Sports Illustrated Writer Predicts Kyle Hamilton Will Win Defensive Player of the Year
Only two safeties have won the Defensive Player of the Year award since the turn of the century, and both are first-ballot Hall of Famers: Ed Reed (2004) and Troy Polamalu (2010).
Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr predicted Kyle Hamilton will join the exclusive club this season.
Hamilton, a three-time All-Pro, is arguably the most versatile defender in the league, and Orr believes Hamilton can take his game to an even higher level under new head coach and defensive play-caller Jesse Minter.
"While Chargers safety Derwin James has always been excellent, he became more of a complete force under Jesse Minter in Minter's two seasons as defensive coordinator in Los Angeles," Orr wrote. "James broke a streak of Pro Bowls and second-team All-Pro nominations the year before Minter's arrival and went on to restart that streak in addition to sharpening some already spectacular individual stats. Last season, James posted a career-low QB rating on throws in his direction.
"All of that to say that Kyle Hamilton is younger (25), a little more physically gifted and has what you could argue is a better surrounding cast for Minter to play with."
Orr's forecast for Hamilton was among his 100 bold predictions for the coming season. Here's a look at others that involved the Ravens:
Declan Doyle and Christian Parker will be finalists for Assistant Coach of the Year.
"Parker, the new Cowboys defensive coordinator, and Doyle, the new Ravens offensive coordinator, will be taking on major roles with quality teams that underperformed significantly in 2025."
The Ravens will win the AFC North.
"Yes, I have [Cincinnati Bengals quarterback] Joe Burrow winning the MVP, but Jesse Minter will roll in his first year as a head coach with new energy and a weaponized defense. Lamar Jackson will play at least 15 games, and for the first time in two years, Baltimore will feel like a real contender again."
People will start talking a lot more about how much Minter looks like *[standup comedian] Nate Bargatze*.
"I clocked this immediately. But I'm still only seeing a handful of memes. Not nearly enough to have people asking the hard question: Have you ever seen them together at the same time?"
How Will Drake London's New Deal Affect Zay Flowers' Next Contract?
Wide receiver Drake London and the Atlanta Falcons agreed on a massive contract extension that could be an indication of what Zay Flowers' next contract might look like.
London's deal is for four years and $141 million, including $100 million guaranteed. The contract can be worth up to $150 million, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter reported.
London's $35.25 million average annual salary makes him the NFL's third-highest-paid wide receiver behind only the Seattle Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba ($42.15 million) and Cincinnati Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase ($40.25 million).
The eighth-overall selection in 2022, London's best season was in 2024, when he had 100 catches for 1,271 yards and nine touchdowns. Hip and knee injuries limited London to 12 games last year, and he finished the season with 68 catches for 919 yards and seven touchdowns.
Flowers is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and Pro Bowl nods. He hasn't missed a game due to injury in his three-year career.
General Manager Eric DeCosta said in April that he expects the Ravens to sign Flowers to a long-term deal. Flowers reiterated his desire to be in Baltimore for the long term when speaking with the media at OTAs on Tuesday.
"I would love to finish my career here and be here the rest of my career," Flowers said.
Ravens-Rams Projected As Second-Most Likely Super Bowl Matchup
ESPN released its initial preseason Football Power Index ratings, rankings, and projections. If the predictive model proves accurate, the Ravens will be among the elite teams this season.
The Ravens have the FPI's third-highest odds to win the Super Bowl (9.4%), trailing only the Los Angeles Rams (14.9%) and Buffalo Bills (10.7%). Therefore, Ravens-Rams (4.7%) is the second most likely Super Bowl matchup behind Rams-Bills (4.8%).
"The Ravens are top contenders despite missing the playoffs last season and having a new coach," Seth Walder wrote. "That's the Lamar Jackson effect, and Baltimore should be right back in the contending mix again if head coach Jesse Minter can provide a defensive lift."
Ravens-49ers (2.4%) is the fifth-most likely Super Bowl matchup, Ravens-Seahawks (2.1%) is eighth, and Ravens-Lions (1.9%) is No. 10.
The Ravens have an 82.5% chance of making the playoffs. Only the Bills (84.9%) have a greater chance. The Rams (81.8%), who have the second-toughest schedule according to the FPI, are third.
Ravens Snubbed in Pundit's Ranking of Top 5 AFC Teams
Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame doesn't seem to put much stock in ESPN's FPI projections or his colleague Orr's AFC North prediction.
Verderame ranked the top five teams in the AFC in the wake of All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown being traded to the New England Patriots.
The Ravens didn't make the cut.
The Bills were No. 1, followed by the Kansas City Chiefs, Patriots, Denver Broncos, and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Ravens Among Teams Under Most Pressure in 2026
NFL.com’s Eric Edholm identified nine teams under pressure in 2026 and ranked them from most to least pressure. The Ravens came in at No. 5.
"The assumption is that Baltimore will remain competitive with Jackson back and new Head Coach Jesse Minter taking over," Edholm wrote. "Minter's two-year run as Chargers defensive coordinator certainly paints him as a promising hire and a talented coach. The roster appears to be in good shape overall, and many expect the Ravens to be favorites in the AFC North again.
"Minter's specialty is defense, and his Year 1 task will be to improve an underachieving unit. The talent is there, and the addition of Trey Hendrickson could light a fire under the pass-rush group, but we're still waiting for a clearer picture on the health of Nnamdi Madubuike. The secondary features four former first-round picks, but Baltimore allowed the third-most passing yards in the NFL last season and didn't make enough plays on the ball."
Edholm said the Ravens have questions on offense as well.
"Jackson still has something to prove coming off an uneven season," Edholm wrote. "Furthermore, he's on his third offensive coordinator (30-year-old Declan Doyle) in five seasons, and it's not clear who Jackson's starting center will be after the Ravens lost Tyler Linderbaum. Derrick Henry will turn 33 in Week 17, and he's had four straight 300-touch seasons. Two of Jackson's top four receivers could be rookies, too.
"It will not be shocking if the Ravens rebound quickly under Minter, but there's a lot of pressure -- and plenty to sort out -- for the first-year head coach."
The Bills were ranked as the team under the most pressure, followed by the Rams, Chiefs, and Dallas Cowboys.
