Why Kyle Hamilton and the Ravens Are a Perfect Match
It’s often said that the NFL is a copycat league.
So, does that mean there will soon be an influx of versatile safeties in the mold of All-Pro Kyle Hamilton?
Not likely, Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy and former NFL executive Randy Mueller told Press Box’s Luke Jackson. It’s not just that Hamilton, who has been described as a unicorn and one of one, has a unique skill set, it’s that the Ravens and Hamilton are a perfect match.
“You’ve got to use them to their strengths, and it just doesn’t happen as much as it should,” Nagy said. “It sounds easy, right? Play to a guy’s strengths, don’t be cookie-cutter. But I think there are a lot of organizations that Kyle Hamilton could’ve [gone] to and they would’ve tried to fit him into a specific scheme and it probably wouldn’t have fit great, and the next thing you know he’s being labeled a bust. That probably would’ve happened in some places, but it hasn’t happened in Baltimore.”
The Ravens use the 6-foot-4, 224-pound Hamilton all over the field to capitalize on his combination of size, physicality and coverage skills. It’s what they envisioned when they selected him 14th overall in 2022.
“There’s a lot of teams when Hamilton came out that he just didn’t fit what they want, so there were teams that passed on that skill set,” Mueller said. “The Ravens have been one to utilize his strengths and minimize the things he doesn’t do great. They should be credited for that, but I don’t think people are going to be looking for that, per se. It’s too much of a spread game, and he’s unique that he can survive in that world, but most at his size can’t.”
Nagy said Hamilton’s success is made possible by continuity in the coaching and personnel ranks creating a shared vision. John Harbaugh is in his 17th season as head coach, and Eric DeCosta is in his sixth season as general manager and has been with the Ravens since 1996.
“What happens to teams that aren’t successful is volatility kills it,” Nagy said. “[For example], a general manager is in place for a decade but he’s gone through two or three coaches, and every coach they bring in is looking for different things or vice versa. There’s just volatility on both sides. An impatient owner is turning over the front office, he’s turning over the coaches and they can never land on the same page. That’s what [owner] Steve Bisciotti has built there. The stability has really fostered that partnership.”
On a side note, Hamilton, 23, was No. 9 in The Athletic’s top 25 players 25-and-under rankings, which were based on feedback from 12 league front-office members, coaches, or scouts.
Looking at the Ravens’ Potential Fatal Flaw
SB Nation identified each AFC team’s potential fatal flaw. Unsurprisingly, it was the offensive line for the Ravens.
“On paper, the Ravens offense looks scary, particularly when you imagine Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry standing next to each other in the backfield and the creative things Baltimore can do in the running game with those two,” Joseph Acosta and Mark Schofield wrote. “But having lost guards Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson in free agency, as well as having traded away tackle Morgan Moses, can the offensive line hold up their end of the bargain?”
It’s the most-asked question of the offseason. While the offensive line is still a work in progress, the Ravens are encouraged by what they’ve seen from left guard Andrew Voorhees, right tackle Roger Rosengarten, and guard/tackle Daniel Faalele.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, who attended training camp yesterday, offered the following assessment:
“The two guard spots seem relatively solid, with guys who’ve been developed through the program. Andrew Vorhees, who fell in the 2023 NFL draft after tearing his ACL at the combine, has had an excellent summer at left guard, proving himself a strong, blue-collar bully. And Daniel Faalele, a mountain of a man, is ‘down’ to about 380 pounds, and should be a hammer at right guard. Things are a little more unsettled at right tackle, where rookie Roger Rosengarten has made a real push for the job, with veterans Patrick Mekari and Josh Jones also in the mix. So through their well-worn player-development machine, Baltimore feels good about where the line is with the season three weeks out.”
The Ravens now also have the challenge of ushering in a new offensive line coach with Joe D’Alessandris stepping away from the team for medical reasons.
Jackson-Nelson Agholor Connection Was One of NFL’s Best by One Metric
One of the unsung heroes for the Ravens last season was veteran wide receiver Nelson Agholor, who quietly became a dependable weapon for Jackson.
Pro Football Focus ranked the 10-best quarterback-wide receiver pairings by catchable target rate in 2023, and Jackson to Agholor was No. 5.
“Agholor was brought in as a depth piece for the Ravens in the 2023 offseason and, despite starting just three games, managed to become a vital part of the offense,” Thomas Valentine wrote. “The former Eagles first-round pick caught 38 passes for 432 yards and five touchdowns and earned a 61.6 PFF overall grade on the season. Lamar Jackson’s improvements as a pocket passer led to his second MVP award, as well as an 83.0 PFF passing grade — the highest of his career — and his connection with Agholor helped nurture that.
“The veteran receiver caught 83.0% of his catchable targets from Jackson, becoming a valuable slot option for the Ravens before signing another one-year extension with the team in the offseason.”
The Jackson-Zay Flowers pairing ranked ninth with an 81.0% catchable rate.