Kyle Hamilton a legit top pick candidate for the 2022 NFL Draft

The 2022 NFL Draft may not have a clear QB1 at this point, so Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton could legitimately have a case as the top player overall.

The top pick in the NFL Draft, no matter what year it is, should be a guy that has an impact on just about every play. Quarterbacks are obviously the most common number one overall picks, followed by pass rushers and offensive tackles. Very rarely, if ever, is a safety the number one overall pick in the NFL Draft, but Kyle Hamilton could change that in 2022.

Kyle Hamilton is a freak.

The Notre Dame defensive back is not a quarterback. He’s not a pass rusher, per se. He’s not going to block for the quarterback.

But he does know how to terrorize them on a play-by-play basis.

As I previously stated, the number one overall pick in the NFL Draft should always be a guy that’s going to have an impact on every single play. That’s exactly what Kyle Hamilton does.

It might seem crazy to even say, but Hamilton projects even better to the pro game than former Clemson do-it-all defender Isaiah Simmons, who wound up as the 8th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals.

Kyle Hamilton is dominating early in 2021

Notre Dame has only played three games in the 2021 season, but Hamilton is already dominating games.

Having him on the field almost makes it feel like Notre Dame has 12 defenders.

Range.

Instincts.

Ball skills.

Versatility.

Hamilton is elite in every category.

Through three games, he’s already got 21 total tackles, three interceptions, two tackles for loss, and two passes broken up.

His impact on games has been far more than just in the stat department, too.

Kyle Hamilton is making game-changing plays on a weekly basis at this point and is proving his worth as a defensive weapon, not just as a safety.

This play, in particular, doesn’t even make sense.

As it relates to the 2022 NFL Draft, Kyle Hamilton absolutely deserves to be in consideration for the top selection overall.

He will have to compete with the likes of Oregon pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, Alabama’s Evan Neal, LSU’s Derek Stingley, and perhaps a quarterback or two.

At this point in time, however, Hamilton is absolutely in that mix, even as a safety. He’s proving that he will have an impact on every play at the next level, and with safeties across the league playing nearly 100 percent of the defensive snaps, Hamilton should be a coveted prospect by any team that looks like it might be picking at the top of next year’s draft.