6. DT Haloti Ngata (first round, 2006)
As if five Pro Bowl selections weren’t enough, Ngata’s high standing on this list can also be attributed to the timing of his arrival. The Baltimore defense quickly became a force despite the post-2001 cap purge but lacked the strong presence in the trenches to not only help control the line of scrimmage but keep blockers off Ray Lewis, who had increasingly become disenchanted with the franchise in an ugly ending to the 2005 season.
Those hard feelings were all but remedied when Newsome moved up a slot from No. 13 to the 12th overall selection to bring in the University of Oregon tackle in 2006. Not only did Lewis enjoy a renaissance of sorts over the next few years, but Ngata has made his mark as one of the better players in franchise history with a rare combination of size and athleticism.
Continue to next page for No. 5
Nestor Aparicio
Baltimore Positive is the vision and the creative extension of four decades of sharing the love of local sports for this Dundalk native and University of Baltimore grad, who began his career as a sportswriter and music critic at The News American and The Baltimore Sun in the mid-1980s. Launched radio career in December 1991 with Kenny Albert after covering the AHL Skipjacks. Bought WNST-AM 1570 in July 1998, created WNST.net in 2007 and began diversifying conversations on radio, podcast and social media as Baltimore Positive in 2016. nes@baltimorepositive.com
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