The best pick from each NFL draft class in Ravens history

We take a look back at each of the Baltimore Ravens’ drafts to find the best selection the team made.

The Baltimore Ravens have long been considered one of the best teams in the league when it comes to scouting, drafting, and developing players. The Ravens have been a part of 25 NFL drafts since being founded in 1996 and have earned their reputation by finding some real gems at a variety of rounds. In that time, Baltimore has drafted 31 players who have been to a Pro Bowl, 14 players who were named to the All-Pro team, and three players currently enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

However, not every pick or even draft year has been outstanding for the Ravens, with some selections having clearly been better than others. But instead of looking at which players were the best overall, we want to break it down year-by-year to find the best player Baltimore grabbed in every draft throughout franchise history.

Let’s kick it off with that inaugural 1996 season . . .

Jets Free Agent Profile: What to do with QB Joe Flacco?

Jets Wire takes a look at whether or not New York should bring back quarterback and impending free agent Joe Flacco in 2021.

Before Joe Douglas can focus on who he plans on targeting in free agency come March, he’ll have a handful of in-house decisions to make.

The Jets have 25 players set to hit the open market this offseason. Some don’t figure to factor into New York’s plans for 2021, while others it’s safe to assume the Jets would like to keep around for a while. Either way, Douglas has a lot of work to do to put together a competitive roster for Robert Saleh.

Joe Flacco was brought to New York last offseason to mentor Sam Darnold and wound up starting his fair share of games with Darnold on the shelf at different times throughout the year. Flacco played relatively well in relief of Darnold, but that does not necessarily guarantee his return next season.

Should the Jets bring Flacco back in 2021? Let’s evaluate the situation in Jets Wire’s latest free agent profile.

Ravens’ Super Bowl XLVII win ranked among the best since 2000

The Baltimore Ravens second Super Bowl victory was dubbed 5th best of the last two decades and even that might be underselling it.

On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will headline Super Bowl LV. In celebration of yet another champion being crowned, List Wire ranked every Super Bowl over the last 20 years. While the Ravens are naturally featured twice on the list, having won twice over that timespan, it’s Super Bowl XLVII that got the blood pumping.

According to Barry Werner of List Wire, Baltimore beating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII ranks fifth. It’s easy to see why when Werner breaks down the basic story of the game.

“The Ravens were a force and then there was a blackout that turned an apparent easy victory into a nail-biter. Baltimore boasted a tremendous defense that had all sorts of issues with Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers.”

Come on, that’s something you’d expect to see in a movie or made-for-TV special. The Ravens had gotten to a 28-6 lead early in the third quarter thanks to a Jacoby Jones 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. But a power issue caused the stadium to go dark for more than 30 minutes, ultimately seeing the 49ers rally in the second half to put the victor in question. As we all know, Baltimore prevailed, beating San Francisco 34-31 to claim their second Lombardi Trophy in franchise history.

While the game itself was magical and full of twists and turns, the lead up to it was somehow even better.

The Ravens hadn’t been great throughout the regular season, finishing with a 10-6 record to squeak into the playoffs. But, between linebacker Ray Lewis announcing he’d retire at the conclusion of the season and quarterback Joe Flacco having arguably the greatest postseason in NFL history, Baltimore seemingly had everything fall in their favor in what can only be described as a Cinderella story.

The Ravens got matched up with Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts in the wild-card round, giving Lewis one final home game before riding off into the sunset. Up 24-9 in the closing minutes of the game, Lewis lined up at running back while Baltimore was in victory formation, doing his famous squirrel dance to close out his career at M&T Bank Stadium to the cheers of the crowd.

With one game down, the Ravens were matched up against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in the divisional round. It would take double-overtime and a miracle to get the job done, however. Down seven points in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter, Flacco heaved a pass to Jacoby Jones just over the outstretched arms of safety Rahim Moore, seeing him streak into the end zone untouched for an improbable 70-yard touchdown pass that has since been dubbed “The Mile High Miracle.” Kicker Justin Tucker put the final nail in the coffin after a Corey Graham interception gave Baltimore the ball in Denver territory, nailing a 47-yard field goal to win, 38-35, in double overtime.

Now in the AFC Championship, the Ravens needed to go through a familiar foe in Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. It was a rematch of the AFC Championship Game from a year prior that saw New England barely edge out Baltimore, 23-20. This time, however, there would be no Brady heroics. After a tight first half, the Ravens’ defense ratcheted things up in the second half, forcing four turnovers (including a turnover on downs). Meanwhile, Flacco and the offense feasted, putting up 21 unanswered points to win 28-13 to head to New Orleans for Super Bowl XLVII.

Though other Super Bowls were ranked higher, the playoff storylines and the big game itself make the Ravens’ run something special. It’s certainly one Baltimore will never forget.

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Adam Gase has no intention of benching Darnold: ‘Sam is the starter’

Adam Gase gave Sam Darnold his vow of confidence by keeping him as the Jets’ starting quarterback.

Adam Gase and the Jets are not giving up on Sam Darnold after his disappointing return to action on Sunday against the Dolphins.

Darnold, in his first game back from a shoulder injury, didn’t play any differently than he has in the past. He made some nice throws at times, but also made some head-scratching decisions that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from him. Overall, Darnold was 16-27 for 197 yards to go along with two interceptions and a 51 quarterback rating.

When asked if he has considered benching Darnold, Gase put that idea to rest.

“Sam is the starter and we need Sam to play as many snaps as possible,” the coach said, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini.

The Jets offense looked better in its previous two games with Joe Flacco under center, but he won’t be taking the reigns again unless Darnold suffers another injury.

These next five games are an evaluation period for Darnold to see if he can still be the Jets’ franchise quarterback. So far in Darnold’s career, he has yet to prove that he can be, and the Jets are currently in control of the No. 1 pick in the draft, which would surely be Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence.

Darnold also needs to be on the field for the rest of the season if the Jets want to trade him during the offseason. If New York plans on drafting Lawrence or another quarterback, it will look to flip Darnold elsewhere.

Darnold playing well would increase his trade value and give the Jets some extra draft capital to work with. By not playing Darnold at all, it tells other teams that the Jets are afraid that his value will drop — and that they don’t believe he’s all that good.

Gase and the Jets, however, have no plans of going in that direction.

Sam Darnold expected to start vs. Dolphins in Week 12

Sam Darnold is back after missing the past two games with a shoulder injury.

Sam Darnold will be back under center for the Jets in Week 12 after missing the past two games with a shoulder injury, Adam Gase announced Friday.

“It’s been a good week for Sam,” Gase said, according to team reporter Ethan Greenberg. Darnold got a full practice on Thursday after being limited Wednesday.

Gase is especially excited to see Darnold play with a healthy complement of receivers. Breshad Perriman, Denzel Mims and Jamison Crowder are all healthy for the third consecutive game. The Jets averaged 27.5 points per game in the past two contests with Joe Flacco at the helm and a healthy offense.

“Feeling good about that,” Gase added, per SNY. “Excited to see these guys play in this game, the three receivers, the way [Chris] Herndon’s playing.”

It’s been a disappointing third year for Darnold. He’s only thrown for 1,045 yards with three touchdowns and six interceptions in six games this season. Darnold missed the Jets’ first meeting with the Dolphins earlier this season with a shoulder injury that forced him out of Weeks 5 and 6.

The hope, from Gase at least, is Darnold’s return will inspire the offense.

“I think these guys want to see what maybe it could’ve been from the beginning of the year,” Gase added, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini.

Dolphins vs. Jets: 4 things to know about Miami before Week 12

The Dolphins have strung together impressive defense performances that could pose challenges for the Jets.

The last time the Jets faced the Dolphins, they were shut out 24-0 and looked the worst they have all season. That game signaled a deviation between the two squads, one that sent the Jets further down the winless road on their way to possible 0-16 season, while the Dolphins went on to win three of their next four games, build a nice 6-4 record and contend for a playoff berth.

As the teams meet again, not much has changed (except, potentially, the quarterbacks). Tua Tagovailoa will start for the Dolphins after a late-game benching last week, while Joe Flacco could earn his third consecutive start if Sam Darnold’s shoulder isn’t fully healed. While the Jets’ offense looks much improved since that Week 6 loss, they haven’t been able to pull off wins.

They’ll try to change that this Sunday. In the meantime, here are four things to know about the Jets’ Week 12 match with the Dolphins.

9 AFC East stories from last week for Bills fans to know

News from the AFC East for the Buffalo Bills fan.

The need for news from the AFC East is at an all-time high in Western New York. The race for the division crown was recently tightened.

So what’s the latest news in the AFC East? Hint: Good news to follow.

Let’s get right to it now, here are nine stories from the AFC East over the last week for Bills fans to know, starting with a quick Week 11 game recap for each team:

Chargers’ Players of the Game in Week 11 vs. Jets

There were a few standout players in the Chargers’ victory over the Jets.

The Chargers took care of business against the Jets, picking up their third win by the score of 34-28.

There were a few players who contributed to the Week 11 victory. Let’s take a look at who’s deserving of this week’s awards.

Offensive Player of the Game: QB Justin Herbert

Going into the contest, there was a good opportunity for a bounce back game for Herbert, as he was set to face a depleted secondary. The rookie put the team on his back, finishing 37-of-49 passing for 366 yards and three touchdowns. He was composed, in control and had a few highlight reel throws. It won’t come as a surprise if and when we see Herbert win the Offensive Rookie of the Week.

Defensive Player of the Game: CB Tevaughn Campbell

This was a toss up between Campbell, linebacker Denzel Perryman and edge defender Joey Bosa. Perryman made a few energetic plays against the pass and run, showing that he should be retained after this season. Bosa was called for a few penalties, including a questionable roughing the passer call, but his presence was felt against the pass. Campbell, however, made two clutch plays that had a big impact, an interception returned for a touchdown and the game-ensuing pass deflection.

Special Teams Player of the Game: K Michael Badgley

The special teams woes continued today. But Badgley continued to overcome his blunders from earlier this season, finishing perfect on all six of his kicks, including a long of 44 yards. One of these days, it will be someone other than Badgley, hopefully.

Sam Ficken, Denzel Mims among Jets’ Studs & Duds in Week 11 loss to Chargers

Jets Wire takes a look at the Jets studs and duds from the team’s 34-28 loss against the Chargers on Sunday.

While the Jets fell short for the 10th time this season in Sunday’s 34-28 loss, it wasn’t a typical loss for Gang Green.

The Jets went into the break down 24-6 in a game that looked like an absolute rout. Dowell Loggains forgot his top three receivers existed, while the Jets had no answer for Justin Herbert or Keenan Allen. Herbert threw for 277 yards in the first half, while Allen went over 100 yards receiving.

Then, the roles reversed. The Jets offense enjoyed an offensive surge that led to 20 points, but it wasn’t enough. The Jets had a chance to tie the game at the end, but they ultimately came up short in another game that was a tale of two halves.

Let’s take a look at New York’s best and worst from the Week 11 loss.

Porous secondary among 4 takeaways from Jets’ Week 11 loss to Chargers

The Jets offense looked great, but couldn’t make up for the defense’s mistakes in the Week 11 loss.

For as well as the Jets offense played in the second half, it wasn’t enough to make up for an absentee first half and poor day defensively.

The Jets scored at least 20 points for a second consecutive week and it still wasn’t enough to win because the Chargers ran wild for three-and-a-half quarters on a banged-up New York defense. Joe Flacco looked solid despite a bad pick-six to start the day and the combination of Denzel Mims and Breshad Perriman looked fantastic again.

The defense was the problem in this one, particularly in the secondary. Justin Herbert had his best passing game as an NFL quarterback and the Chargers scored on five of their 10 possessions.

New York is now to 0-10. As a winless season continues, here are four takeaways from the latest loss.