Ravens Young Defender Labeled as DPoY Candidate originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Baltimore Ravens have always been known as a defense-first team, and this era of “Purple Reign” is no different.
Head coach John Harbaugh has built a strong unit that threatens offenses at every level.
But there’s one player who might be standing out among others on that defense, as a young Ravens defender was just labeled a possible candidate for 2025 Defensive Player of the Year.
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski thinks Kyle Hamilton has a real shot.
“An interesting possibility is a defensive back dethroning another defensive back for the honor, considering only eight have ever won the award since it debuted for the 1969 season,” Sobleski wrote. “[Hamilton] isn’t a typical safety, though. He’s a … tone-setter, capable of being highly effective in the box, covering the slot or playing the deep third. The Ravens made sure they found the perfect complementary piece to keep Hamilton where he should be, with this year’s first-round selection of Georgia’s Malaki Starks.
“With Starks holding up his end of the bargain, Hamilton can resume being the best safety in the game on one of the NFL’s top squads.”
The 24-year-old Hamilton is a good candidate if it comes to that. He has improved each season he has been in the league since the Ravens drafted him in the first round at No. 14 overall in 2022.
In three seasons and 36 starts, Hamilton has registered 250 total tackles with 186 solo and 18 for loss with 15 QB hits, seven sacks and five interceptions.
He also has received two Pro Bowl nods as well as a First-Team All-Pro and a Second-Team All-Pro honor.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.