Ravens' Kyle Hamilton: Next Man Up After Chuck Clark Trade?
The future is now for the Baltimore Ravens after trading Chuck Clark to the New York Jets for a seventh-round pick. Trading the 27-year-old defensive back was a long time coming after he requested amn escape following the Ravens' drafting Kyle Hamilton with the No. 14 overall pick in last April's NFL Draft.
It's the natural order of things, really.
One of that draft's most talented players fell into the lap of the Ravens, who, despite not really needing a safety, recognized that Hamilton was among the best players available and would fit well in the Ravens' defense.
Even after voicing his displeasure with the selection of Hamilton, a talented young safety who was considered Clark's replacement, Chuck played in all 17 games for the Ravens in 2022. Clark finished with 101 tackles, second-best on the team, with four passes, one forced fumble, and a fumble return.
Clark was undoubtedly a key piece in a stout Ravens' defense that ranked No. 3 in points allowed per game at 18.5. Some could say the trade of Clark was bold, but rather it was calculated, as with him out of the picture, Hamilton will ideally become the next man up ... and will do it with star quality.
Oh, and maybe he'll be a more traditional safety as well.
As a rookie, Hamilton played most of his snaps, 354, as a slot cornerback, according to Pro Football Focus. The move to the slot was due to already having Clark and the signing of Marcus Williams, making them the safety pairing.
Hamilton stood out at Notre Dame with his sideline-to-sideline range and coverage skills that allowed him to be flexible positionally. And now a Ravens move offers him the chance to flex his muscles as a pivotal player in this defense.
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