We’re on to the defense! Will Haloti Ngata be the first defensive player added to the Ravens Quarter Century Team?
We are now on to the defense!
First up, we’re picking a pair of defensive tackles to flesh out the interior. We’ve got a trio consisting of two longtime Ravens and a current Raven who is just entering the prime of his career.
Who will be the first defender named to the Ravens Quarter Century Team? Let’s go ahead and find out!
Haloti Ngata (2006-2014)
Ngata was drafted by the Ravens in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of the University of Oregon. The massive defender made one of the biggest plays of his career as a rookie when he intercepted a pass and ran it back a whopping 60 yards. He ended year one with just one sack and two tackles for loss, but his play still earned him a spot on the 2006 PFWA All-Rookie Team.
In his nine years with the Ravens, Ngata started 133 of his 135 games played. He would go on to be named a First-Team All-Pro twice (2010-2011), a Second-Team All-Pro three times (2008-2009, 2013), and earned Pro Bowl nod for five consecutive seasons (2009-2013). In 2012, he played a key role in helping the Ravens beat the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII.
He ended his time in Baltimore with 447 tackles, 51 tackles for loss, 25.5 sacks, five interceptions, 32 passes defended, six forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries (one returned for a touchdown).
Brandon Williams (2013-2021)
Williams joined the Ravens as an unlikely prospect out of Division II Missouri Southern. He played nine strong seasons in Baltimore as a consistent run defender whose impact didn’t quite show up in the box score all that often. In 2018, Williams earned his first and only Pro Bowl honor after posting 32 tackles, three tackles for loss, and one sack while starting all 16 games.
He ended his Ravens career with 323 total tackles, 33 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries (with one returned for a score).
Nnamdi Madubuike (2020-2024)
Madubuike is the only current Raven on this list and he’s currently coming off the best two-season stretch of his five-year career. The former Texas A&M Aggie has been named to the Pro Bowl each of the past two seasons and is just one year removed from being a Second-Team All-Pro.
After starting just three games as a rookie, Madubuike won the starting job in 2021 and never looked back. From 2021-2023, his production grew exponentially from just two sacks, to 5.5, then to a whopping 13 in his all-pro season.
Through five seasons, Madubuike has career totals of 196 tackles, 40 tackles for loss, 28 sacks, six passes defended, and two forced fumbles.