Jesse Minter Excited to Work With Ravens All-Pro Defender

The Baltimore Ravens are fortunate enough to have the ultimate chess piece on defense in three-time All Pro safety Kyle Hamilton. His ability to line up and make plays from anywhere on all three levels makes him the skeleton key that can unlock and elevate any scheme that he is a part of.

Under new head coach Jesse Minter, who confirmed that he will be calling plays on that side of the ball during his introductory press conference, Hamilton can take his game to an even higher level now that he will be getting deployed by one of the brightest defensive minds in the game.

"Kyle is a weapon," Minter said. "He is a positionless defensive player that I would classify as a weapon on defense. As much as you can do to get a guy like Kyle near the point of attack, I think, is what you try to do as a designer [or] playcaller."

Hamilton has been the Ravens' Swiss Army Knife and saving grace on defense since he started his breakout midway through his rookie season, but especially over the past two years, where the second-half turnaround of the defense, after horrendous starts to the seasons, was directly correlated to him taking on and flourishing in a different role.

In 2024, he primarily played back deep down the stretch to stop the bleeding of what was the most porous pass defense in the league through the first 10 weeks. This past season, the arrival of veteran Alohi Gilman via trade allowed Hamilton to play closer to the line of scrimmage return to being utilized in the dynamic positionless role that made him a star.

KYLE HAMILTON SACKS SHEDEUR SANDERS.

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Hamilton recorded over 100 total tackles, nine pass breakups and two forced fumbles in each of the last two seasons but paired with a mastermind like Minter, he could be even more disruptive and annually contend for Defensive Player of the Year, an award that has been historically dominated by pass rushers.

"I could not be more thrilled to be able to work with Kyle," Minter said. "I've had a couple of really good conversations with him already. I know he's excited, and I'm excited to work with him alongside all the really great players that we have in this organization."

Minter already has formula for Hamilton's continued success

Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. reacts after making an interception against the Houston Texans on Dec 27, 2025. — Dec 27, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. (3) reacts after making an interception against the Houston Texans during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The terms unicorn, generational talent and one-of-one are often overused when describing gifted but not truly transcendent athletes at the professional level. However, all of those adjectives encapsulate who and what Hamilton is perfectly.

There are only two players who most closely resemble him physically and can be similarly deployed all over the field, but especially in the box and near the line of scrimmage. One is Seattle Seahawks star rookie Nick Emmanwori, who is about to play in the Super Bowl under Minter's former colleague at the Ravens and dear friend Mike Macdonald. The other is Los Angeles Chargers five-time Pro Bowl veteran Derwin James, who was the centerpiece of Minter's elite defense for the past two years when he was the play-caller under Jim Harbaugh.

"Ironically, a couple years ago when I was getting to the Chargers, I had looked at a lot of the stuff that Kyle had done [in Baltimore] in 2023," Minter said in an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. "[I] showed Derwin some Kyle film, now [I'll] show Kyle some Derwin film. Two great players in their own right [and] unique in their own style."

Can Jesse Minter take Kyle Hamilton to the next level? A look at his work with a similar defensive weapon suggests good things in store!

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Under Minter's tutelage, James had two of the best seasons of his career in back-to-back years. He was named Second Team All Pro in each after averaging over 90 total tackles and seven pass breakups and totaling a combined 16 tackles for loss, four interceptions, 7.5 sacks and 14 quarterback hits, all while being lights out in coverage.

James has been one of Minter's most outspoken former players in support of him having everything it takes to be a leader of men, and credited him with the revitalization of his career. In Baltimore, the 42-year-old first-time head coach is expected to have a similarly galvanizing effect on the Ravens defense, and he is fully aware of what is expected of him in his return to the franchise in his elevated role.

"This is an organization that expects to play great defense, expects to have the most dominant defense in the NFL and I think any quarterback's best friend is having the best defense in the league," Minter said.

To find a prime example of what he just expressed, Minter and the Ravens need to look no further than the Pacific Northwest. Macdonald's elite defense has been the main catalyst to the Seahawks' run to the Super Bowl, allowing Pro Bowl quarterback Sam Darnold to lead the league in turnovers and still have an elite offense.

"There's great pieces here, a bunch of great players and Kyle included," Minter said. "I feel there's excellent pieces here for us to be able to work towards being the best defense in the NFL."

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