1. LB Ray Lewis (first round, 1996)
There is no other option for the top spot when you simply try to imagine what the Ravens would have looked like without Lewis before realizing it can’t be done. He is the Baltimore Ravens and the Baltimore Ravens are still him even as the organization approaches its second season without the retired linebacker.
In addition to going down as one of the best defensive players in NFL history, the two-time AP Defensive Player of the Year and 13-time Pro Bowl selection was the player with which Baltimore fans immediately identified as they re-acclimated themselves to life in the NFL after a 12-year absence. His play, charisma, football intelligence, and leadership will simply never be replaced as he helped make countless teammates better than they could have ever imagined, evident by the number of players who went elsewhere and never approached the same level of success that they enjoyed playing with Lewis.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX0MQaBHpDA
