Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton got burned in training camp….so what?
By Kristen Wong
Baltimore Ravens rookie Kyle Hamilton didn’t have his finest moment in last week’s training camp, but the media’s overreactions have been absurd.
The 2022 first-rounder has been touted as a franchise cornerstone piece in the Ravens’ defense and should get plenty of starting snaps this upcoming season. Hamilton made some impressive plays in rookie minicamp earlier this summer, though he did stumble a bit in training camp last week.
In a one-on-one drill with wide receiver Bailey Gaither, Hamilton got burned and let Gaither complete a long touchdown.
Hamilton has since received scorching criticism on social media for that play, though it seems Hamilton at least isn’t taking his haters too seriously.
This app can’t stop talking about this Kyle Hamilton play. As a safety, he won’t be in press coverage much during games, but it’s still not the best look. Nice to see Kyle able to take it in stride ..pic.twitter.com/jYBwJ0GBAz https://t.co/5yN8b9h2OE
— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) August 1, 2022
https://twitter.com/kyledhamilton_/status/1553897239948443651?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1553897239948443651%7Ctwgr%5Ed4e5c5c2b17686acfc58d5a8df139aa2ed836428%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fravenswire.usatoday.com%2F2022%2F07%2F31%2Fravens-s-kyle-hamilton-reacts-to-getting-burnt-on-twitter%2F
Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton will develop into an elite safety with enough time
It’s training camp. Take a breath. Relax.
The Hamilton narrative feels very similar to the Ja’Marr Chase narrative last preseason when the Bengals wideout recorded a handful of drops.
Chase went on to break numerous records and enjoy one of the best rookie wide receiver seasons in franchise history, so the media’s judgment really isn’t a good measure of a player’s capabilities.
In 2022, Hamilton adds value to an already stacked secondary with Chuck Clark, Marcus Williams, Marlon Humphrey, and Marcus Peters, and had any one of those defenders got burned the same way Hamilton did, Twitter would likely brush it off as a forgivable mistake.
The Ravens rookie is keenly aware of the pressure to perform, but there’s still ample time for Hamilton to hone his craft and grow into a starting role in the defense.
Besides, Hamilton had other great moments in practice that got overshadowed by that one egregious play.
Next. 4 scapegoats if things go wrong for the Ravens in 2022. dark
There’s no doubt in Ravens camp that Kyle Hamilton can turn into a reliable and productive safety in his first year. Give him the time to prove it.