clayton (Could've had A-Rod)
3. Ed Reed. 3. Sergio Kindle
4. Joe Flacco. 4. David Pittman
5. Marshall Yanda. 5. DeRon Jenkins

[Blackbirds Rule]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000162813/article/baltimore-ravens-best-and-worst-draft-picks

 

Here's what NFL.com thought about our top 5 and bottom 5 draft picks.

 

1. Ogden/ Lewis

2. Flacco

3. Reed

4. Rice

5. Lewis

 

Worst 5

 

1. Boller

2. Taylor

3. Clayton

4. Jimmy Smith

5. Empty as homage to Ozzie

[Alexir]

Sorry but I think it's stupid to put Dan Cody or Sergio in category of worst. Injuries can't be foreseen.

Travis Taylor is the worst, hands down

[Alexir]

Top 5 BEST picks: Top 5 WORST Picks:
1. Ray Lewis. 1. Kyle Boller
2. Jon Ogden. 2. Mark Clayton (Could've had A-Rod)
3. Ed Reed. 3. Sergio Kindle
4. Joe Flacco. 4. David Pittman
5. Marshall Yanda. 5. DeRon Jenkins

Mark Clayton over TT?.... TT was 10th overall pick....

[Cville-Raven]

Boller was easily the worst, followed by Sergio Kindle and Mark Clayton IMO.

Even funnier about this is that when they picked Boller the Patriots ended up with their pick, which was Vince Wilfork.....and look at him now.

how can you say Clayton and not say Travis Taylor

[Cville-Raven]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000162813/article/baltimore-ravens-best-and-worst-draft-picks

Here's what NFL.com thought about our top 5 and bottom 5 draft picks.

1. Ogden/ Lewis
2. Flacco
3. Reed
4. Rice
5. Lewis

Worst 5

1. Boller
2. Taylor
3. Clayton
4. Jimmy Smith
5. Empty as homage to Ozzie

LOL Jimmy smith is only in his third year.

[jdynamite]

Jay Graham, Yamon Figurs and Gooden were 3rd round picks. 3rd round picks aren't supposed to be dominant or become probowl players. They are fringe starters and depth players for the most part. 1st and 2nd round picks are the only ones I see that can be busts.

I have mixed feelings about that, while I understand what you're saying ( that 1st and 2nd round picks carry the "potential" label which should come with expectations of success from fans ). Sometimes you might see a player more in college and think they will be successful in the NFL and just because they slip a round or 2 in the draft doesn't lower those expectations at times.

Ex from the 2013 draft ( Damontre Moore 3rd, Quinton Patton 3rd, Keenan Allen 3rd ) I think these are a few guys that will be very productive in the league and that the draft process just lead to over-analyzing.

Also I feel that when a player is given chances and opportunities to make an impact but don't they can also qualify as a bust.
For me that is Tavares Gooden ( yes injuries played a part in but also he just couldn't beat out McClain and Ellerbe although Gooden possessed superior athletic ability in comparison to them.

[Crabcakes&Football]

I got you if we had hopes for him being our next great LT of the future than this is definitely a bust. Since he's still able to contribute at a good level on the other side of the line takes him out of the bust equation IMO. If he couldn't play RT and we were trying him at G or C and he couldn't play there either he would be a huge bust then.

For the reliable and durable point. Has he missed any games? Has he complained about having to go from the LT spot to the RT spot and vice versa? When we went to Denver against Dumervil and Von Miller did they constantly harass Flacco? Miller had 17 sacks and aside from the one play was a non factor going against Oher the entire game. My opinion is that he's barely average on the left but he's really close to elite on the right side. I'd love for us to be able to keep him there. I also like that if our LT can't play or gets hurt he has the ability to play that side and not get Joe killed.

 

This. I don't get the hate for Oher at all. And he was just as big a part of that playoff O-line as anybody, he shut down some pretty impressive pass rushers at RT. I don't get how anyone can consider him a bust.

[GrimCoconut]

This. I don't get the hate for Oher at all. And he was just as big a part of that playoff O-line as anybody, he shut down some pretty impressive pass rushers at RT. I don't get how anyone can consider him a bust.

He's far from a terrible player or bust. He's just been wildly inconsistent. He's one of my favorite Ravens players. I love his attitude. The problem is he is and has been just wildly inconsistent. People hate on him because they know he can do better.

Sometimes he doesn't give his full effort. That's another problem of his. I've seen him take plays off. You can't do that.

[Raven07]

1.Ray Lewis.........we all know why

2. Jonathan Ogden.........1st Ravens draft pick ever, superbowl 35 champ, overall nice guy and dominant LT

2.Joe Flacco....... Super Bowl 47 Champ and MVP, nice guy, Our franchise QB

3. Torrey Smith, outstanding WR, extremely nice guy, our number 1 Reciever. 

4.Jamie Sharper, equally as important man on our Super 25 history making defense

4. Ray Rice, workhorse RB, stands up for what he believes in, very nice guy, humble guy

5. Ed Reed, etched in stone by him, he defined what it meant to be a Raven, a HOF player and the best safety in the game.

5. Peter Boulware, dominant player for us, crucial part of our history making defense.

[ravensdan]

Why do I keep seeing mark Clayton show up? He was far from a bottom 5 draft pick. He actually played fairly well here despite being used improperly and really blew up for Sam Bradford in his rookie year before getting a really devastating injury. I would say the combo of poor coaching and poor qb okay on our part stunted Clayton. He would not be a bottom 5 draft pick by any stretch if the imagination. Travis Taylor certainly belongs in that group.

[GrimCoconut]

Why do I keep seeing mark Clayton show up? He was far from a bottom 5 draft pick. He actually played fairly well here despite being used improperly and really blew up for Sam Bradford in his rookie year before getting a really devastating injury. I would say the combo of poor coaching and poor qb okay on our part stunted Clayton. He would not be a bottom 5 draft pick by any stretch if the imagination. Travis Taylor certainly belongs in that group.

I agree. Clayton's not that bad. Everyone remembers those mistakes, especially the one against the Patriots. He was used really bad & then had terrible quarterbacks throwing to him. He wasn't meant to ever be a burner. Not sure why he was used as such. 

[Free Agent]

I agree. Clayton's not that bad. Everyone remembers those mistakes, especially the one against the Patriots. He was used really bad & then had terrible quarterbacks throwing to him. He wasn't meant to ever be a burner. Not sure why he was used as such. 

 

Well we can blame Cam for how he was used.

 

Clayton was an interesting WR. He wasn't particularly fast or quick, he didn't have any more than average hands, and he was only 5'10. There was nothing especially special about him. I'm sure he could've been better, had Cam not been around, but as you said, the mistakes are what stuck in everyone's minds.

[ravensdan]

Well we can blame Cam for how he was used.

Clayton was an interesting WR. He wasn't particularly fast or quick, he didn't have any more than average hands, and he was only 5'10. There was nothing especially special about him. I'm sure he could've been better, had Cam not been around, but as you said, the mistakes are what stuck in everyone's minds.

He actually was looking like a pretty savvy route runner who got open really well his last year before the injury.