After the 2018 regular season, longtime Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome stepped down from his position after two decades on the job and building two Super Bowl championship teams. Newsome officially handed the general manager job over to Eric DeCosta, who got to Baltimore in 1997 and had been groomed to take over for Newsome when the time came. DeCosta had declined many general manager offers from other NFL teams solely for the chance to become the Ravens general manager.

DeCosta is now on his second offseason, and so far, he has done an outstanding job by taking everything Newsome taught him to the test. Acquired good value with players and getting draft compensation that he has used to acquire good players. DeCosta used the 4th round pick he got for former franchise quarterback Joe Flacco for running back Justice Hill, who will be a big part in the Ravens running game for years to come. On draft day, he traded down with the Philadelphia Eagles to get Oklahoma wide receiver Marquis Brown. Brown showed a lot of potential and talent during his rookie year as he continues to develop with new franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson. He even traded back into the third round to get another weapon for Jackson in Notre Dame wide receiver Miles Boykin. He also signed Mark Ingram and Earl Thomas in free agency, and both contributed to the Ravens 14-2 season. He even stole cornerback Marcus Peters from the Los Angeles Rams for a fifth-round pick midseason, and Peters rewarded his new team right away by getting a pick-six off Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson in a win in Seattle in Peters’s very first game.

Last year was impressive for the new general manager, but this offseason might be even more impressive, and the draft is still a month away. DeCosta traded kicker Kaare Vedvik last year for a 5th-round draft pick. He then used that fifth rounder to acquire Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell. Former 2018 first round pick Hayden Hurst was passed in the depth chart by fellow 2018 draftee tight end Mark Andrews over the last two years, with Hurst serving as the second tight end on the depth chart. The Ravens were shopping Hurst around and when the Atlanta Falcons lost starting tight end Austin Hooper to the Cleveland Browns, DeCosta pounced at the chance and traded Hurst to the Falcons for a second-round pick. The fact that DeCosta got a second rounder for a tight end with little over 40 receptions in his first two seasons as a first-round draft pick was remarkable.

DeCosta has since signed Rams defensive tackle Michael Brockers to add to a defensive front that on paper looks to be a dominate unit with Brockers, Campbell, and Brandon Williams. In terms of the draft, he now has his first rounder, and two seconds, thirds, and fourths each, respectively. Nine draft picks in total, and having three rounds with multiple picks is big for any team, as it Brings in more leverage to possibly make a move in the draft and bring in more young talent, or use it to acquire another player via trade. It’s not easy to follow a legend like Newsome, but DeCosta is proven up to the task, and is showing the Ravens success is going to continue for a long time with him in charge.