Kyle Hamilton's versatility earns him the top safety spot in AP rankings
But it was the decision to move Hamilton to free safety midway through last season that helped eliminate the big plays and boost the Ravens' defense.
Hamilton's talent and versatility helped him earn the honor of being voted the top safety in the league by The Associated Press.
A panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five players at safety, basing selections on current status entering the 2025 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Hamilton got five first place-votes, one second and one third to claim the top spot. Detroit's Kerby Joseph got the other three first-place votes and finished second.
Green Bay's Xavier McKinney, Detroit's Brian Branch and Derwin James of the Los Angeles Chargers rounded out the top five.
Atlanta's Jessie Bates, Tampa Bay's Antoine Winfield Jr., Miami's Minkah Fitzpatrick, Denver's Brandon Jones, Arizona's Budda Baker and Houston's C.J. Gardner-Johnson also received votes.
1. KYLE HAMILTON, Baltimore Ravens
Hamilton has been the most important piece on Baltimore's defense thanks in large part to his versatility. He has the ability to stop the run, excel against the pass and rush the quarterback and was voted a first-team All-Pro in 2023 and second-teamer last season. Hamilton played the majority of his snaps starting in Week 11 last season as a free safety and the Ravens went from allowing 4.7 pass plays of at least 20 yards per game to 1.6 after the switch.
2. KERBY JOSEPH, Detroit Lions
Joseph emerged as a big-time playmaker in his third season, leading the NFL with nine interceptions to earn first-team All-Pro honors. His 17 career interceptions are the most for any safety in his first three seasons since Hall of Famer Ed Reed had 21.
3. XAVIER MCKINNEY, Green Bay Packers
McKinney made a major impact on Green Bay's defense in his first season after signing with the Packers as a free agent. He was at his best in pass coverage as a deep safety. McKinney had eight interceptions last season and allowed a 56.4 passer rating when targeted in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus.
4. BRIAN BRANCH, Detroit Lions
Branch has become an immediate impact player on Detroit's defense since being drafted in the second round in 2023. He led all safeties with 16 passes defensed last season and was tied for third with eight tackles for loss as he performed at a high level both in the run and pass game.
5. DERWIN JAMES, Los Angeles Chargers
James bounced back from a down 2023 season to earn second-team All-Pro honors in his first season in coordinator Jesse Minter's defense. James is one of the most versatile safeties, getting extensive time working in the slot, as a box safety, a deep safety and even as a pass rusher, where he had the second-most pressures of any safety last season.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'As lucky as we could be.' Dodgers' Max Muncy already recovering better than expected
Max Muncy knew he had gotten lucky, after his ugly-looking knee injury earlier this month proved to be nothing more than a bone bruise. But, when doctors explained how close he came to suffering something so much worse, from when Michael A. Taylor slid into his leg at third base on July 2, even Muncy was amazed by the infinitesimal margins. 'If the timing was just a millisecond different either way,' he was told, 'you're probably looking at surgery, and done for a long time.' Instead, barely two weeks removed from having the outside of his knee bent inward on that play, Muncy was out doing early work at Dodger Stadium on Friday afternoon; running in the outfield, playing catch with coaches and performing agility drills in front of trainers without any obvious signs of pain or discomfort. Read more: Dodgers are shut out by Brewers, but Tyler Glasnow shows signs of growth 'We're pleasantly, not surprised, but happy with the spot that I'm in right now,' Muncy said afterward, having also taken swings for the first time since his injury earlier on Friday afternoon. 'It feels great. I'm moving well. Progressing quickly. We're trying to be smart about it, and understand where we're at, and what it's gonna take to get back on the field. But we're in a really good spot … We're kind of right where we think we should be at.' If not, it seems, already a few steps ahead. While Muncy was initially expected to miss roughly six weeks with his left knee bone bruise, manager Dave Roberts struck a more optimistic tone as the Dodgers opened the second half of their season. 'He's in great shape right now,' Roberts said Friday. 'I don't really know a timeline. But I do know … it's going to be a lot sooner than anticipated, which is good for all of us.' Since Muncy — who was one of the hottest hitters in baseball in May and June — got hurt, the Dodgers have not looked like the same offense. In their last 11 games entering Saturday, the club was 3-8, averaging less than three runs per game, and struggling to fill the gaping hole their slugging third baseman has left in the middle of the lineup. Since the start of July, only the penny-pinching Pittsburgh Pirates have been worse than the Dodgers in batting average (.205) and OPS (.594). 'We've still got a lot of good players,' Roberts said. 'But yeah, there's a certain line of demarcation when Max is not in the lineup, what happens to our offense.' The Dodgers' problems, of course, go beyond Muncy's absence. Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman have all been slumping of late (or, in Betts' case, for much of the season). Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman have been nowhere near their typical standard since returning from injuries in May. And the depth options the Dodgers have called upon have provided few sparks of life. Still, Muncy figures to be a linchpin in the Dodgers' long-term potential at the plate — with his recovery growing ever-steadily in importance as the rest of the lineup flounders in his wake. 'We got to figure out how to get something going," said outfielder Michael Conforto, chief among the Dodgers' underachievers this season. "Every time we go out there, we expect to score, and that's what we've been doing all year. It's just one of those stretches [where it's] a little bit tougher to get runs in. But, you know, obviously, we have faith in our guys, and some big names in here that made their careers on scoring runs and driving guys in. I think we'll be OK." Muncy, of course, is one of those proven names. And in another fortunate stroke with his recovery, he remains confident his injury won't significantly impact his swing once he does come back. 'If [the injury] was on the inside of the knee, it'd probably be a different story,' Muncy said. 'But just being on the outside, I think it's a good spot, knowing that I don't feel it at all when I'm pushing off on the backside.' Read more: Shaikin: Why the small-market Milwaukee Brewers might be America's team Muncy tested that theory for the first time Friday, taking some light swings in the cage that he said 'felt fine.' 'It's a lot of work, more work than actually playing in the game, which always sucks,' Muncy said of his rehab process. 'But it's that way for a reason … You don't want to have any other injuries that are a side effect from it.' So far, even that latter concern has been quelled, with Muncy noting that 'there's no lingering side effects with it.' 'All in all,' he reiterated, 'we're about as lucky as we could be.' Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Colorado Buffaloes football's Shedeur Sanders given $182.5 million expectation on Browns
Colorado Buffaloes football legend Shedeur Sanders is getting gaudy comparisons to the San Francisco 49ers' 2023 Pro Bowl quarterback, Brock Purdy, and he hasn't even played a snap on the Cleveland Browns yet. The Orange and Brown Talk Podcast, comprised of Mary Kay Cabot, Dan Labbe, Scott Patsko, and Ashley Bastock, dubbed Purdy's career Sanders' 'most optimistic yet realistic ceiling.' 'The name Brock Purdy keeps surfacing in discussions about Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders – and for good reason. The comparison offers a tantalizing vision of what could happen when a late-round pick with the right tools lands in the perfect situation,' the reporting troupe wrote. 'On a recent Orange and Brown Talk podcast, host Dan Labbe introduced what might be the most optimistic yet realistic ceiling for the Browns' fifth-round selection.' To reach the status Purdy reached after overcoming Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo in the Bay Area, Sanders will have to overcome the presumed QB1 favorite in training camp, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel, the latter of whom is considered readier to start. Easier said than done when operating in last place in the Browns' four-man QB competition. A lot easier said than done, considering the context of Kevin Stefanski giving Sanders an abridged version of the playbook in minicamp. The Purdy comparisons are downright harmful at this point. It's understandable why publications would run with them, but Sanders needs to have Ben DiNucci-level expectations until he proves himself more in Berea.
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Linney opens Carlisle United account in victory over AFC Fylde
AFC Fylde 0 Carlisle United 2: Regan Linney opened his Carlisle account and Luke Armstrong was also on target in a pre-season win at AFC Fylde. The forwards both struck in the first half as Mark Hughes' side claimed their first victory of the summer. Armstrong drilled United in front on 12 minutes before summer signing Linney fired his first Blues goal on the half-hour mark. Sub Georgie Kelly came close to a third while Gabe Breeze made some good saves to keep a clean sheet at the other end. Carlisle were more impressive in the first half than the second at Mill Farm with forwards Armstrong and ex-Altrincham man Linney to the fore, while teenage defender Hayden Atkinson impressed at the back. Hughes gave his outfield starters an hour before making ten substitutions, with keeper Breeze playing the full game and Josh Grant making his first Blues appearance. United's line-up for the game at Mill Farm included two summer signings in Linney and David Ajiboye, while youth team defender Atkinson got a start alongside Terell Thomas in defence. Kelly was in the squad for the first time in pre-season while new boy Josh Grant was also on the bench. Not involved again, though, were Morgan Feeney and Jordan Jones, with Stephen Wearne among other absentees. Latest signing Bevis Mugabi was with the squad at Fylde but not involved in the game. Bevis Mugabi watches his new team-mates at Fylde (Image: Ben Holmes) National League North side Fylde were captained by ex-Carlisle defender Corey Whelan, with a host of trialists in the home squad. Thomas captained United, who started well, with an attacking trio of Linney, Armstrong and Ajiboye on the front foot and the Blues backed by a strong and vocal travelling support at Mill Farm. Linney had an early chance when Josh Williams and Ajiboye combined to send Armstrong down the right, the striker taking on Corey Whelan before crossing low, and home keeper Zac Jones saving Linney's first-time finish as the summer signing cut in front of his man. Carlisle's bright start continued and, after Jack Morris's positive run for Fylde was denied, United scored. First, United forced a mistake from the home defence before Williams' throw was glanced inside by Ajiboye to Armstrong, who showed strength and determination to get away from his man and shoot low across keeper Jones and in off the far post. Luke Armstrong drills home the opener (Image: Ben Holmes) It was an impressive opening to Armstrong's pre-season account. Carlisle had some defending to do as Fylde played some neat football, but United survived a number of crosses and set-pieces. United then grew back into things as an attacking force, with Linney denied at the near post by Jones before doubling the Blues' lead on the half-hour. Elliot Embleton fed Linney with a lovely cross-field ball, with Linney then controlling, running at the defence and eventually driving it low into the net. Regan Linney scored United's second (Image: Ben Holmes) Carlisle almost ambushed Fylde for another soon afterwards, Ajiboye onside as a lofted ball found him, but Lincoln McFayden getting back to deny him. Callum Whelan then saw a shot blocked as United continued to test their hosts, but Fylde almost got one back when Ethan Mitchell's shot was tipped wide by Breeze before half-time. While Hughes made no changes at the break, Fylde boss Craig Mahon made five, with four more trialists introduced for the second half. Teenage defender Atkinson did well to see off a dangerous home attack early in the second half, and Breeze then superbly denied a trialist home sub, leaping to tip over a goalbound shot after the hosts had won it back from Williams as Carlisle tried to play out. Hughes then changes United's entire outfield line-up on the hour mark, with Josh Grant on for his first appearance among the ten changes, and Kelly on for his first summer outing. Junior Luamba almost created something on the counter-attack after another Breeze save, and then Kelly headed an Archie Davies free-kick just wide. At the other end, Breeze showed sharp reflexes to deny Fylde's trialist sub frontman when he looked set to score at the near post. Freddie O'Donoghue almost pounced on a slip from Fylde's sub trialist keeper late on, before Cedwyn Scott was hurt in a challenge and had to go off three minutes from time, youngster Atkinson coming back on. AFC Fylde: Jones (Trialist 46), Mitchell (Trialist 61), Corey Whelan (Hailwood 61), McFayden (Trialist 61), Wilson (Jackson 61), Morris (Holder 61), Trialist (Trialist 46), Ormerod (Mohammed 46), Trialist (Trialist 46), O'Kane, Meadowcroft (Trialist 46). Not used: Hailwood, Holder, Jackson, Mohammed, Trialist. Booked: Trialist. United: Breeze, Williams (Davies 61), Harper (Murray 61), Thomas (Hayden 61), Atkinson (Ellis 61), Callum Whelan (Lowes 61), Robson (Grant 61), Embleton (O'Donoghue 61), Ajiboye (Scott 61, Atkinson 88), Linney (Kelly 61), Armstrong (Luamba 61). Not used: Lewis. Goals: Armstrong 12, Linney 30. Ref: John Mulligan. Crowd: 1,077.
