Raven Country

Ravens' History at the 27th Pick

The Baltimore Ravens are locked and loaded at the 27th pick in the first round of the NFL Draft, a position they've held twice before.
Henry Brown|
Aug 19, 2020; Owings Mills, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith (22) warms up before the morning session of training camp at Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Aug 19, 2020; Owings Mills, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith (22) warms up before the morning session of training camp at Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

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Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens have spent the majority of their three decades of existence without having to worry about whether they'll land at the top of the NFL Draft order, usually armed with an elite defense and a field general capable of winning Super Bowls, MVPs or both.

Despite having only played 29 seasons in Baltimore, the Ravens have cashed in on 18 first round picks from the 20th position or later, hitting more often than missing. They used 1996's #26 pick, the second of their first ever draft, on Ray Lewis, and went on to snag other all-time greats like Ed Reed and Lamar Jackson with more of those late first-rounders.

The team was assigned the 27th pick following their most recent 12-5 season, marking the third time that the franchise has been granted this exact spot in the draft. Neither of the prospects who the team locked in on have made any Pro Bowl or All Pro appearances, but the team has yet to swing and miss when picking at #27.

The first player they scooped up from there, Jimmy Smith, more or less kicked off a consistent 15-year stretch stretch in which the Ravens picked around this late stage in the first round every year.

Smith paid off Baltimore's trust in him by rattling off 11 years as a mainstay in the dreaded Ravens' secondary, appearing in at least 10 games in all but two seasons. He appeared in Super Bowl XLVII, playing a part in the Ravens beating the San Fransisco 49ers 34-31, and participated in 10 playoff games before retiring in 2022 as a franchise lifer.

He overlapped with fellow #26 pick Rashod Bateman for one season, briefly sharing a locker room with the platoon wide receiver.

25-year-old Bateman's story is far from over, as he's spent just four seasons as a regular aerial target for Jackson in starting in 26 of the 33 games he's played over the last to years. He did catch nine touchdowns last year in a mini-breakout, easily surpassing leading receiver Zay Flowers and coming up just short of Mark Andrews, who roped in 11 catches in the end zone. Like Smith, a nice supporting player to roster who, too, offers some exciting long-term potential.

The Ravens have a history of extracting positive value out of their draft picks, no matter the positioning. Mock drafts continue guessing that they'll take a defensive weapon like Georgia's Malaki Starks or an offensive tackle like former Buckeye Josh Simmons, but we can safely assume that General Manager Eric DeCosta and friends know what they're doing in this range.

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Henry Brown
HENRY BROWN

Henry covers the Washington Wizards and Baltimore Ravens with prior experience as a sports reporter with The Baltimore Sun, the Capital Gazette and The Lead. A Bowie, MD native, he earned his Journalism degree at the University of Maryland.

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