Jaylinn Hawkins made his desire to return to the New England Patriots this offseason crystal clear, albeit to no avail. A large contingent of the fan base wanted the veteran safety back too — and he's shown exactly why since joining the Baltimore Ravens.
Hawkins has seemingly wasted no time settling into his new home. He's reportedly made an early impact on the Ravens, and in more ways than one. While the Patriots ultimately chose to go in a different direction, folks in Foxborough are being reminded of what they're missing almost off the bat.
Of course, there hasn't been much to assess Hawkins' value in Baltimore thus far, considering no pads or live contact are permitted in spring practices. He's still managed to hit the ground running and has been a bright spot, though, as Ryan Mink of the club's official website highlighted.
Mink included Hawkins on a list of 15 Ravens players who "stood out" and "consistently shined" during minicamp and organized team activities (OTAs).
"Hawkins has been an instant hit in the secondary since signing this offseason as a free agent," Mink wrote. "He broke up a lot of passes (including a deep shot to Zay Flowers during OTAs) and [closed] quickly on underneath throws. Hawkins plays with a swagger that fits well in Baltimore."
Patriots fans are seeing exactly what they lost with Jaylinn Hawkins
As Hawkins already proved upon arriving in New England, a strong first impression can go a long way. He was primarily a special-teamer in 2024 before blossoming into an every-down mainstay for a squad that reached the Super Bowl last season.
His combination of ball hawk skills and versatility made him indispensable, or so we thought.
It shouldn't come as a surprise to hear Hawkins is hitting the ground running with the Ravens. Everything the California product has shown in Baltimore was on full display with the Patriots. He was a key component of their pass (and run) defense and carried himself with tremendous confidence.
Perhaps Hawkins is motivated after the Pats essentially put him on the back burner, and understandably so, frankly. He signed a two-year, $10 million contract with their AFC rival not long after his replacement (Kevin Byard III) secured $9 million for just 2026.
A hamstring injury cost Hawkins two games in 2025, but he was highly productive in 15 healthy games. The 2020 fourth-round pick recorded 71 tackles (three for loss), six pass deflections, five quarterback hits, four interceptions, 1.5 sacks, and one forced fumble.
His efforts yielded a dazzling 82.4 overall Pro Football Focus grade, good for fifth out of 98 qualified safeties.
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