Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton ‘could disappoint’ in his rookie season

The Baltimore Ravens have set lofty expectations for safety Kyle Hamilton entering his rookie season — as was always going to be the case given his pre-draft hype.

The former Notre Dame star was widely seen as one of the best safety prospects to enter the NFL in years, and the Ravens were thrilled to see him fall all the way to the 14th overall pick in this year’s draft.

But while the Ravens may have high hopes for their promising young safety, others believe that he could be in for a letdown of a rookie campaign.

Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton recently put together an article listing one player from every NFL team that “could disappoint” this season, and for the Ravens, he chose Hamilton.

"“The Ravens have two proven starters at safety in Chuck Clark and Marcus Williams, who just signed a five-year, $70 million deal … Barring injuries at safety or a trade that involves Clark, Hamilton could be a rotational slot defender in the big nickel formation and the sixth defensive back in dime packages, which would give the 14th overall pick few opportunities to make an impact in his rookie year.”"

Kyle Hamilton should have plenty of opportunities with the Ravens in 2022

Moton argues that Hamilton could fall short of expectations simply due to a lack of opportunities. This is due to the stacked nature of the Ravens’ secondary, specifically the team’s safety room.

As Moton points out, the Ravens went out and signed star safety Marcus Williams to a hefty five-year, $70 million deal in free agency. The expectation at the time was that he would pair with the incumbent Chuck Clark to form one of the better safety duos in the NFL.

That was until the Ravens drafted Hamilton, sparking rumors that Clark could be on the trade block. But even if Clark isn’t moved, the three safeties could still find a way to coexist. If anything, it seems more likely that Clark would see his playing time diminish.

Defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald could find roles for all three players. Clark could shift into more of a hybrid safety/linebacker role, especially given the team’s thin linebacker corps.

There will be plenty of snaps to go around for Williams, Clark, and Hamilton. If Kyle Hamilton underperforms in 2022, it likely won’t be due to a lack of opportunity.