Eric DeCosta Eric DeCosta ( born April 10 , 1971 , Taunton , Massachusetts ) was named the Assistant General Manager for the Baltimore Ravens on May 17 , 2012 . Prior to his recent appointment , DeCosta served as the Director of Player Personnel for the Ravens , being heavily involved in both college and pro scouting . Before that , DeCosta was the Director of College Scouting in Baltimore , where he oversaw the NFL draft . DeCosta , who began his career in the National Football League as a Player Personnel Assistant in 1996 , served as Mid - West Area Scout from 1998 - 2003 . For the past seventeen years , DeCosta has worked for General Manager Ozzie Newsome , a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame . Education . DeCosta attended high school at Taunton High School ( Taunton , Massachusetts ) and played football at Colby College , where he served as team captain in 1992 under head coach , Tom Austin . A Dean ' s List student who graduated with honors , DeCosta earned bachelor of art ' s degrees in English and Classical Civilizations in 1993 . In 1996 , DeCosta received a Master ' s degree in English from Trinity College , Hartford . Career . Prior to his stint in the NFL , DeCosta worked at Trinity College ( 1993 – 1996 ) as a Graduate Fellow , coaching football in the Athletic Department . Named as one of the most powerful people in sports under the age of 35 , DeCosta has played a strong role in the drafting of Pro Bowl players like Ed Reed , Terrell Suggs , Jamal Lewis , Bart Scott , Le ' Ron McClain , Haloti Ngata , Marshal Yanda , Ben Grubbs , and Ray Rice along with significant contributors Tony Weaver , Mark Clayton , Chester Taylor , Ed Hartwell , Dawan Landry , Jason Brown , Jared Gaither , Sam Koch , and Lardarius Webb . In April , 2008 , DeCosta and the Ravens traded the 8th pick in the 2008 Draft to the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 26th pick in the first round and other picks . The Ravens then traded the 26th overall pick and their third round pick to the Houston Texans for the 18th pick , where the Ravens then selected 2008 Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Year winner , QB Joe Flacco from the University of Delaware . In his first season as Ravens starting quarterback , Flacco led the Ravens to the AFC Championship Game , where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers . The next year , in April , 2009 , DeCosta and Newsome traded the 26th pick in the 2009 Draft and another pick to the New England Patriots for the 23rd pick in the first round . The Ravens then selected 2009 Offensive Rookie of the Year runner - up Michael Oher , OT , from Ole Miss . Oher was featured in Michael Lewis ' acclaimed book , " " which was also made into a movie starring Sandra Bullock . In January , 2010 , after reportedly being a finalist for the Seattle Seahawks General Manager position , DeCosta removed his name from consideration prior to interviewing for the post . One year later in March 2011 , in an interview at the annual Owners ' Meetings in New Orleans , Louisiana , Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti referred to DeCosta as General Manager Ozzie Newsome ' s eventual successor . DeCosta was on the radar for several teams with General Manager openings following the 2011 season including serious interest from the Chicago Bears . However in January 2012 DeCosta signed a new contract with Baltimore that would make him one of the highest paid executives in football and ensure that he stayed on as Ozzie Newsome ' s eventual replacement .