Hot Take Tuesday: Kyle Hamilton is the Best Safety Prospect Ever

This week's edition of the NFL Draft Hot Take Tuesday.

Jack Borowsky | Aug 31, 2021

Hot Take Tuesday: Kyle Hamilton is the Best Safety Prospect Ever /

The term “generational talent” gets thrown around far too often, but every once in a while, a player deserves that title. In the 2021 NFL draft, one player, in particular, stands out among his peers: Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton.

Dating back to his freshman season, it was easy to see that Hamilton would be special. He played in all 13 games for the Fighting Irish, recording four interceptions and six pass deflections. Beyond the numbers, what was so impressive on Hamilton’s freshman film, was that he looked like a seasoned veteran. Hamilton didn’t have mental lapses and was always in the right spot on the field. That rarely is the case with a younger player, especially in the backend of a defense. He was a freshman All-American and looked to be the next great safety prospect at Notre Dame.

That level of hype can sometimes cause players to disappoint as a sophomore, but the pressure didn’t faze Hamilton. He came out of the gates strong and didn’t look back. Defensive coordinator Clark Lea had Hamilton play everywhere on the field. Hamilton lined up in the box, at free safety and in the slot. No matter where Hamilton was on the field, he was constantly impacting the game last season. In coverage, he displayed elite level range and speed to stay with tight ends and receivers. As a blitzer, there was no one faster coming downhill than Hamilton. In the run game, he didn’t miss tackles and was very calculated in his movements. Often, players with Hamilton’s abilities can play recklessly and try and create a turnover on every play, but Hamilton plays within the defense and makes everyone else around him better. Finding a weakness on Hamilton’s sophomore film would be nit-picking. He improved after a stellar freshman season and showed everyone how he could do everything at an elite level.

Not only does Hamilton have elite tape, but he is also an incredible athlete, coming in third on Bruce Feldman’s Freak List. At 6’4” 220 pounds, Hamilton has reached 21 mph on the GPS and should be one of the fastest safeties, if not the fastest safety at the combine next March. He is built like a downhill run thumper but has the speed of a modern-day single high safety. Hamilton can also jump out of the gym, recording a 41-7 vertical and 10-8 broad this offseason. Those numbers at that size make Hamilton a unicorn at the position. If a defensive coordinator were to build an athlete for the safety position in the lab, he would come out looking like Hamilton.

It is hard to find a comparison for Hamilton as a prospect, as there isn’t a player with his tape, measurables and athleticism. It is also evident that Hamilton is a student of the game with how he plays on the field. He is always one step ahead of the offense, closing up holes for ball carriers and throwing lanes for quarterbacks.

Hamilton should be the exception, even with teams usually valuing pass rushers and left tackles over safeties in the draft. Hamilton will force whoever has the first pick in the draft to seriously consider taking him. He is that special and it is hard to find a safety prospect who can compare to him in recent memory, if ever.

JACK BOROWSKY

Hot Take Tuesday: Kyle Hamilton is the Best Safety Prospect Ever

Jack Borowsky | Aug 31, 2021

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