State of the Ravens: Safeties

Welcome to Day 9 of State of the Ravens! Today, we’ll conquer the fourth and final level of defense: the safety room. If you missed my breakdown of cornerbacks, you can catch it here!

The Ravens have at least a top-5 safety room in the NFL. The starters remain the same as last year, but the depth behind them is a bit more questionable. With that being said, let’s look at who might make the team in Week 1.

Depth Chart

Marcus Williams (FS) — Kyle Hamilton (SS) — Ar’Darius Washington — Beau Brade/Sanoussi Kane

The Ravens kept four safeties on the roster last season, and I think it’s reasonable to expect them to do the same this year. The loss of Geno Stone (and his seven interceptions) will hurt, but I think this unit is set to have a successful 2024.

Williams was hampered by injuries all of last season, so much so that he was essentially playing with one arm. And, while I credit him for toughing it out and playing through his medical issues, he really wasn’t great in 2023. In 11 games, he allowed a passer rating of 117.2 in coverage, the worst of his career. He did intercept a pass and missed only 6.8% of his tackles, but it’s safe to say that he didn’t live up to his rich five-year, $70M contract in Year 2. However, it’s reasonable to believe that his performance will improve in 2024. Williams had a great 2023 (which was also cut short due to injury), picking off four passes in 10 games and allowing the lowest passer rating of his career, 71.1. When healthy, the free safety has been proven to be a lethal asset. However, he’s had trouble staying on the field, and he’s yet to complete a full season in purple and black. It’s frustrating, because he only missed five games total in his five seasons in New Orleans. He’s now missed 13 in two in Baltimore; thus, the Ravens do need depth behind the veteran playmaker. Still, he makes this defense all the more dynamic when he’s on the field.

Hamilton, technically the Ravens’ strong safety, is really a known quantity heading into his third NFL season. In just his second year in the league, Hamilton was named an All-Pro after logging four picks, a forced fumble, three sacks, 81 total tackles (10 for loss), and a touchdown. Oh, and he allowed a passer rating of 38.4 in coverage. He really plays all over the field and is arguably a top-5 defender in the league. The Ravens can line him up anywhere and he’ll make plays, which speaks to the greatness of the Notre Dame product. It’s fair to expect an All-Pro 2024, but he did have to undergo minor elbow surgery this offseason. Harbs says he’ll be ready for training camp, so hopefully the procedure won’t hinder his performance. This guy is truly special, and the rest of the league is kicking themselves for letting him fall all the way to #14 in the 2022 Draft.

Behind Williams and Hamilton, however, it’s a little shaky. As I wrote here, I think the Ravens should bring in a veteran to replace the production of Stone and help with the development of young guys Washington, Brade, and Kane. Of those three, I think Washington is the only lock to make the roster. Coaches have raved about his performance in OTAs and minicamp, and I think he’s set for a solid 2023. He’s also a known contributor on special teams, which certainly aids his case. If DeCosta doesn’t bring in anyone else, rookies Sanoussi Kane (Purdue, 7th round pick) and Beau Brade (Maryland, undrafted free agent) will likely be competing for the final safety spot. Brade is struggling with injuries, which certainly doesn’t aid his case, and both guys are pretty equal physically. However, the latter has more versatility, which leads me to believe that he’ll win the battle for the final spot. In fact, many analysts had given Brade a 4th-round grade before the Draft, and it was surprising that he didn’t hear his name called in Detroit. However, it’s too close to tell definitively for now; this is a battle that will certainly have my attention in training camp.

Three-Year Plan

The Ravens will need to extend Hamilton soon, and I’m sure that DeCosta is already working on some ideas for his contract. That being said, I think it’s possible that Williams becomes a cap casualty within the next two years and is replaced in the Draft. Washington will likely earn a modest contract extension as he continues to develop his game, and Brade/Kane will continue to fight for a back-end roster spot after this season.

That’s all for Day 9! Tune in tomorrow for the 10th and final day of State of the Ravens coverage, where we’ll look at John Harbaugh’s favorite crew: special teams.

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