2022 NFL Draft: Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton does it all at safety

Strengths of Hamilton’s game

The first thing that stands out with Hamilton’s game is his football IQ. He has a great understand of route concepts and does a great job recognizing when receivers and tight ends are about to come open against zone coverage. Hamilton closes space quickly to close passing windows before they open, especially on intermediate crossers. Against the run, he keys in on the direction of the running play, and closes exceptionally well to make plays in the backfield with his trigger downhill.

Hamilton’s versatility is another huge part of his skill set. He can play in the box in a linebacker role, and does a great job as a strong safety. Hamilton can also play on the back end in a deep half or a single high look due to his great range and quickness.

Hamilton’s closing speed is something else that stands out. As a blitzer, he’s great at getting downhill fast and creating extra pressure on the quarterback. He also closes quickly from the back end well and in coverage near the line of scrimmage.

When he’s in coverage, Hamilton has very good transitions and keeps up well with receivers due to his long strides and recovery acceleration. His top end speed is good enough to stick with vertical routes down the field.

Hamilton is also a great open field tackler. He wraps up well and is great at filling against the run, and rarely lets anyone get by him one on one in space. He succeeded in this area against top competition all year long.

Ball skills are something not as prevalent, but it’s mostly because he isn’t targeted a whole lot in coverage. He is great at dislodging the football at the catch point and is a menace for receivers. He’s got the size and length to shrink passing windows and get his hands on the football, and often converts opportunities into interceptions.