Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton makes big jump on Mel Kiper Jr.’s big board
Notre Dame junior safety Kyle Hamilton is running out of space to rise on 2022 NFL Draft top prospects lists.
It’s hard to move up when there’s only one spot left to climb, after all.
Hamilton is the No. 2 player on ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest big board, behind only Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux. He is Kiper’s top defensive back prospect after moving ahead of LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., who is the No. 3 overall player.
“Hamilton, one of the most versatile defenders in the country, moves up three spots from my preseason rankings,” Kiper wrote. “He had two interceptions against Florida State and added another in the win over Purdue. He now has eight in his career since 2019. Hamilton has the size to move up to the line of scrimmage and help in the run game, and he has the speed and range to cover pass-catchers out of the slot. He's exactly what NFL teams want in their first-round safeties.”
The 6-4, 219-pound Hamilton has made 25 tackles this year, which is second among Notre Dame’s defensive players behind junior linebacker JD Bertrand’s 42. He has 2.0 tackles for loss, two pass breakups and a team-high three interceptions. He has allowed 10 completions on 20 targets for 104 yards, per Pro Football Focus, with zero touchdowns and five passes defended. He is Notre Dame’s highest-graded defensive player, per PFF (79.6).
First-year Notre Dame defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman has lined Hamilton up in various positions, just as predecessor Clark Lea did. Hamilton has played a team-high 299 defensive snaps this year – 156 in the slot, 93 at free safety, 41 in the box, five at cornerback and three on the line of scrimmage. He also plays on punt teams.
Hamilton is the only Notre Dame player to make Kiper’s overall top 25. Kiper also ranked his top 10 players by position and included two others, though. Junior running back Kyren Williams is No. 3 at his position, and senior Jarrett Patterson is the No. 2 center.
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