For years, it's been abundantly clear that Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton is one of the most versatile and impactful players in the NFL. Nevertheless, it still feels like he's underrated.
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports recently released his ranking of the top 100 players -- Hamilton slotted in at 28th. Not bad by any means, but fans who watch the Ravens each week would argue that Hamilton should be higher. Bare minimum, I think Hamilton belongs in the top 20, and I'd venture to say that most Ravens fans would agree with that.
In fairness, ranking players in different positional groups and roles is a difficult task. Some debatable defensive players who are over Hamilton include Devon Witherspoon (24), Jeffery Simmons (20) and Aidan Hutchinson (14).
Of this bunch, Hutchinson's ranking is likely the least controversial; however, I'd argue that there's a wide gap between his stellar pass-rushing and fairly middle-of-the-road run-stopping abilities.
Why Kyle Hamilton should be ranked higher than the 28th best NFL player
The main reason Hamilton should be higher comes down to one word: versatility. Simply put, no defensive player wears more hats for his team than Hamilton.
He can line up close to the line of scrimmage, like an edge rusher. He can man the middle of the field, like a linebacker. He can defend in coverage, like a cornerback. And of course, he can man the back-end of the field while roaming around if needed, like a classic safety. The guy truly does it all.
In 2023, his versatility was central to the Ravens' success, which included them ranking first in points allowed. Then, in back-to-back years, the Ravens changed his role during the middle of the season, and both times this adjustment saved their defense. Specifically, in 2024, they deployed him further back in the secondary to stabilize their pass defense, and in 2025, they did the opposite -- moved him closer to the line of scrimmage to help stabilize their pass rush and run defense.
He's a true unicorn, there's no other way to put it.
Hamilton's blend of size (6-foot-4, 218 pounds) and IQ allows him to play any role the Ravens need him to. The Notre Dame product is the ultimate chess piece, and having a player with this level of versatility is a schematic cheat code. There just aren't 27 players who are more impactful and important to their respective teams' success than Hamilton. In short, this is why Hamilton should rank higher than 28th.
Ravens fans should be well familiar with Hamilton's impact and versatility, which should make this ranking all the more disappointing. At the end of the day, it's just one person's opinion, and all of the Ravens Flock knows that Hamilton is being undervalued in that ranking.
With Jesse Minter's new system, Hamilton could further improve (as crazy as that sounds), and I predict he'll shoot up next year's version of this list. For now, though, Hamilton's impact (somehow) remains underrated.
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