Ravens to sign safety Jaylinn Hawkins to 2-year deal
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After seeing Ar’Darius Washington and Alohi Gilman depart on the first day of free agency, the Ravens have found their replacement at safety. As first reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Wednesday afternoon, Baltimore agreed to terms with free agent Jaylinn Hawkins on a two-year, $10 million contract.
Hawkins, 28, is coming off an impressive season with the New England Patriots — arguably the best overall campaign of his six-year NFL career. In 15 games, all starts, Hawkins tied or set new career highs with six pass breakups, four interceptions, six pressures, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. His 71 total tackles were the second most he’s had in a single season and he had the fourth-most interceptions in the league.
The former 2020 fourth-round pick out of California was a key defensive piece for a Patriots defense that exceeded expectations and helped their team reach the Super Bowl. Hawkins was originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons and played one season for the Los Angeles Chargers before joining the Patriots in 2024.
Hawkins primarily plays free safety and has good coverage skills. In 2025, he graded out as the No. 5 overall safety on Pro Football Focus (PFF) with an impressive mark of 85.2. He ranked in the Top 15 among all safeties in both coverage and run defense grades per PFF, too.
Given his versatility and all-around skill set, Hawkins profiles as an ideal scheme fit in the secondary as a third safety alongside Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks. Hawkins turns 29 years old in August and has only 47 career starts under his belt, so he’s still very much in his athletic prime. This move softens the team’s need for a safety ahead of the draft and checks off a key box in the secondary for Jesse Minter’s defense.
