Rookie Kyle Hamilton Showing Steady Improvement for Ravens
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ravens rookie safety Kyle Hamilton was expected to make an immediate impact as a first-round pick.
Hamilton did have some growing pains as he adjusted to the speed of the NFL.
Now, he has shown steady improvement and is becoming an impact player.
Since Week 3, Hamilton played 73 coverage snaps and allowed opponents to gain just 29 yards against him with no touchdowns, according to Pro Football Focus.
He registered his first sack last week against the Cleveland Browns.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh said the team is putting Hamilton in a position to succeed.
"He was in a specific role, that kind of Dime position, and also playing the Nickel position in certain groupings that we were in," Harbaugh said. "I just thought he really did a great job. He really was into it; he matched up sometimes in terms of man coverage, and when he did that, he did well. He played an overall really good game. So, it’s kind of what we were hoping for. It’s a big step for him, and he’ll keep building on that.”
With Marcus Williams out indefinitely with a fractured write, the Ravens have needed Hamilton to step and play better football and he has responded.
Fellow safety Geno Stone has also played well and he received the highest grade (79.2) among all Ravens players in Week 7 against the Browns.
This bodes well for this season and the future of the Ravens in the secondary, which is one of the team's deepest units.
