Many have earned their respect and appeal, but has anything gone too far for the 2023 season?
The 2023 season has become a hype train for the Baltimore Ravens. The offense added numerous exciting pieces, coaching hires at key areas appears solid and honestly, it’s Super Bowl or Bust for Baltimore.
And while the hype has been earned for many, some have been given maybe a bit too much excitement or expectations for the 2023 season.
Today’s Question of the Day
Who is the most overrated Raven?
Kyle Barber: Fearful of the reaction to this but I will say sophomore safety Kyle Hamilton. He’s been a damn fine addition and I don’t want to act as if his impact wasn’t a catalyst for change in the defense last season. His play in the slot was significant and even Defensive Coordinator Mike Macdonald credited Hamilton for one of the reasons for the defenses turnaround. But something I’m concerned about is the constant touting of “Hamilton was the No. 1 graded safety by PFF last season.”
Yes, he was. But what he did as a safety wasn’t traditional and I think there’s a lot of positives with skewed perception. Grading safeties as a lump group is bizarre, especially when one safety is a deep-ranging free safety who is responsible for everything 20+ yards past the line of scrimmage while the other is in the box battling slot receivers and tight ends and helping with immediate run support. They are not the same thing. So, titling Hamilton as the No. 1 graded safety gives off a vote of confidence as if he’s the perfect safety, and not what he is, a hybrid defender who took spent 444 snaps near the line of scrimmage (35 DL, 105 BOX, 304 SLOT) as opposed to 92 in a free safety role.
Yes, Hamilton is damn good at what he is doing and I don’t want to admonish what he’s done in his role, but the titling of “No. 1 safety” feels a bit misinformed and I think that can quickly overrate him or strap him with unfair expectation.
Stephen Bopst: While the word overrated might not exactly fit quarterback Lamar Jackson, it can’t be denied that his play, albeit with a bottom five wide receiver room, hasn’t been consistent the past three years. Although injuries have played a role, his performance on the field hasn’t been particularly close to the magic he captured during his MVP season. While he is more than poised for a huge bounce back year with a significantly upgraded receiving core, Jackson needs to be more consistent this season after receiving the largest contract in NFL history.
Dustin Cox: I’m not a big fan of using the term overrated to describe a professional football player, but if I had to choose one player on the Ravens that matches the description for me it would be quarterback Tyler Huntley. I don’t want to knock Huntley, as he has performed admirably on several occasions in Lamar Jackson’s absence, but I do not believe he is a capable starter like I have heard many fans and media members alike iterate. That does not mean that Huntley is not among the upper echelon of backup quarterbacks in the NFL though and Baltimore could have been much worse off without him when Jackson has missed time in the previous two seasons.
Joshua Reed: The term overrated insinuates that a player isn’t worthy of the consistent or excessive hype that they’re receiving in the national and local media. I’d prefer to use the term over-hyped and my pick would be safety Kyle Hamilton not because I don’t believe that he is going to break out in his second season but because it seems like every week there’s another article from a notable national media platform talking about how he cold transcend into elite status. It feels like anything short of a first-team All-Pro or at least Pro Bowl caliber year would be a disappointment considering all the hype being heaped his way this offseason. That is a lot of pressure for a 22-year-old heading into his first season as full time starter who didn’t start coming on strong until the second half of the season as a rookie in a hybrid role. Now that he’s making the transition to full time strong safety, lets give him some time and grace to acclimate before anointing him the next Troy Polamalu or a Derwin James without the injury issues.
So, Beatdown readers, who is the most overrated Raven?