NFL Analyst Domonique Foxworth Explains Gravitational Force Of Ravens Kyle Hamilton

Kyle Hamilton didn’t necessarily fill up the box score for the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1.

But he had as strong a gravitational pull as anyone on that defense in its debut under new head coach Jesse Minter, while manning at least five positions and making left easier not just for his coach but the other 11 men on the field in a 41-23 victory.

The positionless hybrid defender is one of the greatest weapons Minter could hope for in his scheme, which prizes getting six defensive backs on the field whenever possible. Hamilton is a shapeshifter who – because he can do so much – is the ultimate cloak-and-dagger piece. He can show up anywhere pre-snap and look the part of someone who could do that job (from defensive end to free safety), and then quickly flash to someplace else and end up doing something totally different than that initial indication.

Hamilton’s versatility played a big role in Minter being able to play dime personnel (six defensive backs) nearly 50% of the time despite facing an elite rushing team without All Pro defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike and starting linebacker Teddye Buchanan (whose status remains in question for Sunday along with top edge rusher Trey Hendrickson). So it’s easy to glance at a stat line – two pass attempts targeting him for nine yard, two pressures, a QB hit, three solo tackles – and miss the details and nuance of everything he does.

Longtime NFL defensive back, and former Raven, Domonique Foxworth, as erudite an NFL analyst as there is, can explain the impact better than I can, and he did so on “The Daily Flock Show” this week.

“I think you can underappreciate how valuable a player like Kyle Hamilton is because his impact on the game isn't always on the plays that he makes,” Foxworth said. “It’s his ability to take pressure off other people. Most defenses, honestly. are waiting for the offense to determine their personnel. So, you wait to see who the offense puts out there, then you decide whether you're going to be in nickel, base, or dime because you have to bring out the right body types to contend.

“The cool thing about having Kyle Hamilton is it kind of doesn't matter. And like you’ve shortened when you're waiting (to see that personnel). And then you see they bring out 13 personnel which is three tight ends and then you get to say all right, ‘We're going to be in base and then you get to look at your call sheet.

“If you have a guy like Kyle Hamilton, you're like, ‘I don't care what you come out in.’ He's big and strong enough to contend with your linemen in the run game and he's fast and athletic enough to cover in the slot. He's versatile enough to play deep safety and he blitzes as good as anyone in football. So, if he's not making the play, my point is like the offense is aware of where he is, and it takes so much stress off of everyone else.”

Hamilton’s Role Week 1

Hamilton’s presence allowed Minter to deploy back-up linebacker Trenton Simpson just 10 times in coverage, where he struggles (much of that came on the first drive when Colts QB Daniel Jones picked on him). On six snaps Hamilton was stationed at the second level, linebacker depth.

The first snap there was on the second drive; Minter played a three-man front (Zion Young, Calais Campbell and Travis Jones) with Hamilton and Smith on the hashes, five-yards deep. Middle linebacker Roquan Smith dropped back and stayed with Josh Downs in coverage, made a great read on the play, and picked off a pass designed to go over his head.

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On the five occasions when Hamilton was 10 yards or more off the line of scrimmage at snap, as a free safety, there were four incomplete passes and a Jones scramble for four yards. Hamilton has seven pass-rush reps, tied for the second-most of his career, and he showed an A-gap blitz on that final rep, shoved the center while everything collapsed around the OL, then Hamilton dropped to coverage while Jones got swarmed for the sack.

“I think that's also part of the gamesmanship — the chess match of sorts,” Hamilton said this week. “Whether I can help other guys free up just based off what I'm doing pre-snap and post-snap, it's 11 as one. I truly believe in that.

“Stats are whatever, but as long as we get off the field, I'm happy. I feel like I do a good job kind of playing around with that — trying to get them to slide a certain way and all this other stuff."

Hamilton was used as a slot corner in some man looks, he was deployed as a strong safety, he blitzed off the edge like an extra defensive end a time or two. It was a lot, but was also just the beginning, and in a more competitive game I suspect we would have seen even more.

“It's just an absurd amount of flexibility that he gives a defense,” Foxworth said.

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