Ravens Rookie Kyle Hamilton Shakes Off Adversity

Safety is poised for solid season.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton took some criticism over the weekend after getting beat by rookie free agent Bailey Gaither during a one-on-one coverage drill at M&T Bank Stadium.

yo i am getting fried on this app rn😂

— Kyle Hamilton (@kyledhamilton_) August 1, 2022

Hamilton shook off the criticism, but John Harbaugh didn't like the response on social media. 

The Ravens still have complete faith in the rookie first-round pick. 

“Someone gave the opinion that he’s a limited guy who’s got to play in the box because they saw him try to cover a guy who ran like a 10.4-[second] 100 meters,” Harbaugh said. “We’re not going to match him up against a 10.4 100-meter guy, but he played man [coverage] today pretty good, as you saw.”

Following the stadium practice, Hamilton shined when the team wore pads for the first time.

He had a couple of physical matchups with tight end Isaiah Likely. Hamilton also jumped a route and broke up a pass from Lamar Jackson to Mark Andrews. 

The Ravens like Hamilton's versatility and will utilize those skills.  

New defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald is going to move Hamilton around, putting him in the box, matching him up with opposing tight ends, and playing center field.

"We don’t have to feed him to the fire, per se," Macdonald said. "But the thing with Kyle is I don’t think he left off from where he was in the spring. Sometimes that happens with rookies; they take a little dip and need to get caught back up. I keep saying the word trajectory, but he just keeps learning, keeps communicating. 

"He’s a very sharp, [a] very smart player, obviously plays fast. He can cover a ton of ground. So, like you said, we have great players back there, too. So, he has to earn his way onto the field.”