This week on the Inner Circle Podcast, Aaron Donald, Zach Klein and Todd France sit down with Baltimore Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta, one of the longest tenured executives in the NFL and a two time Super Bowl champion who has helped shape a modern powerhouse through the draft, development, and relentless standards.
Eric opens with a story that perfectly sums up how long he and Todd have been in the grind together, dating back to the Blue Gray game days when a young Todd was roaming the sidelines trying to get someone to listen. From there, DeCosta takes us inside his rise in Baltimore, from being the third choice for a scouting job in 1996 to earning Ozzie Newsome’s trust, stacking responsibilities, and eventually becoming the GM. Along the way, he shares what it was like learning in a building that included future football leaders like Marvin Lewis, Kirk Ferentz, Jim Schwartz, and Eric Mangini.
DeCosta also walks through a head coach search that felt like a “speed draft” for the most important hire in the organization, including marathon Zoom interviews, the pressure of juggling draft prep at the same time, and what he prioritized most when evaluating coaching candidates. He explains why leadership, teaching, and player development still separate the best from the rest, even in an era where every assistant coach seems to have an agent and a negotiation.
Then the conversation shifts to DeCosta’s specialty: the draft and the hardest position to get right, quarterback. He breaks down what he looks for when projecting NFL passers, why “planet players” matter, and how unique traits show up across positions, including the “computer breakers” who transcend measurements. He also shares what the combine actually does for his process, why workouts can fool you, and how the interview rooms help reveal who can really learn football under pressure.
Aaron brings it home with a masterclass on self scouting, film study, and leadership, including how he watched games immediately, what angles mattered most for his preparation, and why the standard only holds if the best players live it every day. Plus, you will hear plenty of laughs, a few classic Inner Circle jabs, and even a wild idea about Aaron Donald taking Team USA bobsled into the next decade.
https://www.youtube.com/@TheInnerCirclePod
https://open.spotify.com/show/2HYa5USGooRmeXxKKGyT0l?si=4a20e67b0b864b8b
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-inner-circle/id1837695806
