Ravens Last 10 First-Round Picks: Who Worked, Who Didn't

Breaking down the last 10 players selected in the first-round by the Baltimore Ravens, and what the team has seen as returns on those investments

Nov 7, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton (14) reacts after tips a Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) pass during the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Jan 19, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) looks to throw a pass in the fourth quarter of a 2025 AFC spanisional round game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images / Nov 5, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Odafe Oweh (99) celebrates after making a defensive play against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jessica Rapfogel-Imagn Images

With the NFL Draft a month away, how have the Baltimore Ravens fared through the first round? Below is a breakdown of Baltimore’s last 10 first-rounders.

2024: CB Nate Wiggins (Clemson) #30

• Nate Wiggins made immediate contributions and showed future development promise. He appears to be trending in the right direction as a late-first-round selection. Wiggins finished with 33 tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception as a rookie

2023: WR Zay Flowers (Boston College) #22

• Without question, Zay Flowers is living up to his place in the 2023 NFL Draft, recording 151 catches for 1,917 yards and nine touchdowns over his first two seasons with the Ravens. 

2022: S Kyle Hamilton (Notre Dame) #14

• Although injuries riddled each of his three pro seasons, Kyle Hamilton certainly has lived up to his No. 14 overall selection. Sprinting out of the gate as a rookie in 2019, he logged 41 tackles and four interceptions over 13 games. Altogether, he’s logged 138 tackles, seven-and-a-half tackles for loss, and eight interceptions in Baltimore.

2022: IOL Tyler Linderbaum (Iowa ) #25

• Center isn’t a flashy position, but don’t overlook the value here. Tyler Linderbaum has been a pro for three seasons. He started in 18 games in his rookie year (2021), becoming a Pro Bowler following the next two seasons (2023-2024).

Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras (7) takes a snap from center Tyler Linderbaum (65) during a NCAA college football game in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl against Kentucky, Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. 220101 Iowa Kentucky Citrus Fb Extra 043 Jpg / Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

2021: REC Rashod Bateman (Minnesota) #27

• Has Rashod Bateman produced at a level most expect from a first-round pick? Probably not. Has he been a steady producer worthy of a late-first-round selection? Many would argue he has. After churning out decent yardage through his first three seasons, suffering injuries in 2021 and 2022, Bateman recorded a respectable 45 catches for 756 yards and nine touchdowns last year. 

2021: Edge Odafe Oweh (Penn State) #31

• How could an edge rusher who didn’t log a single sacks over his final college season end up in the first round? Big-time potential, that’s how. After recording 13 sacks and 99 total tackles through his first three seasons, Odafe Oweh emerged with 10 sacks while starting in just 10 games in 2024. He’s turning it up. 

2020: LB Patrick McQueen (LSU ) #28

• He’s no longer with the Ravens, but Patrick McQueen absolutely lived up to his first-round selection. After making the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2020, he was a Second Team All-Pro in 2023. By then, he’d recorded 367 combined tackles, 13.5 sacks, and four interceptions over four seasons. He signed a three-year contract with the Steelers ahead of last season.

2019: WR Marquise Brown (Oklahoma) #25

• Marquise Brown recorded 584 receiving yards as a rookie in 2019, 769 yards in 2020, and 1,008 yards in Year Three with the Ravens. From there, Baltimore traded Brown and a third-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for the 23rd overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Since then, Brown hasn’t broken the 1,000 mark. 

2018: TE Hayden Hurst (South Carolina) #25

• One could argue that Hayden Hurst hasn’t fully lived up to his first-round selection, but he’s been steadily productive over four organizations. Playing in 18 games with four starts in Baltimore, Hurst tallied 33 receptions for 512 yards and three touchdowns. He’s since traveled to Atlanta (2021-2022), Cincinnati (2023), and Carolina (2024).

2018: QB Lamar Jackson (Louisville) #32

• What else is there to say other than this pick being the most consequential - in a good way, a very good way - to the Ravens in the last decade. He’s a two-time NFL MVP and a three-time First Team All-Pro.

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