Every NFL team's best draft pick of all-time

Every NFL team’s best draft pick of all-time

FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 16: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots gestures after a play in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs during the AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2016 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

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Feb 6, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; NFL former player Ray Lewis shows off his ring on the red carpet prior to the NFL Honors award ceremony at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Baltimore Ravens – Ray Lewis (No. 26 pick, 1996)

Ray Lewis is one the best linebackers in NFL history.

Because of his sometimes over-the-top personality and the recency by which his career ended, it seems as if some fans have overlooked Lewis in terms of simple on-field greatness. He was named to 13 Pro Bowls during his time in Baltimore and, perhaps more impressively, Lewis garnered seven nods as a first team All-Pro selection. Lewis was named to the all-decade team for the 2000’s without any question whatsoever, and there are only a handful of players in NFL history that can boast two Defensive Player of the Year awards and a Super Bowl MVP.

Yes, Ray Lewis is, at least in part, stained by his connection to a serious crime in Atlanta 15 years ago (google it, kids). However, it seems clear at this point that he has turned his life around, and on the field, there is no arguing with the type of immense value created when the Ravens selected Lewis near the end of the first round in 1996.

There are reasonable arguments for players like Jonathan Ogden or even Ed Reed, but given the draft slot, Lewis wins the tiebreaker of value.

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