Baltimore Ravens · Franchise era 1 of 5
The Baltimore foundation: the Baltimore Ravens story
Franchise era
1996—1999
The Baltimore foundation
Baltimore Ravens
The story in one sentence
The Ravens used their first draft to select Lewis and Ogden, giving a young franchise two Hall of Fame pillars before the wins arrived.
A new franchise drafts its defensive spine
Ray Lewis, Jonathan Ogden and Peter Boulware gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for defense wins the first title.
Timeline
How it unfolded
The foundation
The franchise context
Baltimore became a model modern franchise almost immediately: defense established the standard, two different quarterbacks won championships and Lamar Jackson expanded what the position could look like.
1996—1999
The Baltimore foundation
The Ravens used their first draft to select Lewis and Ogden, giving a young franchise two Hall of Fame pillars before the wins arrived.
After 1999
What came next
The 2000 defense overwhelmed the postseason and won Super Bowl XXXV; Reed and Jamal Lewis then helped Baltimore remain a yearly threat.
The core