Justin Tucker, Patrick Ricard among Top 10 active undrafted players

Two Ravens in the Top 10

With the NFL Network’s Top 100 Players of 2022 winding down, NFL.com’s Michael Robinson decided to join in on the fun of ranking players by choosing the top 10 active undrafted players. Two Ravens made the cut, with the first being fullback Patrick Ricard at No. 10.

“Believe it or not, there’s one person on a football team who gets less love than the offensive line: the fullback,” Robinson wrote. “It’s a thankless job. The guy running behind your block often gets the notoriety, but there are several special players at the fullback position who do their jobs extremely well and earn that shine. Ricard is one of those guys. He’s made the Pro Bowl in each of the last three seasons and plays a major role in the Ravens’ dynamic rushing attack, which has ranked among the league’s top three in each of the last four seasons.”

After losing Pro Bowl fullback Kyle Juszczyk in free agency, Baltimore was in need of a new lead blocker. The Ravens tried out Ricard, who joined the team as an undrafted free agent defensive tackle. The rest is history.

Further down, kicker Justin Tucker ranked No. 3 on the list.

“It’s the year of Justin Tucker,” Robinson wrote. “He set the NFL record for the longest converted field goal — a nail-biting, crossbar-hitting 66-yarder that led to a Ravens victory in Week 3 — received a four-year contract extension, and lastly, was the No. 94-ranked player in the Top 100 Players of 2022 (his first time in the players’ list). The five-time first-team All-Pro’s 91.1% field-goal conversion rate ranks No. 1 among kickers since 1938. If he’s not already, Tucker should be considered equals with legends like Morten Andersen and Adam Vinatieri.”

What can be said about Tucker that has not been said ad nauseum? The former Longhorn has a legitimate claim as the best kicker in NFL history. Rarely has a kicker been referred to as a weapon.