Kyle Hamilton tops ESPN’s NFL safety poll again
ESPN’s survey of league executives, coaches and scouts put Ravens star Kyle Hamilton at No. 1 among NFL safeties for 2026.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Kyle Hamilton is still the safety NFL insiders are circling first.
ESPN’s 2026 positional survey, reported by Jeremy Fowler, placed the Baltimore Ravens defensive back at No. 1 among safeties for the second year in a row. The ranking was built from ballots submitted by league executives, coaches and scouts, with more than 70 voters taking part in at least one position group, according to ESPN.
Hamilton, 25, drew the strongest support at the top of the safety board. ESPN said his highest vote was No. 1 and his lowest was No. 4, while he led the position in first-place votes for a second straight year.
The case was not just reputation. ESPN reported that opposing quarterbacks had a 49 QBR when Hamilton was on the field for Baltimore, compared with a 90 QBR when he was off it.
Hamilton’s role also says plenty about where the position is headed. ESPN described the modern safety job as increasingly flexible, with teams using bigger defensive backs near the line of scrimmage as “big nickel” players in the slot. Baltimore has leaned into that approach with Hamilton.
According to ESPN, Hamilton logged 249 coverage snaps from the slot and 228 as a more traditional safety. Playing closer to the ball helped him produce seven tackles for loss.
An AFC offensive coach surveyed by ESPN said Hamilton’s size and physical style make him stand out, adding that his ability to cover, support the run and blitz forces opponents to account for him in preparation.
Another NFL offensive coach told ESPN that Hamilton’s best value comes in the big nickel role, where the coach described him as elite, rather than as a conventional safety.
Hamilton’s body of work before 2025 already separated him from other defensive backs. ESPN reported that from 2022 through 2024, he was the only defensive back with at least 15 tackles for loss, five sacks and five interceptions.
That production helped lead to a four-year, $104 million contract extension with the Ravens, according to ESPN. He followed with a first-team All-Pro season.
How ESPN built the list
ESPN said voters submitted their own top 10s at each position, then the outlet ranked players using top-10 vote totals, composite averages, interviews, film work and research from ESPN analyst Matt Bowen and ESPN Research.
The safety list is part of ESPN’s seventh annual ranking series across 11 NFL position groups. ESPN said the exercise was designed to identify the best players right now, rather than project future seasons or reward career résumés.
The voting also showed how blurry defensive back labels have become. ESPN noted that Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean is widely viewed as a cornerback but is expected to play both safety and slot cornerback in 2026. His votes were counted with the cornerbacks, where ESPN said he finished at the back of that list.
ESPN characterized this year’s safety class as deep with viable candidates, but light on clear elite options. Hamilton, once again, was the easy name at the top.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.