Who else could be number one?

Ray Lewis, selected 26th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft—the second pick in Ravens history after Jonathan Ogden—did more than just play for the team; he defined it. Coming out of Miami as an undersized middle linebacker, Lewis brought exceptional sideline-to-sideline speed, sharp instincts, and a contagious, fierce energy that shaped Baltimore's defensive reputation for almost twenty years.

Lewis revolutionized his role with an unmatched mix of sideline-to-sideline coverage, aggressive leverage, and pre-snap intelligence. Instead of relying only on brute strength against offensive linemen, he used elite footwork to slip past isolation blocks and cut off running lanes early, preventing plays from developing. A passionate film student, Lewis often decoded opposing formations and pre-snap calls, alerting teammates to the intended play before the snap. During his prime, he had the fluid hips and top-end speed to cover deep routes, running stride-for-stride with boundary receivers on vertical passes. Up front, enormous defensive tackles like Tony Siragusa, Sam Adams, and Haloti Ngata kept guards and centers away from him, giving Lewis the freedom to pursue plays downhill, analyze angles, and deliver powerful hits in open space.

His influence was immediate. As a rookie in 1996, Lewis led Baltimore with 110 tackles. In 1997, he surpassed all NFL players with 184 tackles, including a league-record 156 solo stops, earning his first Pro Bowl. By 1999, after recording 165 combined tackles, he received his first First-Team All-Pro honor.

His masterclass took place during the historic 2000 season. As the key figure in a defense that set the NFL record for fewest points allowed in 16 games (165), Lewis earned his first AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. He concluded that season by being named Super Bowl XXXV MVP after dominating the New York Giants in a 34–7 victory, making him only the second defensive player in league history to win both awards in a single season.

As his career advanced, Lewis transitioned smoothly. Working under defensive coordinators Marvin Lewis, Rex Ryan, and Dean Pees, he served as a defensive coach on the field. As his sideline speed diminished with age, he gained weight to become a powerful downhill B-gap defender, increasingly depending on his pre-snap reads to anticipate plays.

In 2003, Lewis secured his second Defensive Player of the Year award, recording six interceptions and 163 tackles. He earned First-Team All-Pro honors again in 2008 and 2009, surpassing 110 tackles each season while mentoring rising stars such as Terrell Suggs and Ed Reed. His career culminated in 2012 when he returned from a torn triceps for what he called his "Last Ride" playoff run, leading all defenders in tackles during the postseason and winning Super Bowl XLVII.

Lewis stands as the only player in NFL history to record at least 40 sacks and 30 interceptions in a career, finishing with 41.5 sacks and 31 interceptions.

Lewis retired after the 2012 championship, having played all 228 regular-season games with the Ravens. He is the NFL's all-time leader in combined tackles (2,059). Inducted into the Ravens Ring of Honor in 2013 and honored with a bronze statue outside M&T Bank Stadium, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018 on his first ballot. He also earned spots on both the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.