2022 NFL draft scouting report: Notre Dame S Kyle Hamilton
Notre Dame S Kyle Hamilton
6-foot-4
220 pounds
Yahoo Sports' 2022 NFL draft grade
6.75 — certain first-round pick; immediate-impact prospect
TL;DR scouting report
Every few years there is a freakishly gifted, multi-dimensional safety in the draft who can impact games in multiple ways, and Hamilton absolutely qualifies as that
The skinny
A 4-star Rivals recruit (No. 75 nationally) in the Class of 2019, Hamilton's recruitment caught fire late before the Irish lured him. As a true freshman, he started one game but intercepted four passes and immediately established himself as the next great Notre Dame safety. Despite only intercepting one pass in 2020, Hamilton made various All-America teams and was nominated for several national awards. In 2021, he intercepted three passes in seven games, with his season ending after a leg injury vs. USC after only eight snaps. Hamilton declared early for the 2022 NFL draft after the season.
Upside
Unusual length and physique for deep center fielder
Carries his weight extremely well — even could add some body armor gradually and maintain physical edge
Springy, explosive athletic traits displayed in good NFL combine workout
True sniping ability — 8 career INTs, 16 PDs on only 84 targets
Excellent play speed and outstanding range — can travel 30-plus yards to make plays on the ball
Reads quarterbacks' eyes and reacts extremely fast (see Purdue, USC games)
Times up contact well and rarely arrives too early or late
Plants and drives in backpedal — can throw on the brakes and change course
Times up pre-snap rotations well — waits until late to declare intentions
Playmaking vision strong from almost any alignment
Effective zone technique — looks through his man to find the ball
Doesn't get fooled badly often on misdirection/play action/trick plays (see 4th and 1 TFL, attempted flea flicker vs. Purdue)
Will stick his nose in the trash as a box safety — plays with urgency, intensity
Comes off his initial assignment to corral scrambling QBs
Stays active — rarely caught napping for flat-footed
Versatile, modern safety — extensive snaps as post safety, box safety, covering slot
TE eraser who helped keep Wisconsin's Jake Ferguson, Cincinnati's Josh Whyle in check
Makes occasional blitz snaps count
Seldom makes same mistake twice
Highly respected worker, strong football IQ — future NFL captain makeup
Mature, pro-ready attitude
Sky-high potential — just turned 21 in March and can only get better
Downside
Sub-par 40 time (4.59 seconds) raises question of whether extensive range will translate from deep alignment
Will whiff on some tackles in space, occasionally coming in too high
Gets a little greedy and will be guilty of head-hunting on occasion (see Wisconsin, Virginia Tech games)
Not ideal matchup for quicker, shiftier slot receivers in one-on-one coverage
Lost a few passes mid-air
Tries to wheel around on backside throws and can lose his vector to the ball
Manipulated by eye movement at times (see Cincinnati game)
Vulnerable to combo blocks close to LOS — needs to keep head on swivel
Can be single-blocked — some tight ends locked him up cleanly
Can stand to add more core strength if he wants to play close to the line
Still needs reps — fewer than 1,500 defensive snaps and only 19 starts in college
Leg injury vs. USC cost him half his final season
Best-suited destination
Hamilton is a true chess piece who can develop into a top-five NFL safety within a few years' time. He's a sponge mentally and might only need some development time to fully mature physically and adjust to the speed and timing of the NFL game. His value could depend on what scheme Hamilton lands in, but his impact might only be bound by the creativity of his defensive play caller. The biggest question: How high do you draft a safety? That could possibly keep him from being a top-five pick.
Did you know
On his first defensive snap at Notre Dame Stadium as a freshman, Hamilton picked off a pass against New Mexico and ran it back 34 yards for a score. He was one of only four true freshman to intercept four or more passes in 2019, and he did it while starting only one game that year.
Player comp
In some ways, Hamilton is a longer, stronger, more physically gifted Harrison Smith.
Expected draft range
Top-10 pick
