Ht – 6’4” Wt – 220lb Class – JR Age – 20
Career Statistics
2021 Stats –34 Tackles, 2 TFL, 0 Sacks, 3 INT, 4 PD (7 Games Played)
Career Stats – 138 Tackles, 7.5 TFL, 0 Sacks, 8 INT, 16 PD (31 Games Played)
Attribute Breakdown
Tackling – Master tackler, Kyle Hamilton is the best tackler I’ve ever seen. A tackler like this comes along once in a… NEVER. He has great length, so it’s hard to get away from his reach. Hamilton has phenomenal closing speed, so he will catch up to you in seconds. He even has the best lateral mobility of any prospect in a while, so once he’s in front of you he effortlessly stays that way.
Range – Hamilton’s speed is a thing of beauty. He spots and tracks the QB’s eyes very well and using his elite speed he flies from sideline to sideline. If you want him out of a throwing lane while he’s playing deep safety, you will have to look him off.
Ball Skills – Tracks the ball like nobody’s business. Once the ball is in the air, he is arguably the best receiver on the field and has no problem plucking passes out of the air. He also contorts his body well to get in front of the pass and can highpoint perfectly.
Football IQ – Has a very good sense of where to be and when to crash on ball carriers. He did have some lapses in judgment in zone coverage, but he mostly made correct decisions.
Coverage – This is his weak spot (in comparison). Hamilton is far from a liability in this regard, but there is room for improvement. In man coverage he is fairly sticky, managing to stay with receivers even through route breaks. However, he does tend to worry too much about the QB’s eyes and lose sight of the receiver he is supposed to cover. In zone coverage, he does an outstanding ability to follow the QB’s eyes and always get to the ball.
Size & Athleticism – Kyle Hamilton is a freak of nature. He is tall, bulky, and fast, and is a massive physical presence that must be planned around by offensive coordinators. Additionally, his wingspan is absolutely massive. He routinely used his long arms to wrap all the way around receivers and break up passes.
Combine – As a unicorn athlete who put up average Combine numbers, Hamilton likely lost the most money of all Combine performers. While he didn’t drop his stock all that much, he was touted as a unicorn athlete and had a shot to go Top 3 in the Draft. After posting a 4.59 40, a 6.9 3-Cone, and a 4.32 Shuttle, he showed a lack of the explosiveness we expected. However, his Broad and Vertical Jumps were outstanding. When it’s all said and done, teams in the Top 3 might be a lot more hesitant to pull the trigger on a Safety after those numbers.
Overall
If I had to describe rare or blue-chip using one player, Kyle Hamilton would be the one.
If he was a complete liability in coverage he would still be a lock for a first-round pick. He may not be amazing in coverage, but he’s more than adequate. Pair that with his other rare traits and he is one of the best prospects I’ve ever scouted.
Much like Isaiah Simmons, Hamilton is a rare breed of freakish athleticism and length, while being an outstanding tackler. Unlike Simmons, Hamilton projects to have more of a solid position on an NFL defense, while Simmons was more of a position-less chess piece.
Hamilton can be slotted at multiple positions, and he has traits to excel at all positions, but I feel he is best suited for safety. He could excel as a LB as well, taking advantage of his elite tackling ability to stonewall any short passes or runs. However, as a safety he can be used with way more versatility.
Kyle Hamilton is easily the number one player on my draft board, and I’m fascinated to see the way he improves the defense that gets him.
See Kyle Hamilton’s overall ranking among other players on my Big Board.
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