Baltimore Ravens legend Ray Lewis was recently ranked as the eighth-best linebacker of all time by NFL analyst Gil Brandt.

Baltimore Ravens legend Ray Lewis was recently ranked as the eighth-best linebacker of all time by former Dallas Cowboys VP of player personnel current NFL analyst Gil Brandt in his recent list of the 45 greatest linebackers of all time.

Ranked ahead of Lewis by Brandt were, in order from seventh to first, Bobby Bell, Derrick Brooks, Ted Hendricks, Ray Nitschke, Dick Butkus, Derrick Thomas, and Lawrence Taylor.

Lewis was drafted out of the University of Miami as the 26th overall pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the 1996 NFL Draft, joining the Ravens in their inaugural season in the league. He played 17 years for the Baltimore Ravens, from 1996 to his retirement following the team’s Super Bowl win in 2012.

Lewis was a 13-time Pro Bowler, a 10-time Associated Press All-Pro, a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and MVP of Super Bowl XXXV. He also has the distinction of being one of the few players in history to play in a Pro Bowl in three different decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s).

Lewis finished his career with 2,061 tackles, 41.5 sacks, 67 passes defended, 31 interceptions, 17 forced fumbles, and three touchdowns.

Not only was Lewis a great player on the field, but he was an incredible leader off the field, and his achievements as a member of the Baltimore Ravens earned him a statue outside of M&T Bank Stadium.

In case you wanted to see the man in action, here’s a mashup of some of Lewis’ greatest moments put together by the NFL:

The only active player in the NFL on the list was Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison, with the most recent retiree being former Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos linebacker DeMarcus Ware.

It is interesting that Harrison would be ranked 25th on that list, whereas current Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs isn’t on it at all. When you compare the career of the two, they seem pretty similar.

Harrison has more tackles in his career as of now than Suggs, however Suggs has far more passes defended, and all the other stats are essentially a wash. Suggs has been to six Pro Bowls, Harrison to five, Suggs has two All-Pro selections, Harrison has four, and Suggs has one Super Bowl while Harrison has two.

It could certainly be argued that Suggs did not get the love he deserved on this list, however it is nice to see Lewis getting some respect, even if it could be argued he should’ve been higher.