Amid the Baltimore Ravens' rise to AFC North titlists and the conference's top seed, safety Kyle Hamilton turned in a breakout campaign.
The second-season standout filled up the box score, was stellar from sideline to sideline and earned All-Pro honors.
His new defensive coordinator, Zach Orr, believes it's only the beginning for Hamilton, who he believes has already asserted himself as one of the NFL's premier talents.
"Kyle Hamilton is the ultimate chess piece; I think he's one of the top players in the league," Orr said this past week, via team transcript. "My goal for him is to one day win [the] defensive MVP -- here -- of the league. I think he has that type of talent, he has that type of work ethic, he's that type of person."
As a rookie, Hamilton -- who was taken 14th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft by Baltimore -- showed promise, playing in 16 games with four starts. In 2023, he was simply sensational, though.
En route to a Pro Bowl selection, Hamilton posted 81 tackles in 15 starts to go with four interceptions, 13 passes defended, three sacks and 10 tackles for loss. Hamilton's versatility and ability to impact the game in all aspects is the reason behind Orr's tabbing him as a chess piece.
As roster and staff turnover has brought about questions pertaining to the Ravens defense maintaining its 2023 success, Orr believes Hamilton will be key in all endeavors.
"The thing about him being the ultimate chess piece [is], depending on what the offense does, he can play anywhere," Orr said. "He can play safety, deep safety, box safety; he can play corner, he can play nickel, he can play backer, he can even play outside linebacker, too, and you guys know he can rush the passer. The thing that you appreciate about Kyle Hamilton is, is he works at it, he's a smart player, so he can handle all the different volume that you get him. I think he's eager, going into his third year, to do more, so we'll see."
