When it was time for Eric DeCosta to make his first draft pick as Ravens general manager, the room went silent.
The frenzy of making a first-round trade with the Philadelphia Eagles was over. Baltimore moved down from No. 22 to No. 25, while also acquiring a fourth-round and a six-round pick from the Eagles.
Now it was time for DeCosta to choose his first player as Ravens GM. The phone was no longer ringing. Nobody was talking. And for the first time, DeCosta said he was a little unnerved.
"It wasn't making the pick, but it was in the room, I don't even think guys were breathing," DeCosta said. "It was just strange."
DeCosta handled the moment, choosing Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown, who will be forever linked to DeCosta as his first pick as general manager.
Watching the draft with other prospects in Nashville, Brown was moved to tears after hearing his name called. No tears were shed by DeCosta, but it was a moment he won't forget.
"It was great, because he and I had a great conversation last week up in my office," DeCosta said. "It was just awesome. He was emotional. I think he was really, really happy. I think he got a great feeling about this place from Day One.
"Honestly, too, him being my first pick was emotional, I think, for both of us. I stressed that he and I would always be forever linked. So, it was great."
DeCosta may see some of himself in Brown, who has always heard from doubters due to his smallish build for an NFL player (5-foot-9, 166 pounds). When DeCosta was looking to begin his NFL career, he sent letters to every team in the NFL, and he still has the rejection letters in his office.
When Brown visited DeCosta's office, he was impressed with the wide receiver's competitive nature.
"I do this test with the players that come into my office," DeCosta said. "It's just a game, and most of the guys sit down when they do it, and he stood up. He asked me if he could stand up, and that kind of resonated with me because I would do the same thing because you get really into it and he just didn't feel comfortable sitting so he stood up. And I could see the intensity when I met with him and that was cool."
DeCosta still has plenty of work to do, with six rounds to go and the Ravens holding nine more picks. But DeCosta made a statement with his first pick, taking a wide receiver in the first round. The Ravens have drafted just two other wide receivers during the first three rounds since 2008 – Torrey Smith (second round 2011) and Breshad Perriman (first round 2015).
"We were very excited to get Marquise when he was there," DeCosta said. "He was obviously the best player that we had available at the time. It just made all the sense in the world to take him."
Check out first-round pick Marquise Brown's custom suit jacket, his green room experience and his emotions upon being drafted by the Ravens.
Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after the Baltimore Ravens Brown selected in the first round at the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Top NFL Draft prospect, Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, partnered with COLLECTION by Michael Strahan exclusively available at JCPenney to show off his style as he heads to the draft on Thursday, April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tenn. Brown personalized his jacket liner to represent his nickname and hometown, "Hollywood," and his alma mater, The University of Oklahoma. (Brett Carlsen/AP Images for JCPenney)
IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR JCPENNEY - Top NFL Draft prospect, Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, partnered with COLLECTION by Michael Strahan exclusively available at JCPenney to show off his style as he heads to the draft on Thursday, April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tenn. Brown personalized his jacket liner to represent his nickname and hometown, "Hollywood," and his alma mater, The University of Oklahoma. (Brett Carlsen/AP Images for JCPenney)
Top NFL Draft prospect, Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, partnered with COLLECTION by Michael Strahan exclusively available at JCPenney to show off his style as he heads to the draft on Thursday, April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tenn. Brown personalized his jacket liner to represent his nickname and hometown, "Hollywood," and his alma mater, The University of Oklahoma. (Brett Carlsen/AP Images for JCPenney)
IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR JCPENNEY - Top NFL Draft prospect, Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, partnered with COLLECTION by Michael Strahan exclusively available at JCPenney to show off his style as he heads to the draft on Thursday, April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tenn. Brown personalized his jacket liner to represent his nickname and hometown, "Hollywood," and his alma mater, The University of Oklahoma. (Brett Carlsen/AP Images for JCPenney)
Top NFL Draft prospect, Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, partnered with COLLECTION by Michael Strahan exclusively available at JCPenney to show off his style as he heads to the draft on Thursday, April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tenn. Brown personalized his jacket liner to represent his nickname and hometown, "Hollywood," and his alma mater, The University of Oklahoma. (Brett Carlsen/AP Images for JCPenney)
IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR JCPENNEY - Top NFL Draft prospect, Marquise “Hollywood†Brown, partnered with COLLECTION by Michael Strahan exclusively available at JCPenney to show off his style as he heads to the draft on Thursday, April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tenn. Brown personalized his jacket liner to represent his nickname and hometown, "Hollywood," and his alma mater, The University of Oklahoma. (Brett Carlsen/AP Images for JCPenney)
Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown walks the red carpet ahead of the first round at the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
A detail view of Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown's table during the 2019 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tenn. (Perry Knotts/NFL)
Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown looks in the green room during the 2019 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tenn. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown speaks on the phone backstage after being selected by the Baltimore Ravens during the 2019 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tenn. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown speaks on the phone backstage after being selected by the Baltimore Ravens during the 2019 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tenn. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown speaks on the phone backstage after being selected by the Baltimore Ravens during the 2019 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tenn. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown walks on stage after the Baltimore Ravens selected him in the first round at the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after the Baltimore Ravens Brown selected in the first round at the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after the Baltimore Ravens Brown selected in the first round during the 2019 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tenn. (Perry Knotts/NFL)
Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown poses with his new jersey after the Baltimore Ravens Brown selected in the first round at the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn.(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown on stage after being selected by the Baltimore Ravens during the 2019 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tenn. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown poses after the Baltimore Ravens Brown selected in the first round during the 2019 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tenn. (Perry Knotts/NFL)
Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown on stage after being selected by the Baltimore Ravens during the 2019 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tenn. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown on stage with NFL Network's Deion Sanders after being selected by the Baltimore Ravens during the 2019 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tenn. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
