Ravens Ready to Load Up at Crucial Defensive Position

New Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter is laser-focused on getting the defense to play Ravens football as they did two decades ago with Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and Terrell Suggs.

Last season, the defense in Baltimore struggled mightily, ranking 24th in total defense and 18th in points allowed, with one of the few bright spots of the unit being safety Kyle Hamilton. According to ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler, Minter might be looking for more safeties like Hamilton to add to their secondary.

"The Ravens could be in the market for a safety in free agency, too, per multiple league executives, despite having one of the league's best in Kyle Hamilton and drafting Malaki Starks in the first round. A growing trend in the league is using three safeties, similar to what Seattle did to great success last season with Nick Emmanwori as a safety/big nickel alongside Julian Love and Coby Bryant. New Ravens coach Jesse Minter was known to experiment with the same setup with the Chargers. I'm not sure how many dollars the Ravens would commit here, but it's worth noting."

Ravens might get another safety in free agency

Hamilton is arguably one of the best defensive players in the NFL for his versatility in the box while locked down in coverage. He finished the 2025 campaign with 105 tackles, nine pass deflections, seven tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and one sack in 16 games.

Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton and safety Malaki Starks | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Starks made quite the impression in his rookie season after being the Ravens' first-round pick in 2025. He racked up 84 tackles, four pass deflections, two interceptions, and one tackle for loss in 17 games.

Baltimore is losing a key third safety in their secondary, as Alohi Gilman is a free agent after the Ravens traded for him early in the NFL season. Gilman was traded by the Los Angeles Chargers, with Minter as his defensive coordinator. It's up in the air whether Gilman will come back, but he played well during his time in Baltimore with 68 tackles, six pass deflections, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, and one touchdown.

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta has publicly stated that he and the team are not expected to be super aggressive in free agency, so they could look for a cheap option to start. Another option would be to look in the NFL Draft with NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah telling the media at the NFL Combine that if NFL teams are looking for a starting safety in Day 2 or the fourth round, this is the draft to find one.

There is no question that the defense has to get better, and the Ravens might have to step outside of their financial comfort zone to get that done, especially if they will roll out three safeties on the field.

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