Throughout their existence, the Baltimore Ravens have always had star players on their defense. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed come to mind immediately, with more recent stars such as Roquan Smith and Marcus Peters patrolling that side of the ball.

Following in the footsteps of Reed, the Ravens now have a new superstar player to patrol the last line of their defense. Safety Kyle Hamilton exploded onto the scene in 2023, his second season as a pro.

The No. 14 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Notre Dame had a decent, albeit not spectacular, rookie season. With his role expanding in 2023, he took his game to another level.

Hamilton earned his first Pro Bowl nod and was selected to the All-Pro First Team. Both distinctions were deserved, as he stuffed the stat sheet, showing off his impressive versatility.

That production has led to him landing near the top of the safety player rankings. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN compiled the rankings based on votes from executives, coaches and scouts around the league.

The Ravens star came in at No. 2 on the safety list. The only player ahead of him is Antoine Winfield Jr. of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who signed a record-setting deal with the team this offseason.

“The ultimate Swiss Army knife that was used to in every way possible last season,” an NFC scout said. “He was a defender opposing offenses had to be aware of on every snap.”

Hamilton was all over the field producing for the Ravens in 2023. He is the only player on the safety list who recorded double-digit tackles for loss and passes defended, with 10 and 13 respectively.

There are some limitations to his ability, as he isn’t the fastest player on the field. But, the Ravens deploy him where his strengths can be accentuated, such as playing middle linebacker in dime packages instead of deep safety.

“Doesn’t fit the bill for everyone, but really important for them,” an AFC executive said. “Have to know where he is at all times. Really good instincts in the middle of the field.”

There are some people who voted that had Hamilton as the No. 1 safety. The lowest he showed up on any voter’s ballot is six. 

This is a major jump up the rankings for the Ravens star. At this time last year when rankings were done, Hamilton was not on the list; he didn’t even receive an honorable mention.

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