The 2026 NFL season is here, and we have updated our Pre-Season Football Monitor.

As we have expanded our projects, we can’t say we've expanded the team behind the scenes!  As a result, we are a little behind on this one, and we could only post the top 50 of the Pre-Season Monitor at this time.

We will add more during the season (and yes, we know that defeats the purpose of pre-season), but thank you for your patience.

We have unveiled the Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends, Offensive Linemen, and Defensive Linemen/Linebackers/Pass Rushers/EDGE.  We now have our 4 Defensive Linemen/Linebackers/Interior Linemen.

They are:

#1 DL/LB/IL, #1 Overall: Bobby Wagner, Free Agent, #2 Last Year.

#2 DL/LB/IL, #30 Overall: Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers, #22 Overall Last Year.

#3 DL/LB/IL, #31 Overall: Roquan Smith, Baltimore Ravens, #39 Overall Last Year.

#4 DL/LB/IL, #48 Overall: DeMario Davis, New Orleans Saints, #47 Overall Last Year.

Look for more updates soon!

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we maintain and update our existing Top 50 lists annually.  We are pleased to present our pre-2026 revision of our top 50 Baltimore Ravens.

As for all of our top 50 players in football, we look at the following: 

1.  Duration and Impact.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.

3.  Advanced Statistics.

4.  Playoff performance.

5. Their respective legacy on the team.

6. How successful the team was when he was there.

7. Respecting the era in which they played.

Criteria 1-4 will make up the lion’s share of the algorithm.  Please note that we have implemented this for the first time.  This has changed the rankings all throughout the board.

Last year, the Ravens had a horrible start and struggled to get back into the thick of the playoff race.  They failed to advance, finishing 8-9, but the team was still loaded with talent, with four new entrants and four elevations.

As always, we present our top five, which saw a change at the list’s top tier.

1. Ray Lewis 
2. Ed Reed
3. Jonathan Ogden
4. Lamar Jackson
5. Terrell Suggs

You can find the complete list here:

Within the top five, Quarterback Lamar Jackson moved up from #5 to #4.   A Super Bowl is what will likely be needed in the next two years to move him into the top three.

Cornerback Marlon Humphrey moved to #11 from #14.

Offensive Lineman Ronnie Stanley rocketed to #13 from #19.

Defensive star Roquan Smith went from #26 to #16.

Tight End Mark Andrews exploded to #18 from #30.

The highest new entry is Safety Kyle Hamilton.  The three-time Pro Bowl Selection debuts at #29.

Center Tyler Linderbaum, who, like Hamilton, is a three-time Pro Bowler, enters the list at #31.

Running Back Derrick Henry explodes on the list at #37.

The fourth new entrant is Wide Receiver Zay Flowers.  He debuts at #50.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2023 revision of our top 50 Baltimore Ravens.

As for all of our top 50 players in football, we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Ravens again made it to the playoffs and boasted the league MVP in Lamar Jackson.  They did not make it to the Super Bowl, but there was significant movement with two new names and five elevations.

As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes:

1. Ray Lewis
2. Ed Reed
3. Jonathan Ogden
4. Terrell Suggs
5. Marshal Yanda

You can find the entire list here.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson, who added his second MVP, moves up to #6 from #10.  With another good year, Jackson should be able to overtake Yanda to enter the top five.

Cornerback Marlon Humphrey edged up two spots to #21.

Offensive Tackle Ronnie Stanley moved up to #26 from #38.

Tight End Mark Andrews rose to #32 from #35.

The first debut is Linebacker Roquan Smith, arguably the best defensive player on the Ravens roster going into 2024.  He has not been with Baltimore for long but has already had two First Team All-Pros as a Raven.  He debuts at #41.

Now with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cornerback Patrick Queen reached #42 from #46.

The second new entrant is Defensive Tackle Justin Madubuike, who was a Pro Bowl Selection for the first time comes in at #43.

Please note that Kicker Justin Tucker remains at #9.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

The Chicago Bears picked eighth overall in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Roquan Smith, from Georgia, proved himself as a top-tier interior linebacker from the start. After a successful early period with Chicago, contract talks stalled before 2022. Sensing his wish for a new beginning, the Bears traded Smith to Baltimore halfway through the 2022 season—an move that instantly changed the makeup of the Ravens' front seven.

Smith exemplifies the modern ideal inside Linebacker, blending instincts with quickness to penetrate gaps against the run and drop into passing lanes to cover tight ends and running backs. His standout qualities are his field vision and leadership; as the green-dot play-caller, he anticipates opponents’ pre-snap schemes, coordinates teammates, and adds a fierce physical presence in the middle of the field.

Arriving in Baltimore halfway through 2022, Smith quickly made a significant impact by turning an inconsistent defense into one of the league's top fearsome units. In nine games with the Ravens, he recorded 86 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and an interception, finishing the season with 169 tackles. This performance earned him his first First-Team All-Pro honor and a spot in the Pro Bowl.

In 2023, Smith elevated his performance during his first full season in Baltimore. As a key player in a defense that achieved a historic "triple crown'—leading the NFL in points allowed, sacks, and takeaways—Smith amassed 158 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, and an interception. His standout play earned him back-to-back First-Team All-Pro selections, a Pro Bowl invite, and strong consideration for AP Defensive Player of the Year.

Smith sustained that elite standard throughout 2024, once again crossing the 150-tackle mark to anchor Baltimore's defense. He earned his third straight First-Team All-Pro selection and his third consecutive Pro Bowl trip, proving to be one of the most consistent middle linebackers in football.

In 2025, Smith continued to serve as the heartbeat of Baltimore's front seven. Racking up 130 total tackles (76 solo) and a fumble recovery across 15 games, he led a late-season defensive resurgence that suffocated divisional opponents. For his efforts, he was named to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl, becoming the only player in franchise history to earn Pro Bowl honors in each of his first four seasons in Baltimore.

Heading into the 2026 season, Smith's stint in Baltimore already stands as one of the most dominant stretch runs by a linebacker in franchise history. Across his four seasons in Baltimore (2022–2025), he has compiled 515 total tackles, 5.0 sacks, 3 interceptions, 3 First-Team All-Pro selections, and 4 Pro Bowls.

2025 Pre-Season Rank #39, 2024 Pre-Season Rank #62, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #92, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #133, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #146.  Peak Period: 2020-24

Smith was a Second-Team All-Pro for two years in a row (2020-21), but as good as he was, the Bears weren’t, and Smith and Chicago grew disenchanted with each other. Chicago traded Smith to the Ravens during the season, and it started the best run of his career. 

In the year he was traded (2022), Smith had career highs in Combined Tackles (169) and Solo Tackles (103), and was rewarded with his First Team All-Pro.  Smith has since followed that with his second and third First Team All-Pro selections, and his domination in the middle has continued the Baltimore defense's stellar reputation.

Last season, the streak of at least First Team All-Pro selections and 150 Combined Tackles ended, but he was a Pro Bowl selection for the fourth straight year.  His “down year” is still a dream season for most Middle Linebackers, and there is no reason to think that he won’t be one of the best MLBs in 2026.