Baltimore Ravens legends, including one current star, recognized by PFF as the NFL's cream of the crop since the turn of the millennium

The Baltimore Ravens are one of the NFL’s most successful franchises since the turn of the millennium. With a 244-160 regular season record and two Lombardi Trophies to their name since the year 2000, the Ravens have become synonymous with success. As a matter of fact, only three NFL franchises have a better win percentage […]

Kyle Crabbs — NFL National Writer
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Ray Lewis
George Walker IV / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Baltimore Ravens are one of the NFL’s most successful franchises since the turn of the millennium. With a 244-160 regular season record and two Lombardi Trophies to their name since the year 2000, the Ravens have become synonymous with success. As a matter of fact, only three NFL franchises have a better win percentage than Baltimore’s .601 since 2000 — the New England Patriots, the Green Bay Packers, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

As you’d expect with that degree of success, the Ravens boast a number of standout talents from this period of time. Some, such as franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson, are still in the prime of their career. Who knows what the story for his legacy will hold when it is all said and done. Others, such as Baltimore legends Ed Reed and Ray Lewis, have already had their football immortality cemented with a place in Canton, Ohio.

Pro Football Focus recently set out to honor the best players at each position over the last 25 years — crafting an All-PFF roster from talent since 2000. The Ravens?They’re quite well represented. A grand total of four Baltimore Ravens made the list, including the Pro Football Hall of Fame duo of Reed and Lewis:

  1. RB Derrick Henry (1 year in Baltimore and counting)
  2. OG Marshal Yanda (13 years in Baltimore)
  3. LB Ray Lewis (17 years in Baltimore)
  4. FS Ed Reed (11 years in Baltimore)

The inclusion of Henry on the list is a nice bonus for the Ravens, who saw their first year tied to Henry produce a monster rushing attack and nearly 2,000 yards on the ground. And, thanks to his recent 2-year contract extension, Henry may well push his Ravens years to the foreground of the conversation around his overall resume when his playing days are over. Particularly if he can be a part of the puzzle for the Ravens to collect that elusive third Lombardi Trophy.

There should be no surprises for the rest of the list, although Yanda may want to have his representatives tack PFF’s blurb onto his case for the next round of voting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“Yanda’s best pass-blocking campaign came in 2016, when he allowed the lowest pressure rate in a season (1.0%) for his position (minimum 450 pass-blocking snaps) and didn't let up a single sack or quarterback hit. He stands as the only offensive guard to rank in the top five in career PFF overall grade (93.6), career PFF run-blocking grade (91.7) and career PFF pass-blocking grade (91.3) among 274 qualifying players since 2006.” – Pro Football Focus

Yanda finished as a finalist for the Class of 2025 in his first season of eligibility before falling short when the voting was complete. But as the All-PFF team exercise points out, few offensive linemen boast a better resume of excellence in recent memory. 

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