Rob Gronkowski almost joined Ravens in 2010 until Tebow trade changed everything
A draft-day twist cost the Ravens Rob Gronkowski, altering NFL history as the Patriots landed a legendary tight end instead. (Credit: Imagn Images0
The 2010 NFL Draft could have completely rewritten the history books for both the
Baltimore Ravens
and the
New England Patriots
. In a twist of fate and a series of last-minute trades, Rob Gronkowski—arguably the greatest tight end the game has ever seen—ended up in Foxborough instead of Baltimore, and the ripple effects from that night are still felt to this day.
Ravens were ready to draft Gronk in 2010, but Broncos' Tebow gamble changed everything
Baltimore has never lacked talent at the tight end position.
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From Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe to Todd Heap, Dennis Pitta, and Mark Andrews, the Ravens have consistently produced elite talent at the position. But in 2010, they were in prime position to draft someone who could have elevated that legacy to historic heights—Rob Gronkowski.
Speaking on the Dudes On Dudes podcast, Gronkowski shed light on what could've been a franchise-altering move for the Ravens. 'The Baltimore Ravens were going to pick me, I think it was the 25th pick that they had in the draft,' Gronkowski revealed. 'But then Denver and Josh McDaniels came scooping in and traded with the Baltimore Ravens. The Denver Broncos took Tim Tebow. I just got booted out of the first round.'
That trade-out of the 25th spot not only cost the Ravens a shot at Gronkowski in the first round, it set off a chain reaction that ultimately allowed the Patriots to swoop in. 'The Ravens had the 43rd pick now,' Gronkowski continued. 'Well then the New England Patriots got a sniff of it, and they traded one spot before the Baltimore Ravens at No. 42, where I got drafted.'
Had Baltimore stayed put, Gronkowski might've been catching passes from Joe Flacco rather than
Tom Brady
. Instead, the Ravens walked away with defensive end Sergio Kindle at No. 43—who played just three games before injuries derailed his career. While they did eventually draft Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson later that year, and Pitta became a vital part of their 2012 Super Bowl run, the thought of Gronkowski in purple and black is enough to make Ravens fans wonder 'what if?'
Adding to the drama, Gronkowski also claimed, 'I also heard through a grapevine that if I didn't get drafted to the New England Patriots, Greg Olsen was going to get traded that day for a draft pick to the New England Patriots, because the Patriots were looking for a tight end.'
The tight end-needy Patriots made their move at just the right time. What followed was a decade of dominance. Paired with Brady, Gronkowski became a four-time Super Bowl champion and one-half of one of the NFL's most iconic duos. It's hard to say if the same would've happened in Baltimore. Would Gronk have reached legendary status with the Ravens? Or would his career have taken a different path without Brady's precision and Belichick's schemes?
Fate, as it turned out, had other plans. And the Patriots capitalized. But somewhere in Baltimore's front office, someone still wonders what might have been if
Rob Gronkowski
had been allowed to fall just one pick further.
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