2022 NFL Draft: The top prospect from every top 10 ranked team

7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Best 2022 NFL Draft Prospect: Kyle Hamilton, Safety

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are as prestigious as any College Football program around the country. They have made the College Football playoff in two of the last three seasons. If they do it again this season safety Kyle Hamilton will have a large role in the teams success.

Kyle Hamilton is entering his Junior year as a member of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. In thirteen games his rookie season Hamilton had 41 tackles (27 solo tackles), ten passes defended, one tackle for loss, four interceptions, and one of his interceptions he took to the house for a touchdown. The Athletic named Hamilton to their All-American team after that season.

This past season Hamilton established himself as one of the best defenders in all of College Football. In 11 games he had 63 combined tackles (51 solo tackles), 4.5 tackles for loss, seven passes defended, and an interception. His performanced earned him all types of accolades including First Team All-ACC, AP First Team All-ACC, and AP All-American Third Team.

Kyle Hamilton has the opportunity to do something uncommon in next year’s draft. If he continues to show that he is an elite prospect he could very well be selected in the top-10 of the 2022 NFL Draft.

It is extremely uncommon for safeties to be taken high in the NFL Draft. In recent years former Crimson Tide safeties Landon Collins and Xavier McKinney were both considered first round prospects, but fell to the second round because of how the league views the value of the safety position. In 2017, former LSU safety Jamal Adams showed that he is a great enough player to be selected within the top-10. He was the last safety selected that high in the draft.

Hamilton is widely regarded as the drafts best safety and a top-2 defensive back in the class. Multiple teams could very well view Hamilton has the best player available and take him to add a playmaker to their defense in the 2022 draft.

A couple of teams who could be interested in taking Hamilton next season include the Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals (if they lose Jessie Bates in free agency), Denver Broncos, and Detriot Lions.

Honorable Mentions:

Kyren Williams, Running Back

Jarrett Patterson, Center