Safety is an embarrassment of riches for the Baltimore Ravens as long as Kyle Hamilton lines up at the position, and the team is determined to keep any young defensive back who even simulates the All-Pro. Even if it means cutting a veteran with Super Bowl experience to make room on the final 53-man roster.
The Ravens must trim the roster by 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 30, and the depth chart at safety presents some of their tougher choices. Hamilton is a lock as the leading playmaker among a loaded group of starters that also includes veteran ball hawk Jaylinn Hawkins, along with 2025 NFL draft first-round pick Malaki Starks.
Tougher decisions await at the backup level. It’s where “K’Von Wallace and Silas Walters are difficult omissions after each recorded a preseason interception,” according to Glenn Erby of Ravens Wire.
Wallace only signed with the Ravens in 2026 NFL free agency back in May, so he’s a surprising potential cut. Not least because of his strong pedigree.
The Ravens could still dump Wallace because former undrafted free agent Keondre Jackson has a stronger case for making the roster. Thanks in no small part to operating as a sort of Hamilton clone this preseason.
K’Von Wallace Can’t Match Keondre Jackson’s Utility
Wallace offers the Ravens valuable experience as a well-travelled veteran who’s spent time with eight different teams. His most notable stop was with the Philadelphia Eagles, when he got onto the field for 57 snaps in Super Bowl LVII.
All of those snaps came on special teams, per Pro Football Reference, and football’s third phase offers Wallace his best route to sticking with the Ravens. That’s despite Wallace showing a knack for creating turnovers on defense this offseason.
The 29-year-old “undercut a J.J. McCarthy throw to the sideline for a pick-6. Nearly the entire Ravens defense ran to the end zone to celebrate with him,” during joint practices with the Minnesota Vikings, according to Ravens.com Editorial Director Ryan Mink.
Wallace also forced a fumble from Vikings’ rookie running back Demond Claiborne. The “strip and recovery” were highlighted by The Flock Rundown.
Unfortunately for Wallace, Jackson also “offers value on defense and special teams,” according to Erby. The second-year pro’s value on defense has shown up in creative ways through two exhibition games.
Ravens Using Hidden Gem in Kyle Hamilton Role
New Ravens’ head coach Jesse Minter has been unveiling some cool tricks defensively this preseason. Including “using reserve safety Keondre Jackson to blitz, show blitz, and drop back in zone coverage from the third level of the defense,” per Erby’s colleague, Larry Brown Jr.
Brown believes “Jackson’s preseason role could be a simulation of what we will see from starter Kyle Hamilton in the regular season.” That’s bold use case for both a young player and one of the premier athletes at his position in the game.
Jackson has responded well to the challenge of being a test pilot for Hamilton. He collected a sack against the Vikings, to go with two tackles for loss.
GettyJackson is handling playing like Hamilton well this preseason.
The 24-year-old is making the strongest case to be included in a rotation that should be the envy of the rest of the league. Jackson and this year’s sixth-round pick Chandler Rivers offer the versatility to be moving pieces in Minter and new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver’s creative schemes.
Positional flexibility among defensive backs will help the Ravens keep just one natural safety behind their headline trio. It’s hard to see anyone other than Jackson claiming the role.
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