The Green Bay Packers have failed to select some standout players in the NFL draft, and now it’s been disclosed that Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis can be included in that group.
During a recent interview with ESPN’s Adam Schefter, former Packers director Eliot Wolf discussed the Packers being in contact with Lewis during the 1996 NFL Draft. Instead of picking him, the Baltimore Ravens made their move early.
“There was some disappointment,” Wolf remembered about that draft. “They actually had Ray [Lewis] on that phone. They were talking to Ray, and Baltimore was still on the clock…They thought Ray was one of the best players in the draft.”
The Packers haven’t had many standout linebackers in modern history. Selecting Lewis would have changed a lot of that back in 1996.
Ray Lewis’ Hall of Fame Career
There aren’t many other names that come up besides Lewis when discussing the greatest linebacker in modern NFL history.
Coming out of Miami, Lewis was a back-to-back All-American for the Hurricanes. However, there were some worries about his size at the NFL level. Those concerns had Lewis waiting until the 26th overall pick in 1996 to hear his name called.
The pick turned out to be an all-time steal by the Ravens. He set an NFL record with 156 solo tackles in just his second season, earning second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.
Lewis had an undisputed Hall of Fame resume spending his entire career with the Ravens. He led the NFL in tackles three times, was Defensive Player of the Year twice, and won two Super Bowls. In addition, he was a 13-time Pro Bowler and 10-time All-Pro.
In addition to his single-season tackle record, Lewis also holds the career records for combined tackles and solo tackles.
Although Lewis’ career wasn’t without some scandal, his on-field performance may not be surpassed by another linebacker for a very long time.
Other Notorious Packers Misses
For as successful as the Packers have been at drafting and developing, there have still been some significant missed opportunities for the franchise.
Packers fans will be quick to remind anyone that the team chose Kevin King over T.J. Watt in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Packers had the opportunity to select the Pittsburgh Steelers standout, but traded back and chose King instead.
Other recent examples include Darnell Savage over A.J. Brown, Josh Myers over Creed Humphrey, and Jace Sternberger over Terry McLaurin.
Mistakes like that occur all the time, but the Packers also missed out on some major trades in recent years. The team nearly traded linebacker A.J. Hawk for former Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch during their 2010 Super Bowl season.
The Packers also almost acquired a bitter rival in former Minnesota Vikings standout Randy Moss. After reaching an agreement to trade with the Oakland Raiders, the Packers were caught off guard when the New England Patriots made a move for the star wide receiver.
Every franchise has missed opportunities like these, but Packers fans won’t love to hear that Lynch, Moss, and Lewis were all nearly stars in Green Bay.
