The Baltimore Ravens have the luxury of owning one of the best rosters in the NFL.
The team is stout on both sides of the ball and has one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Lamar Jackson. There wasn’t much that needed to be done this offseason, but re-signing offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley and adding wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in free agency were key moves.
Now, the team will look to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time in the Lamar Jackson era. If they do, it likely means that key defender Kyle Hamilton had another huge season.
Hamilton was drafted in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Since entering the league, Hamilton has made two Pro Bowls and has earned one First-team All-Pro selection. The Ravens picked up his fifth-year option, so the star defensive back will hit free agency in 2027.
Alex Kay of Bleacher Report recently identified the most underpaid players at each position in the league. For the safety spot, Kay went with Hamilton, who is set to carry a cap hit of just over $5 million in 2025.
Regarding Hamilton, Kay offered the following:
There’s not much Hamilton can’t provide on defense for the Baltimore Ravens, the franchise that lucked into him with the No. 14 overall pick in 2022.
He’s as good against the run as he is covering receivers and can also disrupt in the backfield on the blitz. He’s earned back-to-back Pro Bowl nods and was a first-team All-Pro in 2023 and a second-team All-Pro this past season.
With career numbers of 250 tackles, 27 pass defenses, five interceptions and four forced fumbles, the Notre Dame product is clearly one of the game’s elite players and should soon be rewarded as such financially.
Expect Hamilton to build upon the $21 million floor that both Kerby Joseph and Antoine Winfield Jr. recently set with their contract extensions.
As Kay mentioned, Hamilton excels in run defense, pass coverage, and even as a blitzer. There’s an argument to be made that the Notre Dame is already the best safety in the league.
In 2024, Hamilton played in all 17 games for the Ravens and collected 107 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, and one interception. Pro Football Focus gave Hamilton an elite 90.1 grade, which ranked 3rd out of 171 qualified safeties.
Of course, Hamilton is only underpaid because he’s still on his rookie deal. It’s fair to assume that Hamilton will eventually become the league’s highest-paid safety when it comes time for a new deal. Kerby Joseph and Antoine Winfield Jr. currently lead the pack with salaries north of $21 million, so the Ravens are likely preparing to dish out a huge contract.
