Raven Country

Ravens' 2018 Draft Class Makes NFL History

Seven years later, the Baltimore Ravens' 2018 draft class looks like a historic one.
Jon Alfano|
Sep 25, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) and Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) celebrate after a touchdown during the first half against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
Sep 25, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) and Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) celebrate after a touchdown during the first half against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

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Entering the 2018 NFL Draft, Ozzie Newsome, who had been the Baltimore Ravens' general manager since they relocated in 1996, knew it'd be his last in charge of the team's front office, as his protege Eric DeCota was set to succeed him after the season.

In spite of that, or maybe because of it, Newsome delivered arguably the best draft class of his illustrious career.

The Ravens' first pick of the draft, tight end Hayden Hurst, admittedly disapppointed in Baltimore, but they made up for that in spades by trading up and selecting two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackso with the final pick of the first round.

Then on Day 2, the Ravens selected offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and tight end Mark Andrews in the third round, both of whom are among the better players at their positions.

Some of their Day 3 picks, such as cornerback Anthony Averett, safety DeShon Elliott, center Bradley Bozeman and defensive lineman Zach Sieler, also ended up becoming impact players, either with Baltimore or another team. That even goes for some undrafted free agents, including cornerback Darious Williams and running back Gus Edwards.

Seven years later, Newsome's final draft class looks like a generational one for not just Baltimore, but the NFL as a whole. With Sieler signing a three-year, $67.75 million extension with the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, the Ravens' 2018 draft class has now generated more money in future contracts than any other in league history, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Jackson, of course, leads the way with an average value of $52 million per year, and that number will only increase when he signs his next contract in the near future. Sieler now comes in second in that metric at $22 million, followed by Brown at $16 million and Andrews at $14 million.

As previously stated, not all of these players became core contributors with Baltimore. In fact, Jackson and Andrews are the only ones still with the Ravens.

However, there's no denying that Newsome put together a simply incredible draft for his swan song.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

Jon is a lead writer for Baltimore Ravens On SI and contributes to other sites around the network as well. The Tampa native previously worked with sites such as ClutchPoints and GiveMeSport and earned his journalism degree at the University of Central Florida.

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