In the NFLās Salary Cap Era, itās more imperative than ever that teams draft well. The ability to find productive players in the draft gives teams the cap space they need to resign cornerstone pieces or acquire star players through free agency or trades. Among the teams that have succeeded in doing this is the Baltimore Ravens.
BetMaryland.com, as part of our Maryland sportsbooks coverage, wanted to identify the NFL teams that have drafted the best. We used Pro-Football-Reference.com to find the approximate value of each member of each teamās past five draft classes (2020 through 2024 NFL Drafts). The value of the players includes their entire career up to this point ā including their numbers if they have moved to other teams.
| Rank | Team | Approximate Value of Last 5 Drafts |
| 1 | Detroit Lions | 400 |
| 2 | Baltimore Ravens | 394 |
| 3 | Green Bay Packers | 386 |
| 4 | Dallas Cowboys | 377 |
| 5 | Cincinnati Bengals | 348 |
| 6 | Kansas City Chiefs | 347 |
| 7 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 341 |
| 8 | Philadelphia Eagles | 338 |
| 9 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 331 |
| 10 | Buffalo Bills | 330 |
| 11 | Los Angeles Chargers | 328 |
| 12 | Chicago Bears | 327 |
| 13 | Minnesota Vikings | 315 |
| 14 | Indianapolis Colts | 303 |
| T15 | Denver Broncos | 301 |
| T15 | Seattle Seahawks | 301 |
| 17 | Washington Commanders | 294 |
| 18 | New York Jets | 293 |
| 19 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 292 |
| 20 | Miami Dolphins | 289 |
| 21 | Houston Texans | 287 |
| 22 | San Francisco 49ers | 284 |
| 23 | New York Giants | 283 |
| 24 | Los Angeles Rams | 279 |
| 25 | Atlanta Falcons | 269 |
| 26 | New England Patriots | 268 |
| 27 | Carolina Panthers | 237 |
| 28 | Cleveland Browns | 220 |
| 29 | Las Vegas Raiders | 218 |
| 30 | Arizona Cardinals | 206 |
| 31 | New Orleans Saints | 205 |
| 32 | Tennessee Titans | 189 |
One look at their depth chart tells you why Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl odds are always strong, because the team has drafted so well in recent years. Over the past five years, only the Detroit Lions have gotten more collective AV out of their past five draft classes, according to Pro Football Reference.
The 2022 Ravens class, for example, is headlined by two first-rounders, strong safety Kyle Hamilton and center Tyler Linderbaum, who have been named to multiple Pro Bowl teams. It also provided Daniel Faalele, Baltimoreās starting right guard, and tight end Isaiah Likely, who has been one of Lamar Jacksonās favorite targets over the past couple of years.
They all are entering their fourth season. For Hamilton, the team holds a fifth-year option that will have a salary cap hit of less than $5.2 million in 2025, according to Sportrac.com. That accounts for only 1.9% of the Ravensā cap, an excellent value considering the former Notre Dame star was a first-team All Pro in 2023 and a second teamer this season. He also finished ninth in voting for the Associated Pressā Defensive Player of the Year this season, one of the props available for NFL betting in Maryland.
Thanks to picks like those, the Ravens had the room to sign Jackson to a then-record five-year, $260 million contract two years ago. It also enabled them to pick up running back Derrick Henry for $16 million over two years. Henry and Jackson provided a lethal 1-2 combination on the ground, as they combined to gain 2,836 rushing yards in the 2024-25 season. Henry led the league with 16 touchdowns, and Jacksonās 6.6 yards per carry also led the league ā as did his 77.3 QBR as he threw for 4,172 yards and 41 touchdowns.
Jackson already has two Most Valuable Player awards and Fanatics Maryland Sportsbook, with odds of +500, has made him the favorite to win another next season. Should that happen, the former Heisman Trophy winner would become the seventh in league history to win at least three, joining the ranks of Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Jim Brown, Brett Favre and Johnny Unitas.
Since 2020, the Ravens have gone 54-30 and made four playoff appearances during those five seasons under coach John Harbaugh. However, Baltimore has not reached a Super Bowl, with the January 2024 AFC Championship game the closest the team has been since winning Super Bowl XLVII 12 years ago.
With Baltimoreās plethora of talent, though, oddsmakers remain bullish on the teamās chances next season. BetMGM Maryland Sportsbook lists the Ravens as their second choice for next yearās Super Bowl futures board. Baltimoreās odds of +700 are only longer than the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles, who are priced at +650 as of March 4.
USA Today photo by Kim Klement Neitzel
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
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