Kyle Hamilton Doesn't Meet Expectations At The Combine, But It Shouldn't Matter

Notre Dame All-American Kyle Hamilton had an up-and-down combine, but shouldn't matter

The last day of the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone, concluding with the defensive back group. Notre Dame fans have been glued to their televisions for days, cheering on the former Irish stars but awaiting the crown jewel of the 2022 NFL Draft class, former All American Kyle Hamilton.

With so much fanfare and expectations, Hamilton had a lot to live up to in Indianapolis, especially with virtually every mock draft having his name amongst the first five selections overall. There was also a ton of rumors going around prior to the event, throwing some absurd numbers into the universe, even further buoying the expectations.

Hamilton got off to an electric beginning of the day at weigh-ins, coming in even larger than his listed height and weight at Notre Dame. His workout started much of the same - spectacular. The dynamic defensive back would post eye popping numbers in both the vertical (38”) and broad jump (10’11”), easily living up to the billing as an athletic freak on the backend.

Of course all the spotlight was on Hamilton heading into the most glorified event of the entire combine - the forty yard dash. With 4.4 or greater rumors surfacing, Hamilton did not come close to hitting those numbers, finishing with an official time of 4.59, which tied for the lowest mark of the safeties at the combine. 

Of course, the event was met by immediate feelings of disappointment across the twitter landscape.

Even with an outstanding field workout to follow, the only thing everyone wanted to talk about was the 4.59.

Historically speaking, there aren’t many safeties who come remotely close as comparisons for Hamilton. He is, in large, a rare commodity.

Kyle Hamilton (Official Numbers):

Height: 6’4 1/8”
Weight: 220 pounds
Arm length: 33”
Hand size: 9 1/8”

40 Time: 4.59 seconds
Vertical Jump: 38”
Broad Jump: 10’11”
3 Cone Drill: 4.32
Short Shuttle: 6.97

With some research, however, there are several true safeties who fit the bill, at least close. If history is any indicator, the forty yard dash is a pretty useless barometer for success at this size - and in most instances, Hamilton’s workout set the bar.

Perhaps the three best all time examples (at least with combine data to back it up) of “jumbo safeties” who had a track record of success were former Denver Broncos star Steve Atwater, the late Washington Redskins great Sean Taylor and former Seattle Seahawks enforcer Kam Chancellor. An imperfect comparison from a size perspective, Hamilton is at least in the ballpark of those players.

Steve Atwater (Official Numbers):

Height: 6’3 1/2”
Weight: 212 pounds

40 Time: 4.63 seconds
Vertical Jump: 37.5”
Broad Jump: 9’6”

Sean Taylor (Pro Day Numbers):

Height: 6’2 4/8”
Weight: 230 pounds
Arm length: 31 1/2”
Hand size: 9 2/8”

40 Time: 4.51 seconds
Vertical Jump: 35”
Broad Jump: 10’1”

Kam Chancellor (Official Numbers):

Height: 6’3”
Weight: 231 pounds
Arm length: 33”
Hand size: 9 1/2”

40 Time: 4.62 seconds
Vertical Jump: 32”
Broad Jump: 9’8”
Short Shuttle: 4.41

Across the board, Hamilton bested Atwater from a testing perspective, and even did so with an extra half an inch and eight pounds. The forty time really pops out, as Atwater was not even able to crack the 4.6s but did show some explosiveness in the jumps for the most part.

Now some will say it was a different game - and that’s fair. That’s why a more modern example of Sean Taylor comes into the conversation. Again, not a perfect example from a size perspective but you can see the parallels. Unlike Hamilton, Taylor did not perform at the 2004 NFL Scouting Combine so his numbers would be somewhat inflated to a degree. Even so, Hamilton still outperformed Taylor across the board outside of the forty time. His explosive jumps, once again, set the standard.

Stylistically speaking, a comparison between Hamilton and Kam Chancellor is way off. Still, with the sizes being similar, it is worth the conversation. Again, Kyle Hamilton is on a completely different level across the board. Worth mentioning, Chancellor’s 4.62 forty time didn’t stop him from turning into one of the best strong safeties since the turn of the century.

The comparison begins to get even better. There are a couple of players who hit the 6’4” threshold and are also around the 220 pound range. Both players have had their solid moments on the next level but neither has exceeded anything more than average to solid starting option at any point in their careers. Still, George Iloka and Jayron Kearse each had some good moments with the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys respectively.

George Iloka (Official Numbers):

Height: 6’4”
Weight: 225 pounds
Arm length: 34 1/2”
Hand size: 9 5/8”

40 Time: 4.66 seconds
Vertical Jump: 34”
Broad Jump: 10’4”
3 Cone Drill: 7.03
Short Shuttle: 4.03

Jayron Kearse (Official Numbers):

Height: 6’4”
Weight: 216 pounds
Arm length: 34 1/4”
Hand size: 9 5/8”

40 Time: 4.62 seconds
Vertical Jump: 31 1/2”
Broad Jump: 10’4”
3 Cone Drill: 7.06
Short Shuttle: DNP

Each player is remarkably similar to Hamilton from a physical perspective. Testing wise, however, Hamilton was better than each of them across the board. So far, Hamilton is proving just how rare of a tester he is for a player his size as a whole. They don’t make them much like this.

When you dig even deeper into some historical comparisons, there are two players who within a stone’s throw of Hamilton’s size profile but actually did perform better athletically during their respective combines. Those two were current Carolina Panther hybrid defender Jeremy Chinn and former combine freak Obi Melifonwu.

Jeremy Chinn (Official Numbers):

Height: 6’3”
Weight: 221 pounds
Arm length: 32 1/8”
Hand size: 9 5/8”

40 Time: 4.45 seconds
Vertical Jump: 41”
Broad Jump: 11’6”
3 Cone Drill: DNP
Short Shuttle: DNP

Obi Melifonwu (Official Numbers):

Height: 6’4”
Weight: 224 pounds
Arm length: 32 1/2”
Hand size: 9 1/8”

40 Time: 4.40 seconds
Vertical Jump: 44” 
Broad Jump: 11’7”
3 Cone Drill: DNP
Short Shuttle: DNP

In each example, both Chinn and Melifonwu bested Hamilton across the board in the forty yard dash, vertical and broad jumps. Both were certified freak testers. That fact alone illustrates that perhaps testing can be a little overblown at times.

Chinn has turned into a good contributor for the Panthers but stylistically he is a very different player. He does not possess the deep range of Hamilton, serving more as a de facto linebacker than true safety.

Melifonwu on the other hand, was an athlete and nothing else. He should be the perfect illustration that the film has to always be the most important part of the evaluation process.

In reality, Hamilton just showed up and left the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine as an anomaly at the safety position in terms of size and tested off of the charts. Unrealistic expectations caused some let down in terms of the forty yard dash but historical context shows that Hamilton actually tested far better than the majority of safeties with similar size.

There will be a false narrative out there calling Hamilton an overrated athlete but it is just that - false.

Nothing has changed. Kyle Hamilton is the same unicorn we thought of him just yesterday. There is little reason to believe that he will not be selected within the top ten selections of the 2022 NFL Draft class - with a top five designation not out of the realm of possibility.

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