The Baltimore Ravens have had a busier offseason than usual. They’ve lost some key pieces from their rosters over the past few years and were aggressive in a couple of signings, most notably the addition of Trey Hendrickson.
Baltimore has been most active on the defensive side of the ball in free agency. Along with Hendrickson, they re-signed a reliable corner in Chidobe Awuzie, and improved the safety room by bringing in Jaylinn Hawkins. On paper, the defense already looks miles better than it did in 2025.
The biggest winner of all this may be Kyle Hamilton. Hamilton is already one of the best players in the NFL, but pairing him with Hawkins, who had one of the best safety seasons in 2025, should pay off big time. Head coach Jesse Minter highlighted that during his interview at team meetings on Tuesday.
“That safety position for us, we have a chess piece in Kyle [Hamilton],” Minter said. “Jaylinn [Hawkins] is a great player. I think him and Malaki [Starks] will operate really well together. And I think that’ll allow us to do a lot of cool things with Kyle…It’s gonna be fun to come up with things to utilize those three guys.”
Kyle Hamilton could continue to raise the bar with the Baltimore Ravens in 2026
Through four seasons, Hamilton has been named to three Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams (two first-team and one second-team). It didn’t take long for him to reach the peak of his powers, but with a safety upgrade now in the building, he could somehow unlock yet another level.
While the trade for Alohi Gilman was cool and Ar’Darius Washington’s return from injury boosted the depth and versatility of the group; neither is the player that Hawkins is. Gilman had an awful missed tackle rate, and sure, Washington played like a warrior, but his 5-foot-8 frame limited him at times. Hawkins is a huge improvement to shore up a leaky pass defense and inconsistent run defense.
Hawkins broke out in 2025, helping pave the way for a New England Patriots Super Bowl run. He submitted outstanding Pro Football Focus grades in every department, which added up to an 82.4 overall grade. That was good for fifth among safeties.
With an extremely good feel in both coverage and run defense, and versatility to play around the field, Hawkins should bring a huge boost. A trusted veteran like himself and Malaki Starks now having a full year under his belt should give Minter and Anthony Weaver more aggression with how they use Hamilton. He can literally play anywhere, and now he can be utilized to the best of his abilities, playing whatever role the situation calls for.
The other free agency moves, like Hendrickson and Awuzie, should also liven up the defense, as well as Hamilton. When there’s more talent scattered around, everyone is going to benefit. It just so happens that since Hamilton can play every role possible, he may benefit the most.