The Ravens were seeking a physical Cornerback in the First Round of the 2011 NFL Draft, and they found that in Jimmy Smith, who, over an 11-year career spent entirely with the Ravens, relied on size, length, and tight boundary coverage to match up directly against opposing teams’ primary receiving threats.

Standing at 6 feet 2 inches and weighing 210 pounds, Smith exhibited exceptional physical stature for a boundary cornerback. In his role as a press-man technician, his principal strength lay in jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage, thereby disrupting route timing, and leveraging his reach to contest throws on boundary fades and deep vertical routes.

After serving as a rotational defensive back during his first two seasons, Smith etched his name into franchise lore during the 2012 postseason. In Super Bowl XLVII, with Baltimore defending a five-point lead against San Francisco late in the fourth quarter, Smith provided tight coverage on Michael Crabtree on a final 4th-and-goal attempt from the 5-yard line, forcing an incomplete pass to seal a 34–31 championship victory.

Building on that signature moment, Smith became Baltimore’s primary starting cornerback from 2013 through 2017. During his peak 2014 season, he allowed a lower completion percentage and quarterback rating in coverage than almost any cornerback in football before a foot injury cut his campaign short. In 2017, he returned a fumble for a touchdown and posted three interceptions, including a pick-six against Oakland.

He evolved late in his career into a versatile defensive sub-package weapon capable of covering tight ends or moving into the slot before retiring in 2022.  Smith had 374 tackles, 74 passes defensed, 14 interceptions, and three defensive touchdowns for Baltimore.

Lamar Jackson was selected 32nd overall in the 2018 NFL Draft after Ozzie Newsome traded back into the first round. He arrived in Baltimore with high expectations and a distinctive skill set. When veteran Joe Flacco was injured midway through Jackson's rookie season, the Louisville Heisman winner stepped in, finishing with a 6-1 record and becoming the youngest quarterback in NFL history to start a playoff game. What started as a temporary role quickly changed the franchise's future.

Jackson revolutionized backfield versatility by blending elite track-star speed with quick, elusive agility in space. This forced defensive coordinators to drastically change their defensive strategies against option plays. However, speed is only part of his skill set. As he developed, Jackson proved himself as a top-tier pocket passer, with a quick wrist flick and impressive deep-ball accuracy. He frequently adjusts his arm angles to evade edge rushers, making sidearm throws on the move without setting his feet. In addition to his off-platform arm talent, Jackson demonstrates excellent pre-snap processing, subtly holding safeties with eye discipline and using lateral movements in the pocket to extend passing plays downfield.

His rise peaked in 2019 during his first full season as a starter. Leading a 14–2 regular season, Jackson became only the second player in league history to be a unanimous AP NFL MVP. He led the NFL with 36 touchdown passes, with just six interceptions, and broke Michael Vick's single-season quarterback rushing record with 1,206 yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground. Jackson confirmed his explosive breakout was no fluke in 2020, posting a second straight 1,000-yard rushing season (1,005 yards, 7 TDs) and passing for 2,757 yards and 26 touchdowns, earning his first postseason win.

Despite ankle and knee injuries that impacted his 2021 and 2022 seasons, Jackson remained a crucial player for Baltimore, earning a Pro Bowl in 2021 and keeping the team competitive whenever he was on the field. In 2023, with offensive coordinator Todd Monken's revamped passing approach, he reached his best performance. Jackson secured his second AP NFL MVP award after throwing for 3,678 yards and 24 touchdowns with seven interceptions, and rushing for 821 yards, helping Baltimore reach the AFC Championship Game.

That momentum led to a historic statistical achievement in 2024. Jackson had his best passing season yet, achieving career highs with 4,172 yards and 41 touchdown throws, with only four interceptions. He also ran for 915 yards and scored four times on the ground. His league-best 119.6 passer rating established him as the top quarterback of his generation, narrowly missing out on MVP honors. During the 2025 season, despite a midseason hamstring injury, Jackson demonstrated great resilience over 13 games, passing for 2,549 yards and 21 touchdowns with a 103.8 rating.

Jackson stands as the only player in NFL history to combine multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons with multiple AP MVP awards, holding the record for the most 100-yard rushing games by a quarterback.

Heading into the 2026 season, Jackson enters his ninth year in Baltimore holding franchise records with 22,608 passing yards, 187 touchdown passes, and 6,522 rushing yards.

All that he is missing is that elusive Super Bowl!

Signed as a marquee free agent in 2016 after nine stellar seasons with the San Diego Chargers—where he was already a three-time Pro Bowler—Eric Weddle arrived in Baltimore and seamlessly took command of the secondary. Operating as the defensive signal-caller and field general, Weddle delivered three dominant seasons in Charm City, earning a Pro Bowl selection in every single year of his tenure and providing the veteran leadership that anchored Baltimore's defense.

Weddle compensated for his lack of pure top-end speed with exceptional preparation, keen spatial awareness, and a quarterback-like ability to read pre-snap motions. Skilled at playing both in the box as a strong safety and deep in single-high coverage as a free safety, he quickly diagnosed route concepts, effectively passing off receivers in zone coverage and jumping passing lanes to intercept throws. His post-game ice cream ritual showed his cool composure, but on the field, his constant communication kept Baltimore's secondary coordinated.

In 2016, Weddle made an immediate impact commencing as a strong safety, recording 89 combined tackles, 13 pass deflections, and four interceptions, thereby earning his initial Pro Bowl selection as a Raven. Transitioning back to his innate free safety position in 2017, Weddle demonstrated exceptional ball-hawking prowess, intercepting six passes (including a pick-six), forcing two fumbles, and securing his consecutive Pro Bowl appearance.

While 2018 marked his final season with the Baltimore Ravens, Weddle concluded his tenure by anchoring a defense that was ranked No. 1 overall in the NFL, thereby leading Charm City to an AFC North division championship. He received his third consecutive Pro Bowl selection in Baltimore during that year. Throughout his three seasons with the Ravens (2016–2018), Weddle started all 48 regular-season games, accumulating 220 tackles, 10 interceptions, 24 pass deflections, and 2.0 sacks.

While 2018 marked the end of his time in Baltimore, it wasn't the final chapter of his NFL story. Weddle played the 2019 season with the Los Angeles Rams, starting all 16 games before retiring. Two years later, in one of the most remarkable comebacks, he returned to the Rams for the 2021–22 postseason, started immediately, and helped lead them to win Super Bowl LVI, earning his championship ring and ending a 14-year career. He was also named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, establishing his legacy among top defensive backs.

Playing his college ball at Missouri Southern, Brandon Williams and his wide base was named the Defensive Player of the Year of the MIAA.  Williams was a 3^rd Round Pick in 2013 by the Ravens and by 2014 he would become the starting Nose Tackle.  Still with Baltimore as of this writing, Williams was chosen to his first Pro Bowl in 2018, but there does not look to be a second Pro Bowl in his future.

Saying that, Williams, has proven himself as one of the better players in franchise history.