Best of Ravens Homegrown Defense Since 2000

Strong Safety: Kyle Hamilton (Round 1, 2022)

After just three years in the league, he is already widely regarded as the best and most versatile defensive back in the league, capable of playing either safety spot, nickel and dime linebacker. Hamilton has been voted to the Pro Bowl and an All Pro team in each of the past two seasons and has entered perennial Defensive Player of the Year contender territory. He is on pace to potentially join Reed in Canton someday if he can continue to produce at an elite level and keep finding more ways to elevate his game. Over the past two seasons alone, Hamilton has posted five interceptions, five sacks, 14 tackles for loss, 22 pass breakups, three forced fumbles, 10 quarterback hits and 188 total tackles.

Cornerback No. 1: Marlon Humphrey (Round 1, 2017)

The longest tenured defender on the Ravens' current roster became the most decorated homegrown player at his position this past season when he surpassed Chris McAlister for the most career Pro Bowl and First Team All Pro bids with the fourth and second honors of his career, respectively. In 2024, Humphrey doubled his previous career single-season high in interceptions with six, which led both the Ravens and the AFC as a whole. He is one of the best and most dynamic corners in the game, capable of dominating on the boundary as well as the slot and has a shot to be the Ravens' first homegrown corner to earn a gold jacket.

Cornerback No. 2: Jimmy Smith (Round 1, 2011)

While injuries plagued him for stretches of his career, when he was on the field, Smith played at an elite level and made big plays. The most clutch moment of his career came on a two-play sequence in the final minutes of Super Bowl 47 in 2012 when he forced back-to-back incompletions on passes to secure the Ravens' goal-line stand and force a turnover on downs. He was a fixture of the secondary for the bulk of his 11-year career and played his best against the NFL's elite wide receivers as their No. 1 outside cornerback, and was a great mentor for Humphrey in the early part of his career. Smith ranks top 10 in franchise history in pass breakups (74) and interceptions (14) and he scored three defensive touchdowns, with two coming via pick-six and one on a fumble recovery.

Cornerback No. 3: Lardarius Webb (Round 3, 2009)

The nine-year veteran was one of the best and most versatile corners of his generation for the first half of his career, with his ability to play on the outside and slot at an elite level. He should've been a Pro Bowler at least twice in his first five seasons when he recorded 20-plus pass breakups, two-plus interceptions and 60-plus total tackles but was snubbed in favor of a declining Champ Bailey in 2011 and Brandon Flowers in 2013, who didn't have nearly as impressive a stat line. Webb also finished his career in the top 10 in franchise history in pass breakups (91) and interceptions (15).

Outside Linebacker: Terrell Suggs (Round 1, 2003)

Not only is he the most prolific pass rusher and iconic personality in franchise history, but the NFL has ever seen as well. Suggs is the Ravens' all-time sack leader with 132.5, ranks top 10 all-time in league history with 139 and his 202 tackles for loss are the most ever by any NFL player since the stat started being recorded. During his 16-year tenure in Baltimore, he made seven Pro Bowls, was voted to a pair of All Pro teams, named Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

Outside Linebacker: Adalius Thomas (Round 6, 2000)

The former late-round gem edged out another in the 2016 fifth-rounder, Matt Judon, for this spot on the list. Their stats during their respective tenures with the team are comparable, but Thomas has a slight edge when it comes to sacks (38.5-34.5) and tackles for loss (58-54). While both players were versatile enough to play in coverage, Thomas was far superior in that aspect of the game and was the only one of the two who not only recorded double-digit sacks as a Raven but got voted to an All Pro team. He was also on a Super Bowl-winning team as a rookie and recorded six interceptions, 13 forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries during his seven seasons with the team.

Inside Linebacker: CJ Mosely (Round 1, 2014)

Despite only playing half of his 10 seasons with the Ravens, he ranks in the top 10 in franchise history in total tackles (579), tackles for loss (43), solo tackles (387), assisted tackles (192) and interceptions (nine). Mosley earned the nickname 'Half-Man-Half-Amazing' for his incredible ability as an all-around playmaker who excelled at stopping the run and defending he pass. He made four of his five career Pro Bowls in his five seasons as a Raven and made Second Team All Pro in each of those years as well.

Inside Linebacker: Bart Scott (Undrafted, 2002)

The lone undrafted free agent beat out 2020 first-rounder Patrick Queen for this spot on the list because while they both were voted to the Pro Bowl and Second Team All Pro once as Ravens, they got more years of high-end play from Scott, who was offered and signed a second contract with the team. After spending three seasons as a special-teams ace to begin his career, he went on to record three straight seasons of 90-plus total tackles and finished his seven-year tenure with the team ranked in the top 10 in total tackles (448) and solo tackles (322).

Defensive Tackle: Haloti Ngata (Round 1, 2006)

During the prime of his career and the bulk of his nine-year tenure with the Ravens, he was arguably the single-most dominant interior defensive lineman in the league. Ngata commanded double teams anytime he was on the field and they often still weren't enough to stop him from blowing up plays in the backfield and pressuring opposing quarterbacks by planting centers and guards in their laps. He made five straight Pro Bowls and All Pro Teams from 2009-2013 and finished his stint with the team ranked third in franchise history in quarterback hits (74), seventh in tackles for loss (51) and 11th in sacks (25.5).

Nose Tackle: Brandon Williams (Round 3, 2013)

The Ravens have had some legendary zero and one-techniques throughout the franchise's rich history, but while most came over from other teams, the player nicknamed 'Big Baby' was the best homegrown talent of the bunch. Williams was vital to the defense's ability to consistently maintain its elite standard of dominant run defenses throughout his career, earning Pro Bowl honors once and finishing his career as a Raven with 6.5 sacks, 19 quarterback hits and 33 tackles for loss, which ties for the 15th-most in franchise history.

Defensive Tackle: Nnamdi Madubuike (Round 3, 2020)

In just five seasons in the league, he has blossomed into one of the most disruptive interior presences in the game when it comes to both getting after opposing quarterbacks and knifing into the backfield to blow up run plays. Madubuike has been voted to each of the last two Pro Bowls, was a Second Team All Pro in his breakout 2023 season and has racked up 25 sacks over the last three years combined. He already ranks either in or just outside of the top 10 in franchise history in career sacks (28-eighth), quarterback hits (66-fifth) and tackles for loss (40-11th).