The Baltimore Ravens selected Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton with the 14th pick in the draft Thursday night.

After an injury-plagued season in which the Ravens went 8-9, Baltimore took advantage of a rare chance to pick in the first half of the first round.

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This was the Ravens’ highest selection since they took tackle Ronnie Stanley at No. 6 in 2016. It was only the fifth time in the past 22 years that Baltimore picked in the top 16.

The Ravens went with a defensive back in the latest attempt this offseason to shore up their secondary. Baltimore also added safety Marcus Williams via free agency after its defence finished last in the NFL against the pass.

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It wasn’t a surprise that Baltimore went with a defensive player. The Ravens have made significant moves on that side of the ball, including a change at defensive coordinator from Don Martindale to Mike MacDonald.

Injuries could be blamed for many of Baltimore’s problems in the secondary last year. Cornerback Marcus Peters went down with a knee injury before last season started, and Marlon Humphrey eventually got hurt too.

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Hamilton was considered a possible top-five pick by some, but a pedestrian 4.59-second 40 time at the combine may have hurt him. He comes with an injury history of his own after he was limited to seven games in 2021 because of a right knee injury that did not require surgery.