Their defense is riding high after shutting out the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 15, but the Baltimore Ravens know the assignment will be tougher against the 11-3 New England Patriots and potential NFL MVP Drake Maye this week, especially after major injury news about All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton.
The do-all defensive back was a notable addition to the Ravens’ injury report for Friday, December 19. Hamilton’s listed as questionable for the Pats’ visit to M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, a situation Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic correctly pointed out “is not what you want to see if you’re the Ravens.”
That may be an understatement given Hamilton’s growing importance to everything the Ravens do defensively. His value had actually increased after a productive rookie suffered a season-ending injury in Cincinnati.
Hamilton’s ability to impact offenses from every level of the field is close to impossible to replicate for any other member of the depth chart, despite the Ravens welcoming back a breakout star against the Bengals.
Kyle Hamilton Indispensable for Improving Defense
Having Hamilton in the lineup grants defensive coordinator Zach Orr and his staff a level of flexibility almost every other play-caller in the league is sure to envy. It’s because Hamilton can line up at multiple spots, slot corner, inside linebacker, edge-rusher, box safety and deep centerfielder.
Wherever he roams, Hamilton makes big plays, but the 24-year-old has shown a growing comfort playing at the linebacker level. That’s something the Ravens need after 2025 NFL draft fourth-round pick Teddye Buchanan, who’s proved to be a steal, tore his ACL during the 24-0 victory over the Bengals.
Hamilton was already showing inside ‘backer traits with plays like this run stuff against the Cleveland Browns in Week 11, highlighted by Zrebiec’s colleague Mike Sando. More recently, during Wednesday’s practice, Hamilton was “being summoned to spend some time in linebacker drills which he’s been doing for the past few weeks,” according to Carita Parks of Double Take Sports.
Not having Hamilton available to play linebacker against the Patriots and dynamic rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson would be a blow. Yet, the Ravens will primarily be focused on stopping Maye, something another flexible safety can help make happen.
Ravens Know About Patriots Test
Hamilton spelled it out when he told reporters, including AJ Gersh of Fox Baltimore, how Maye “can hurt you just as much with his legs as he can with his arm, so, big props to him. I know he’s in the MVP conversation, all deservingly so, he’s had a great year… Probably going to be a problem in the league for a long time, so excited to go up against him and their team this Sunday.”
Those comments make it sound as though Hamilton expects to play, but if he can’t, expect more snaps for Ar’Darius Washington. The latter saw his first action of the season against the Bengals, after tearing his Achilles back in May.
Washington performed capably, offering a reminder of his own diverse skill-set. The 5-foot-8, 180-pounder doesn’t boast the same physical profile as Hamilton, but Washington is a hitter who can play deep safety and in the slot.
Deploying Washington closer to the line of scrimmage as a de facto spy can be the best way for the Ravens to limit Maye’s mobility. Ideally, Orr won’t have to make that call because Hamilton will be ready to go, leaving Washington to join first-round pick Malaki Starks on the back end as part of a three-safety package the Patriots will struggle to decipher.
Ravens Get Major Kyle Hamilton Injury News Before Facing Patriots