Prospect Scouting Profile – Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
The draft is just weeks away and I am continuing my prospect scouting profile series. These are information-packed breakdowns that you do not want to miss.
Player Introduction
Kyle Hamilton was an All-American safety for one of the nation's most prestigious football programs, Notre Dame. A two-year starter for the Fighting Irish, Hamilton is one of the best defensive players overall in this draft class. He's a big long physical safety who can cover any spot on the field. He’s the top safety in this class and will have scouts and coaches drooling over all the things that they will be able to do with him. Hamilton is one of the best defensive prospects I have seen in a long time. He may not be the first defensive player off the board, but he won’t last very long, as I expect him to be gone in the first ten picks. Let’s take a closer look at one of the best safety prospects to come along in quite some time.
Combine Measurables
Height – 6’4”
Hands – 9⅛”
Weight – 220 LBS
Arms – 33”
Wing Span – NA
Vertical - 38”
Broad Jump - 131”
Speed – 4.59 sec
3-Cone Drill- 6.90 sec
20-yd Shuttle - 4.32 sec
Ametuer Notes & Accloades
Hamilton was born on March 16th, 2001 in Atlanta, Georgia. He played for Marist High School where he was named to the 2018 Atlanta Journal-Constitution 7-AAAA First Team All-Region and a 2018 American Family Insurance Defensive Player of the Year Finalist. In his two seasons playing varsity, he played in 18 games while producing 75 total tackles, with 42 being solos, one TFL, six interceptions, and two blocked kicks. Hamilton would also be named the 2018 Atlanta Journal-Constitution 7-AAAA Special Teams Player of the Year. He played in the 2019 All-American Bowl and was a finalist for the All-American Bowl National Defensive Player of the Year.
Hamilton was rated a four-star recruit and ranked 60th overall in the 2018 recruiting class. He committed to Notre Dame on March 24th over schools such as Georgia, Michigan, LSU, Tennessee, Ohio State, and Auburn. As a true freshman, Hamilton would play in all 13 games and made one start. On the season he would record 41 total tackles, with 27 being solos, one TFL, four interceptions, and 10 PBUs. Hamilton would be just one of four freshmen nationally to record four or more interceptions on the season. He would be named to the Freshman All-American team by the Athletic.
After a great freshman campaign, Hamilton would be even better during his 2020 sophomore season. He would play and start all eleven games for the Irish, while producing 63 total tackles, with 51 being of the solo variety, 4½ TFLs, one interception, and seven PBUs. Hamilton would help lead Notre Dame to an ACC Championship and a college football semifinal appearance. In those two games, Hamilton would have 17 total tackles, one TFL, one interception, and three PBUs. He would earn All-American honors from multiple sources.
With a stellar first two seasons with the Irish, expectations were through the roof for Hamilton, a challenge he would be up for. He would play and start just seven games for Notre Dame while registering 34 total tackles, with 19 solos, two TFLs, three interceptions, and seven PBUs. Hamilton was having a terrific season, but unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury that cost him the rest of the season. There was an outside chance he could have returned if Notre Dame had made the College Football Playoffs. He would once again earn All-American honors as well as being named a semi-finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and a finalist for the Bednarik Award.
Career Stats
Games – 31
Starts – 19
Tackles – 138
Solos – 97
TFLs – 7½
Sacks – 0
Interceptions - 8
PBUs – 24
FF – 0
Fumble Recoveries - 0
Scouting Report
Positives
Hamilton might be the best overall defensive prospect that I have watched in a long time. His game is just so clean and without any glaring flaws. Hamilton is also one of the most, if not the most versatile players in this class. He will be a player that you can’t limit by position, as he will play all over the field and be an impact weapon. Let's start with Hamilton’s coverage skills and they are elite. His football IQ and vision are second to none and his range from sideline to sideline is crazy good. He has soft hands, almost receiver-like, and is a true ballhawk. If you need an example, go back and watch the Florida State game, as he comes from the far hash mark to pick off a pass along the sideline. Players of his talent level do not come along very often.
Now that we see how good he is in coverage, let's look at his versatility where he’s basically a Swiss Army Knife of the defense. Need him to drop deep center? Done! Need him to drop down in the box and stop the run? Done! Need help covering big-time receiving options? Done! Need him to play the big nickel or as a weak-side linebacker? Done! You name it and Hamilton can do it. He has the athleticism to do whatever you ask him to do and the skill set to do it at an elite level. Hamilton has the football IQ, physicality, agility, quickness, speed, range, the vision that we see only once every few decades.
Negatives
I feel like any negatives I put here are just nitpicking at Hamilton. He didn’t run the forty (4.59 sec) as fast as I thought he would at the combine, but he plays faster than that when on the field. Those forty times aren’t the be-all-end-all for me, as I trust what I see on the field each week compared to a one-time run. While he’s a very good tackler, he does tend to tackle high at times. Teams will do their due diligence and look over his knee injury from 2021 thoroughly, but he’s clearly healthy and past that. Nothing concerning there.
Small speedy receivers can be an issue for him, just look at the Cincinnati game from 2021. WR Trey Tucker gave him some fits in that game. He can play a little out of control at times but not enough to be of real concern. Long speed could be a bit of an issue with elite burners. As you can see Hamilton doesn’t have any glaring issues, but more minor ones that can be schemed around so that they aren’t weaknesses.
Pre-Draft Analysis
Draft Projection – 1st round / Top 10 pick
Expected Role – Perennial All-Pro
Fantasy Draft Projection - 2nd round (mid to late)
Fantasy Impact
It will be interesting to see where Hamilton gets selected in fantasy drafts once they get started. The best defensive player in this draft will likely be the seventh to tenth overall IDP selected. For me, he has the highest and safest floor of any defender in this draft class, and if that’s your biggest need, I have no issue taking him over some of the other big names. I would feel okay drafting him somewhere in the mid to late second round. If IDPs come off earlier, then you may have to adjust and take him a little earlier in the second. Hamilton will be a great investment for your IDP portfolio.
Hamilton will start right away and be a box-score-filling type of player. Tackles galore, with a solid number of coverage stats (INTs & PBUs), can be expected from him. All the extra stuff, such as TFLs & any sacks are just icing on the cake for fantasy managers. Hamilton will be a plug-and-play option each week but will have some duds along the way, as rookies usually do. He’s going to be a great dynasty option that is going to provide high returns each year for those who make the investment.
Summary
Hamilton is clearly the best overall defensive player in this draft class. His versatility and ability to cover and play the run at an elite level will have NFL teams salivating over how they can use him. Hamilton is the Queen of the chessboard and will make an immediate impact for the team that drafts him. I have seen him compared to both Derwin James and Isaiah Simmons. He’s much closer to James in that evaluation and a way better player than Simmons. Teams that can be creative in how to disguise their coverages, will love all the possibilities they can have with Hamilton. For me, he's easily a top-three pick but will likely slide down to the five thru ten range. Pass rushers are the hot trend, but Hamilton will be the steal of the draft.
Thanks for reading my article. I am a member of the FSWA (Fantasy Sports Writers of America). Follow me on Twitter at @HollywoodTitan, on Facebook on my IDPNation page, on Reddit in the fantasy football IDP sub — I’m user KingTitan1 — and tune in each week and listen to IDP Nation and Devy IDP Grind, the podcasts that I co-host, on several different platforms. Feel free to hit me up with any questions that you have, as I’m always glad to help fellow IDPers. #IDPNation #IDP #IDPDevy.
