OWINGS MILLS — The Ravens have had a number of great players since their inception in 1996.
But who is the greatest to wear purple and black?
The NFL.com unveiled their “Mount Rushmore” for each of the 32 teams, featuring the four best players in franchises’ history.
It was no surprise Ravens Hall of Famers Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, and Jonathan Ogden made the list. Rounding out the quartet is quarterback Lamar Jackson.
There could be some debate about whether quarterback Joe Flacco should be on that list. Flacco spent 11 seasons in Baltimore and threw for 38,245 yards with 212 touchdowns and 136 interceptions. He led the Ravens to the postseason six times, including three AFC Championship Game appearances.
Flacco is best remembered for his performance in the 2012 postseason when he had 11 touchdown passes and no interceptions en route to a victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII, where he was named MVP.
Flacco suffered a hip injury midway through the 2018 season and was replaced by Jackson, who led the team to the playoffs and became the new franchise quarterback. Jackson hasn’t had the playoff success that Flacco had, going 2-4 in the playoffs.
Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, the Ravens’ all-time sacks leader (132.5 sacks), seven-time Pro Bowler, and AFC Defensive Player of the Year (2011), is another player who deserved consideration.
However, it might be hard to argue with the list.
Here’s a breakdown of the Ravens’ Mount Rushmore
Safety Ed Reed
— The Ravens selected Reed from the University of Miami in the first round (24th overall) of the 2002 NFL draft. Reed played 174 career games and amassed 643 tackles (531 solo), intercepted 64 passes that he returned for 1,590 yards and 7 touchdowns, recorded 6 sacks, and made 13 fumble recoveries. He was a nine-time Pro Bowler. Reed was named All-Pro six times and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2004. Reed was also named to the NFL All-Decade Team of the 2000s.
Linebacker Ray Lewis
— Lewis was a first-round pick (26th overall) in the 1996 NFL draft. He played his entire 17-year career with the Ravens (1996-2012). A 12-time Pro Bowl selection, Lewis received first-team All-Pro honors eight times. He was recognized as the AP Defensive Player of the Year in 2000 and 2003 and was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2000s. Lewis is the only player in NFL history with at least 40 career sacks and 30 career interceptions (41 1/2 sacks and 31 interceptions). He is second only to Hall of Famer Jack Ham (53) in takeaways by a linebacker since the 1970 merger with 50 – 31 interceptions and 19 opponents’ fumble recoveries.
Offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden
— The Ravens used their first-ever draft pick (fourth overall) of the 1996 NFL draft to select Ogden out of UCLA. Ogden spent his entire 12-year career in Baltimore. With Ogden anchoring the offensive line, the Ravens qualified for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history with a 12-4 record. Despite making the postseason as a wild-card team, the Ravens’ playoff run was capped by a dominant 34-7 victory over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV. Ogden is a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2000s. Four months after he announced his retirement, the Ravens inducted him into their Ring of Honor.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson
— Jackson was selected by the Ravens in the first round (32nd overall) in the 2018 NFL draft. He was named NFL MVP last season and in 2019 he was one vote shy of being a unanimous choice. He is the 11th player in NFL history to win the award multiple times. Last season, Jackson threw for 3,678 yards and 24 touchdowns with career highs in completion percentage (67.2) and yards per completion (8) over 16 regular-season games. He also led the Ravens with 821 yards rushing, averaging 5.5 yards per carry and five scores. His seven 50-yard rushing games gave Jackson 54 in his career, tying Michael Vick’s all-time mark for quarterbacks. He also became the first quarterback to run for 700 or more yards in five consecutive seasons. Jackson is 58-19 in the regular season.