7. LB Terrell Suggs (first round, 2003)
The fact that the 2011 AP Defensive Player of the Year and six-time Pro Bowl linebacker comes in at No. 7 on the list speaks volumes to how well Newsome and the Ravens have drafted over the years as Suggs is the franchise’s all-time sacks leader.
He is also the perfect example of the kind of luck DeCosta referred to as the Ravens were trying to make a trade to move up to the seventh pick to draft Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich in the 2003 draft before a phone snafu wiped out the agreement. Baltimore was forced to “settle” for the Arizona State linebacker with the 10th overall pick and came away with one of the best players in the draft instead of Leftwich, who never panned out as a franchise quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Continue to next page for No. 6
