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OWINGS MILLS, Md.
-- Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta
really couldn't hide his excitement in 2022 when he drafted safety Kyle Hamilton and center Tyler Linderbaum in the first round.
"We're all thrilled we got, in our
opinion, the very two best players at their positions [in the 2022
draft]," DeCosta said.
Three years later, DeCosta can now say
Hamilton and Linderbaum have become among the best at their positions in the
league, making the Ravens extremely strong up the middle on both offense and
defense. Hamilton,
selected with the No. 14 pick, and Linderbaum, the No. 25 pick, have reached
the Pro Bowl in the 2023 and 2024 seasons and they're two of the team's top
leaders, too.
This
offseason, Hamilton and Linderbaum are in line to be rewarded for their
success. They're eligible for contract extensions and could reset the market at
their positions.
Hamilton could surpass the Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield Jr., who became the NFL's highest-paid
safety when he signed a four-year, $84.1 million contract last
May. Linderbaum could exceed the Kansas City Chiefs' Creed Humphrey, who became the league's highest-paid center when he agreed to a
four-year, $72 million deal in August.
The
Ravens can retain Hamilton and Linderbaum for two more seasons. Their contract
extensions were a topic of conversation at Baltimore's end-of-season news
conference last month.
"We'll
work on that," DeCosta said. "I think I sat up here in 2019 and said
we're going to try to retain as many of our good young players as we can, and I
think we've done that. I'm proud of that, and I think you'll see that continue
this offseason."
The
2022 draft is only the second time in Ravens history where two players selected
in the first round of the same draft reached the Pro Bowl. The only other time
that occurred was the Ravens' 1996 draft, when they picked future Hall of
Famers in Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis.
Hamilton
has made an impact all over the field. In the past two seasons combined, he is
the only player in the NFL to record over 100 tackles and at least five sacks,
five interceptions and 15 pass breakups.
In
2024, Hamilton had to play more deep safety because Baltimore was allowing too
many big plays in the passing game. There's hope that the Ravens can add
another safety, which would allow Hamilton to play in different spots like he
did in 2023 and, as DeCosta said, "become that sort of Swiss Army knife
again."
"Kyle Hamilton has got to be the
perfect build for any DB," Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua said. "He has the size to play
inside the box and the speed and athleticism to play in the back end. Not
everybody has that."
Linderbaum
is the third Ravens offensive lineman to reach multiple Pro Bowls in his first
three seasons, joining Ogden and current Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. Durable and tough, Linderbaum is the
only offensive player for Baltimore to participate in over 93% of the team's
snaps in the last three seasons.
Last season, Linderbaum ranked No. 2
among centers with a 96.5% pass block win rate. His one sack allowed was the
fewest among all centers with at least 600 snaps.
ESPN analyst Jeff Saturday, who was a
six-time Pro Bowl center, said Linderbaum helps 6-foot-2 quarterback Lamar Jackson.
"You
want to be strong in the middle of that pocket for small-in-stature
quarterbacks," Saturday said. "The last place you can afford a bunch
of issues is up the middle. That's just not something that you want to be
dealing with. I think that's why he's going to stay in Baltimore. He'll
continue to be an exceptional center because what they do fits what he is.
There's a level of comfort when you know what the guy's going to call, what
protections you're going to be in and what you're going to get."
