The Baltimore Ravens should be in for a major bounce-back year in 2026. Most of all, it’s the defense that needs to rebound, and looking at the talent scattered around that side of the ball, the ceiling is incredibly high.
All eyes will be on Jesse Minter, who was hired to replace a Hall of Fame-caliber head coach in John Harbaugh. Minter will be calling the shots on defense, and seeing what he did with the Los Angeles Chargers, Ravens players should be very excited. Perhaps no one more than Kyle Hamilton.
And if you ask Hamilton, he still has a lot to work on. When asked how he sees himself developing under Minter, he spoke about perfecting his craft, mentioning he doesn’t believe he’s mastered anything.
.@kyledhamilton_ on how he sees himself growing as a player until Jesse Minter pic.twitter.com/mlZSLD6VOQ
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) June 10, 2026
A three-time All-Pro saying he still has a long way to go should terrify the rest of the NFL.
Kyle Hamilton could reach a terrifying level under Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter
Kyle Hamilton is already one of, if not the best, safeties in the NFL. Through four seasons, he’s already been named a first-team All-Pro twice (2023 and 2025) and second-team All-Pro once (2024), along with earning three Pro Bowl nods (2023-2025). He’s already cemented his name into NFL lore, and he’s just 25 years old.
Somehow, Hamilton is convinced he has a lot to work on. Obviously, he’s staying humble, but there definitely could be another level that he could unlock. He played in a poor defensive scheme over the past two years. However, now he gets to grow under a defensive genius…again.
2023 is probably Hamilton’s best season up to this point. It was just his second season in the league, but then-defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald got everything out of the Notre Dame product and more. Going into his fifth season, Hamilton once again gets a defensive mastermind in his corner: Jesse Minter.
There’s a reason why Minter was possibly the most highly sought-after coach this offseason. His Chargers defenses were simply electric. They posted top-10 efforts in points allowed per game in each of the two years he was defensive coordinator, including a league-best mark in 2024. The passing and rushing defenses were consistently above-average, too.
It also helps that Minter molded Derwin James back into an elite safety in 2024 and 2025. James possesses similar versatility to Hamilton, and Minter, having that experience with James, should allow for instantaneous development and impact in his partnership with Hamilton. It's a partnership that could result in Defensive Player of the Year honors for Hamilton.
I mean, not that Hamilton really needs it, but we could see him level up into an even more terrifying threat on defense.
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