Still with the Baltimore Ravens as of this writing, Jimmy Smith arrived to Baltimore as a late 1^st Round Pick from the University of Colorado and would officially become the starting Right Cornerback in 2013 after having a good Super Bowl XLVII performance in Baltimore’s win over the San Francisco 49ers.  Smith has done a solid job for Baltimore and to date has recorded 14 Interceptions for the team, though lately has been coming off in reserve.

Eric Weddle had already gone to three Pro Bowls as a San Diego Charger and he would match that in Baltimore, but this time he would do it in three years.  That was also the amount of time that he patrolled the Ravens’ secondary, the first year being at Strong Safety and the second and third season seeing him switch back to Free Safety, his more natural position.  During his three years with Baltimore (2016-18) Weddle was arguably one of the most consistent Safeties during that timeframe.

Still with the Baltimore Ravens as of this writing, Justin Tucker has been one of the most accurate Place Kickers since he was signed as an undrafted Free Agent out of the University of Texas in 2012. 

Tucker has only missed four Extra Points since he began his pro career and he has a 90.3 Field Goal Percentage.  A member of the Super Bowl XLVII Championship Team, Tucker has been named to five First Team All-Pro rosters and seven Pro Bowls.  He also set a record in 2021 with the longest Field Goal Kick ever with 66 Yards.

If there is an active Kicker who should get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it is Tucker

Matt Judon played the first five seasons of his career with the Baltimore Ravens with the last two years being his best with the team.

Is it too soon to rank Lamar Jackson this high?

It might be too low!

2023 Pre-Season Rank #113, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #123, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #127, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #115.  Peak Period 2017-21.

After seven seasons in Chicago, Jackson joins the Baltimore Ravens.  The Strong Safety was a First Team All-Pro in 2018 and has been to two Pro Bowls.  Jackson has not been the same player the last three seasons, but a change of scenery could put him back on course.

2023 Pre-Season Rank #392022 Pre-Season Rank #47, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #70, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #108.  Peak Period: 2019-23

In 2019, it felt like Derrick Henry won the Rushing Title out of nowhere, as he was in his fourth year, and it he only had 1,059 Yards the year before.  In 2020, Henry won his second Rushing Title, shattering his previous mark, and joined the 2,000 Yard Rushing club and winning the Offensive Player of the Year.  Had he not gotten injured during the 2021 season, Henry was on his way to his second straight OPOY.  After a bounce back in 2022 that saw him net his third 1,500-yard campaign.  Henry has one more year in Tennessee and is the current active rushing leader (9.502), and is looking to break 10,000 Rushing Yards as a member of the Baltimore Ravens.  He is also the active leader in Rushing Touchdowns (90), making it possible for Henry to break 100 TDs on the ground this season too.

2023 2022 Pre-Season Rank #38, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #46, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #76. Peak Period: 2019-23

Quarterbacks who win multiple MVPs always enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Lamar Jackson owns two after earning his second MVP last year.  Jackson destroys opponents with his arm but eviscerates them with his legs.  While never throwing for more than 4,000 Yards in a season, Jackson still has a Touchdown Pass Title in 2019 (36), and he could become the first QB to rush for 10,000 career Yards (he currently has 5,228) and already is the only pivot to rush for over 1,000 Yards twice. 

Jackson needs only a Super Bowl Ring, and they have the roster to give it to him. Once he does that, his Hall of Fame resume will be complete.

The Hall of Fame Show: The Chairman (Kirk Buchner) and Evan Nolan look at the impact of Coronavirus, Tiger Woods and the Golf Hall, The College Football HOF Class and Vince Carter's potential last game.

We have a very significant retirement to discuss in the world of Pro Football as Marshal Yanda will be announcing his retirement on Wednesday.

A third round pick from Iowa, Yanda would start 12 of his 16 Games as a rookie and he would be a permanent fixture on the right side of the line from 2010 until his retirement in 2019. Yanda went to his first Pro Bowl in 2011, and he would go to eight in total. A two-time First Team All-Pro, Yanda was also a Second Team Selection five times.  His presence on the O-Line helped the Ravens win the 2012’s season Super Bowl.

Yanda’s lunch pail work ethic made him a star in the eyes of his peers, his coaches and the fans.  He was considered to be one of the most regimented players in the game.

In our pre-season ranking of active players for Hall of Fame consideration, Yanda was ranked #27 overall and #3 among Offensive Linemen.

Yanda will be eligible for the Hall in 2025, and he will receive (and should) serious consideration.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish Marshal Yanda the best in his post-playing career.

Drafted 5^th overall out of the University of Tennessee, Jamal Lewis was an immediate offensive force for the Baltimore Ravens rushing for 1,364 Yards in his rookie season.  More importantly, the Ravens went to the Super Bowl, and Lewis rushed for over 100 Yards and a TD in their Super Bowl XXXV win.  A knee injury took him out of his sophomore season, but he came back in 2002 with another 1,300 Yard Season though it was his 2003 year that places him on this list.  He rushed for 2,066 Yards, which as of this writing, is the third-best in history.  That year, Lewis was named the AP Offensive Player of the Year.

2023 Pre-Season Rank #22, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #28, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #42, 2020 Pre-Season Rank Rank #50.

Tucker can make a claim as the best Kicker in the NFL over the past ten years, but Place Kickers always face an uphill climb for the Hall.  That being said, Tucker was named the 2010s All-Decade Team player, and his five First Team All-Pros could be added to in the future.  With a powerful Ravens team, he might get a chance to use his leg to gain a second Super Bowl, and he got his signature moment last year by setting the longest Field Goal record with a 66-Yard cannon.  He will be our highest ranked Special Teams player until he retires.

2023 Pre-Season Rank #84, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #84, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #92, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #124.  Peak Period: 2008-12

What Joe Flacco accomplished in 2023 was inspirational.  Flacco began the season looking for work and signed with Cleveland in November on their practice squad.  He became their starter in Week 13 and had a 4-1 record, taking them to playoffs, where he performed in his first post-season game since 2014.  Flacco won the AP Comeback Player of the Year despite only playing five games. 

Flacco enters this year on a roster (Indianapolis), and though he is a backup, he is employed, has over 40,000 Passing Yards, and has a Super Bowl Ring. The Hall is unlikely, but it has been a hell of a ride and is not over yet.

In the 2006 NFL Draft, the Baltimore Ravens made an excellent selection by grabbing Haloti Ngata with the 12th pick. Ngata was a former All-American defensive tackle from the University of Oregon, and the Ravens were looking for someone to stuff up the middle of their defence. Ngata proved to be the answer to their prayers.

As soon as he joined the team, Ngata became a starter, and he quickly made a name for himself as one of the best defensive tackles in the league. He played multiple positions on the line, including defensive end and nose tackle, and he excelled at all of them.

From 2009 to 2013, Ngata was a fixture in the Pro Bowl, and he was also named a First Team All-Pro in 2010 and 2011. His immense size and power made him a dominant force on the field, and he could clog multiple lanes at the same time, making it incredibly difficult for opposing teams to move the ball.

Ngata played a crucial role in the Ravens' Super Bowl XLVII win, using his strength and tenacity to disrupt the opposing offence and help secure the victory. After his time with the Ravens, Ngata went on to play for the Detroit Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles, but he will always be remembered as a dominant defensive force in the NFL.

Over the course of his career, Ngata recorded 32.5 sacks and 517 combined tackles. His legacy as one of the best defensive players in the league is secure, and he will always be remembered as one of the most dominant forces on the field.

We told you that this would be a task that we would eventually get to.

Regular visitors to Notinhalloffame.com might know that we have told you in past updates that we will be looking at the top fifty players in each major North American Franchise (NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA) and last month we debuted just that with the Charlotte Hornets’ Top fifty players of all-time.

Selected second, we go to the National Football League and two time Super Bowl Champion, the Baltimore Ravens, which like Charlotte and all other future selections was done randomly.  Although we are in the playoffs and Baltimore is not a participant, this is up to the end of the 2014 season as we are waiting for the end of the post season before we include 2015 accomplishments.

If the Football Hall of Fame was based solely on excitement there should be no doubt that Randall Cunningham would have been inducted on the first ballot.  His nickname of the “Human Highlight Reel” was well deserved and he was hands down the most entertaining Quarterback of his era.

Randall Cunningham could beat you with his throwing arms or with his legs.  He excelled at scrambling and is the current all-time leader for rushing yards (4,928) for a Quarterback.  This made him exciting to watch but also overshadowed his ability to throw.  Cunningham was an efficient thrower and as his speed began to wane, he was able to prove to a lot of people in the league that he could throw with the best of them.

While Matt Birk make his six Pro Bowls as a member of the Minnesota Vikings, he was still one of the better Centers in the National Football League during his four seasons in Baltimore.  Birk centered the Ravens Offensive Line that would win Super Bowl XLVII and was also known throughout the NFL for his philanthropic and selfless nature.  This was evident by his 2011 Walter Payton Man of the Year win.

The fleet-footed player out of Nicholls State has proven to be a versatile player for the Baltimore Ravens as both a Cornerback and a Returner.  He did earn a Super Bowl Ring although he was unable to play in the big game due to a torn ACL.  He would play his entire nine-year career with the Ravens.

Orlando Brown was already with the organization when they relocated to Baltimore and he was a steady presence on the Offensive Line.  The Right Tackle, who was nicknamed "Zeus", for his huge size (six foot seven), was out of the league for three years due to eye issues, but he would return and finish off his career with the Ravens where he played for three seasons before retiring permanently in 2005.

Jameel McClain was part of the Super Bowl XLVII Champions and would become a dependable Linebacker for the team.  McClain was told in late 2012 that due to an injury to his spinal cord that he would be unable to play football again, but he would prove them wrong and return in the Ravens’ seventh game of the following season.  He finished his career with a year (2014) for the Giants, and would amass 331 Tackles as a Raven.