The Ravens were a fixture on the NFL Network's Top 100 Players of 2012.
Baltimore was tied with the Philadelphia Eagles for the most players on the list – seven.
Other than knowing that NFL players believe the Ravens have the most talent in the league, it's also fun to debate where players land.
Joe Flacco, Vonta Leach, Ray Rice and Terrell Suggs all made significant leaps up the rankings. Meanwhile, age and injuries*surely played a part in Ray Lewis and Ed Reed slipping out of the top- *5.
Those Ravens who didn't make the cut, but could make a case, include Pro Bowl guard Marshal Yanda and cornerback Lardarius Webb. Blossoming wide receiver Torrey Smith and cornerback Jimmy Smith may be prime candidates next year.
Yanda is my biggest snub. Fellow Pro Bowl guards Jahri Evans and Logan Mankins were ranked No. 32 and 64, respectively. Guards just don't get much love.
Rice and Flacco are ranked too low. Rice is one of the best offensive weapons in the NFL, and is behind Maurice Jones-Drew (No. 12), who doesn't do nearly as much as a pass catcher.
Flacco shouldn't be 29 spots behind his own fullback, Leach, and should be ahead of Philadelphia's Michael Vick. Flacco may not be as exciting to watch, but he stays healthy and wins more even perhaps with fewer established weapons.
Fans on NFL.com ranked the players themselves. Tell us which Ravens were ranked too low, too high or snubbed from the list in the comments section below.
To help you, here's a look back at where the Ravens stand, and a snippet from each video commemorating the achievement:
No. 9 – DT Haloti Ngata2011 Rank: No. 17
Fans Rank: Not yet released
Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey: "I think it's a respect slash fight and battle every week with that guy. You go into the offseason thinking about the Baltimore Ravens and Haloti Ngata. He has a lot of guys that play around him and play well, but he's the guy in the middle they really need."
No. 11 – LB Terrell Suggs2011 Rank:No. 40
Fans Rank:No. 21
Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth: "If you could get the Madden game and design your own player, it would be hard to say that you would design anyone that wouldn't look like T. Suggs. He's got it all. He's ripped up, he's big, he's fast, he's strong. He's intimating looking and he plays the same way. I think I'd create him about 11 times over for my defense."
No. 16 – S Ed Reed2011 Rank:No.*5Fans Rank: No. 9 *Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones:"He tries to bait you a lot. He'll backpedal and turn his shoulder and you'll see that look in* his* eye like, 'I dare you to throw the ball.'"
No. 20 – LB Ray Lewis2011 Rank:No. 3Fans Rank:No. 6
Titans linebacker Gerald McRath: "Ray Lewis is the blueprint. He laid the foundation. I remember on Friday night games, we're sitting in the locker room and we're all practicing our Ray Lewis dance for after you make that big play, that big tackle. He's one of the people who, as a linebacker, you want to be like."
No. 22 – RB Ray Rice2011 Rank:No. 56Fans Rank:No. 13
Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor: "Just get the ball in his hands. Explosive. Powerful. Has hands."
No. 45 – FB Vonta Leach2011 Rank:No. 65Fans Rank:No. 96
Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma: "He reminds me of the Lorenzo Neals of the day, those 1990s, 80s fullbacks that are just big, raw, mauler type guys that have no neck, just head and shoulders. They're going one way."
No. 74 – QB Joe Flacco2011 Rank:No. 90Fans Rank:No. 79Texans tight end Owen Daniels: "A lot of people doubt Joe for whatever reason. Maybe it's because they have such a good defense that they don't give him the credit he deserves. But he's able to make plays and make them in crucial situations."
