TheBaltimore Ravens have had inconsistent pass defense through the first three weeks, but Kyle Hamilton’s performance hasn't been part of the problem. Hamilton ranks among the NFL’s best safeties on a Pro Football Focus chart measuring two critical components of coverage. The horizontal axis evaluates how well a defender prevents separation, while the vertical axis grades his performance when the football arrives.
Hamilton sits near the 95th percentile in separation prevention and approximately the 94th percentile in on-ball grade.
The league average in each category is around the 49th percentile. Hamilton is nearly twice that standard in both areas.
How well Safeties have prevented separation & their grade at the catchpoint pic.twitter.com/suMnTByFsk
— Jrfortgang (@throwthedamball) September 30, 2026
Kyle Hamilton is eliminating space
Preventing separation requires more than straight-line speed. Safeties must anticipate routes, understand leverage, and recognize how offensive formations are attempting to manipulate coverage.
Hamilton’s placement near the 95th percentile shows how effectively he handles those responsibilities. Receivers have struggled to create meaningful space against him, whether he is working from the slot, matching a tight end, carrying a route through the middle, or rotating into coverage from a deeper alignment.
His size and length help erase passing windows, but his processing speed separates him from most defenders at the position. Hamilton often recognizes the concept before the quarterback reaches the top of his drop.
That lets him close space without panicking or losing leverage.
Hamilton is also finishing at the catch point
Staying close to a receiver is only part of the assignment. Defenders must still locate the football and prevent the completion.
Hamilton’s on-ball grade ranks around the 94th percentile, placing him among the league’s most productive safeties when targeted. His ability to play through the receiver, disrupt the catch point, and use his length without losing control gives Baltimore a dependable answer against tight ends and larger slot receivers.
The combination is what makes the chart so impressive. Some safeties prevent separation but struggle to finish. Others surrender space before recovering with strong ball skills.
Hamilton is excelling at both.
What Hamilton’s performance means for Baltimore
Hamilton’s versatility gives defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver flexibility that few teams possess. Baltimore can use him near the line of scrimmage, in the slot, as a robber in the middle of the field, or as a traditional deep safety.
That flexibility also allows the Ravens to disguise their intentions before the snap. Hamilton can show pressure before dropping into coverage or align deep before moving toward the football. Quarterbacks cannot determine his responsibility solely from his initial position.
Baltimore’s larger issue has been the performance around him. The Ravens have allowed opponents to remain within striking distance late in games, including Dallas’ fourth-quarter comeback attempt in Week 3. Hamilton can erase one assignment or one portion of the field, but the defense still needs more consistency from its cornerbacks, linebackers, and complementary safeties.
Final analysis
Hamilton’s placement in the upper-right corner of the chart confirms that he is performing like one of the NFL’s premier defensive backs.
He is not merely limiting separation. He is also winning when quarterbacks challenge him. That combination makes him one of the few safeties who can change how an opponent constructs its passing plan.
The Ravens should continue moving Hamilton throughout the formation and using his versatility to protect weaker areas of the defense. He gives Baltimore an elite coverage piece, but the defense must avoid relying on him to solve every matchup.
Hamilton has done his job through three weeks. The next step is getting the rest of the secondary closer to his level.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Kyle Hamilton’s versatility in coverage is carrying Ravens secondary
