Ravens Star Named Defensive Player of the Year Dark Horse

The Baltimore Ravens' defense may be the best unit they've had since drafting Lamar Jackson in 2018. Along with Roquan Smith in the middle of the field, Marlon Humphrey returns to the secondary, and they've added former Green Bay Packers Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander to the room, as well.

Their most prolific defensive player, though, is safety Kyle Hamilton, who at this point may be the best safety in football. He is coming off a Second-Team All-Pro season after the Ravens fielded the No. 1 defense in the league from Weeks 11-18 in terms of EPA. And while Hamilton is one of the top safeties in the NFL, he could add some hardware to his shelf in 2025.

Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report names Hamilton as a player who could take home the 2025 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.

"[Hamilton] is a 6'4", 220-pound tone-setter, capable of being highly effective in the box, covering the slot or playing the deep third," Sobleski writes. "To understand how talented and multifaceted he is, PFF's Zoltan Buday noted, "He was also the most complete safety in the league [in 2024] as the only player at the position to earn at least an 88.0 PFF grade in coverage, run defense and pass rushing.
Last season, the Ravens defense had a horrific start to the season. However, the unit went from 28th in EPA allowed per dropback to first after Hamilton moved to the back line, according to ESPN's Seth Walder. While it's an astounding turnaround with Hamilton serving as the catalyst, he's a natural strong safety. The Ravens made sure they found the perfect complementary piece to keep Hamilton where he should be, with this year's first-round selection of Georgia's Malaki Starks. With Starks holding up his end of the bargain, Hamilton can resume being the best safety in the game on one of the NFL's top squads."

Hamilton is coming off a 107-tackle season, which marks a career high, and his versatility has been invaluable to the Ravens' defense. Should he be able to add some interceptions to his stat line in 2025, don't be surprised if he is named Defensive Player of the Year.