The Baltimore Ravens might have the best safety room in the NFL. They signed Jaylinn Hawkins to build a fierce trio of Kyle Hamilton, Malaki Starks, and Hawkins. That group is downright terrifying.
The starters between Hamilton and Starks was already one of the best in football. When you have Hamilton, you’re bound to have a dangerous room. However, Starks is also emerging as a threat, and 2025 may just be the beginning.
There might be a little extra motivation for Hamilton and Starks on the table in 2026, too. In a recent safety duo ranking, Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame had Baltimore taking the No. 2 spot. At No. 1, it was the Atlanta Falcons with Jessie Bates III and Xavier Watts.
As the Ravens look to rebound in 2026, a new challenge for Hamilton and Starks will be to prove they’re the best safety duo.
Baltimore Ravens safety duo could reach an unrivaled level in 2026
The only reason that the Falcons should even be considered over the Ravens in the safety category is the fact that Watts outperformed Starks in his rookie campaign. Even then, though, Hamilton was miles better than Bates last year. So is Verderame’s ranking somewhat questionable? I think so, but I digress.
In 2026, Hamilton and Starks are in prime position to take what’s theirs and become the top safety pairing that the league has to offer. And Verderame outlined the exact reason for that possibility in his article. It’s new head coach and defensive playcaller, Jesse Minter.
Minter doesn’t need to do much more to unlock Hamilton. The 25-year-old is already one of the best players in the entire NFL, but if there’s somehow a new height for him to reach, Minter will certainly be able to get it out of him. He had Derwin James perform at his best with the Los Angeles Chargers over the past two seasons, and he should help Hamilton continue to evolve in Charm City.
As for Starks, he should be the bigger beneficiary of Minter’s arrival. He was solid last year, but he’s admitted it was a bit underwhelming for his standards, and you can see that through his 67.9 overall grade, per Pro Football Focus. I mean, he was a star since the moment he touched the field as a freshman at Georgia; he can easily take huge strides in 2026.
So how can Hamilton and Starks reach an unrivaled level, and post an unmatched trajectory this season? Well, for Hamilton it’s continuing to steamroll through the league at an All-Pro pace. Starks is the more important development that fans will be watching, and if he can start to showcase more impressive instincts in coverage and become a more respected ballhawk, then the entire Ravens’ defense will be able to feast.
Ultimately, this is just a personal goal for Hamilton and Starks, and it’s probably not even one that's on their minds. What’s more important is the defense reintroducing itself as a game-wrecking unit. But Hamilton and Starks taking that league’s-best leap would definitely help the defense achieve the quality they’re setting out to reach in 2026.
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