Kyle Hamilton Scouting Report and NFL Draft Profile
Safety, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, #14
NFL Draft Player Profile
Kyle Hamilton comes from an athletic family. His father Derrick played college basketball for Southern Miss and was even drafted by the New Jersey Nets in the 1988 NBA Draft. I guess we know where he gets his height from. His father would not play in the NBA, but instead play overseas.
Kyle was born in Greece where Derrick played basketball. Although born in Greece, he grew up in Georgia. He eventually played high school football at Marist in Brookehaven, Georgia. As a junior at Marist, Kyle began to receive attention as a college recruit. He had 60 tackles, 6 interceptions, with 8 pass deflections and earned an All-State honors.
Hamilton wasn’t done just yet. As a senior, he continued to climb the ranks and earned a four star rating from 247 sports as the fifth best safety in the class. He put up another impressive season adding 72 tackles, 8 pass deflections, and 4 interceptions. On top of his defensive performance, he contributed a great deal as a wide receiver as well.
Although most every school in Georgia came calling, including Georgia and Georgia Tech, Hamilton would end up a member of the Fighting Irish. As a freshman Kyle saw time in all thirteen games and had four interceptions. He even returned a pick six in his first ever home game.
Now, just beginning his junior season, Hamilton has started off incredibly quick. He has three interceptions and 5 passes defensed according to und.com. He made pretty much every watch list a junior safety can, you can read that list at the forementioned link as well. Kyle is an impressive player and may see his name called very early in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Strengths
Where do we begin? I could honestly talk for an hour or more about how impressive this young man is but for times sake lets dial it back.
Athleticism
Kyle Hamilton stands 6’ 4” and weighs 220 lbs. Even though he is that big he still moves with a quick first step and is one of the most explosive athletes on the field. He also possesses freakish reach and length.
In an article at Irish Sports Daily, Hamilton’s trainer prior to college Ed Miller said “By the time he left for college last year, Kyle had a 40-inch vertical and he jumped free-standing (no approach step) a 55-inch box. He has the fastest 10-yard split I’ve ever timed in my facility and that’s not handheld timing. That’s fully electric laser timed. Kyle’s broad jump is a little over 11 feet.
“When you look at those numbers from an 18-year-old kid and then you put those numbers against people at the NFL Combine – he’s blowing them out of the water.” That alone should draw a picture of his athleticism, but just watching a few highlights will show you how impressive he really is.
Versatility
Kyle has shown the ability to play single deep and two deep safety. He has the size to man up with opposing wide receivers and cover them in the slot and he can play the run at the line of scrimmage. By adding a player like Hamilton a team will be adding a Swiss army knife that checks all the boxes. His size and length will allow him to excel in any scheme.
Ball Skills
Notre Dame Safety Kyle Hamilton.
As mentioned earlier, Hamilton played wide receiver in high school as well. You can see that he has the ability to react to the ball and play it with his hands not his body. He anticipates routes on the outside and puts himself in better position than the receiver often. This is exemplified if you watch his first interception against Florida State just this year. He reads tipped and dropped balls incredibly well and puts himself in position to make a play. To see this look at his INT’s against Clemson in last years playoff as well as the one against Purdue this season.
Range
Wow! This kid can fly. He covers the entire field and makes quarterbacks think twice before making a risky throw. His second interception against the Seminoles in week one showed him cover 3/4 of the width of the field to close on a throw and make a sliding interception at the sideline. He legitimately came from the far hash to make the play.
Playing the Run/ Short Game
Hamilton is frequently seen in the backfield making plays. You will see him coming down field as if he was shot from a cannon and make a play on the ball carrier behind the line. When teams attempt to get outside the tackles with pitches, sweeps, or screens Hamilton quickly makes them re-think their strategy. He stands out in almost every aspect of the game, but we need to nitpick him as well.
Areas for Improvement
Block Shedding
Not often will you find me discussing a safety needing to work on his block shedding, but because Hamilton is so big and gifted we will. Hamilton’s size and athleticism make him a nightmare for opposing tight ends, but when he has to man up with them in the run game he loses too often. Hamilton can be over powered by tight ends when run blocking. If he is going to play in the box or man up we need to see him win some of those scenarios and break free to make a play.
Reading the Quarterbacks Eyes
I know being able to read the quarterback seems like an advantage, but in Hamilton’s case not so much. A good quarterback will see that Kyle watches a bit too hard and use this to their advantage. When he is the single deep safety I see him bite on the eyes too often and lean one way. This allows the receiver on the other side to get over the top and make a big play.
There is a catch-22 here because it’s also those instincts and ability that lead to some of his big plays. I believe that with time he will become slightly more disciplined and not allow the great QB’s of the NFL to expose this.
Notre Dame Safety Kyle Hamilton (14).
Kyle Hamilton Draft Stock
This one is tricky because Hamilton is clearly a top 5 player, but he doesn’t play a position that usually demands a top 5 pick. Could he challenge that norm though? I believe he could and should challenge that line of thinking. Kyle is a supreme talent and adds so much to what an NFL team could do scheme wise. I would consider him in the top 5 for sure as my latest mock draft would confirm.
Final Thoughts on Kyle Hamilton
There is no denying this young man is special. If an NFL Scout wanted to build a perfect safety he would be the mold. I see traces of Justin Simmons in his game but I believe Hamilton has an even higher ceiling. When I watch him play I see everything I want to see. At times he comes down in the box and makes a play like Jamal Adams, but then you see him drop back and make a play like Tyrann Mathieu, and then you remember he is bigger and more athletic than both. Where ever he ends up I expect to see great things for years to come.
