Heading into the 2008 NFL Draft, the Ravens were focused on securing their quarterback of the future as they prepared to move away from Kyle Boller. The Ravens initially had their sights set on Matt Ryan. Reports later revealed that Ozzie Newsome even offered the entire 2008 draft class... to the St. Louis Rams to leapfrog the Atlanta Falcons and move up to the No. 2 overall pick. The deal nearly happened, but the Rams demanded even more, and it fell through. Ryan was a Falcon. Undeterred, the Ravens maneuvered on draft day. They first traded down with the Jacksonville Jaguars (dropping from No. 8 to No. 26), then traded back up with the Houston Texans to land at No. 18 overall, where they selected Joe Flacco out of the University of Delaware. This made Flacco the first FCS quarterback taken in the first round since the late Steve “Air” McNair was selected third overall by the Houston Oilers in 1995 out of Alcorn State. The plan was for Flacco to sit and develop behind veterans Kyle Boller and Troy Smith in his rookie year. Fate had other ideas as Boller suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the preseason and Smith came down with a severe tonsil infection that developed into the rare and serious Lemierre’s syndrome. With both ahead of him sidelined, Joe Flacco was thrust into the starting role. He started Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals and never relinquished the job, leading the Ravens to an 11–5 record and the AFC North title in his rookie season. Flacco quickly became known for his cannon arm, one of the prettiest deep balls and spirals in the league, and - most enduringly - for one of the most dominant postseason runs in NFL history. In the 2012 playoffs, he orchestrated a magical run that culminated in the franchise’s second Super Bowl victory, where he earned Super Bowl MVP honors. That ELITE postseason still stands strong: Flacco threw 11 touchdown passes with zero interceptions, tying Joe Montana for the most passing touchdowns in a single postseason without an interception. He also jointly holds the record for most road playoff wins by a quarterback with seven, tied with Tom Brady.show more

Nic Mason

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