April 2, 2026, 3:32 p.m. ET

The Baltimore Ravens signed safety Jaylinn Hawkins at the start of free agency. Hawkins spent last season with the New England Patriots, making key plays during their run to the Super Bowl. Head coach Jesse Minter was asked about what Hawkins brings to the defense and his excitement about the addition.

“I am very excited about Jaylinn [Hawkins]. Obviously, he had a great year. [Going to the] Super Bowl, all the way there. He was basically was a full-time starter the whole season and played, I think, over 85% of the snaps for New England. And so, again, that safety position for us – we have a chess piece in Kyle [Hamilton]. And so, when you have a couple other guys there, similar to what they did last year when they brought in Alohi [Gilman], that allows you to do a lot of different things with Kyle. Jaylinn is a great player, and I think he and Malaki [Starks] will operate really well together. I think that’ll allow us to do a lot of cool things with Kyle. And I was telling Kyle the other day, [with] those three guys on the field together, it’s going to be fun to come up with things to utilize those three guys.”

Hawkins’ versatility and experience could make him an important piece in Baltimore’s secondary this season. With multiple safeties capable of moving around the formation, the Ravens have the flexibility to disguise coverages and create matchup advantages. If everything comes together, this group has the potential to be one of the more dynamic units on the defense.

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