Name: Kyle Hamilton

School: Notre Dame

Year: Jr

Position: Safety

Measurables: 6’4”, 220 lbs.

Stats: 

General Info:

Kyle Hamilton was born in Heraklion Greece and spent time living in Russia. After arriving in the United States, his family settled down in the Atlanta area. He attended the Marist School in Brookhaven, Georgia. The son of a professional basketball player, he was born to be an athlete. Hamilton’s first Division 1 scholarship offer was for basketball. The heavily recruited safety committed to play football at Notre Dame over other schools like Ohio State and Georgia who also offered him. He played 3 seasons of football at Notre Dame, a starter for his sophomore and junior seasons. Kyle is a humble kid, described by coaches as a “quiet worker”. His work ethic has not gone unnoticed in the locker room; he was elected team captain for his junior year. Many scouts consider Kyle Hamilton to be the best overall prospect in this draft class.

Positional Skills:

Strengths

Kyle Hamilton’s athleticism jumps off the screen when watching his film. This top-tier athleticism will allow him to affect the run game even if he is not lined up in the box, a rarity for NFL safeties. This athleticism helps him lock down opponents in pass coverage as well. He allowed an opponent passer rating of 1.3 in 250 coverage snaps played in his rookie season. Most players with his athleticism lack strength, but Hamilton plays stronger football than any other safety in this class. He is as sure of a tackler as there is, rarely allowing the ball-carrier to break free from his grasp. The speed with which Kyle analyzes plays is game-changing. His play-recognition combined with his athleticism will make him hard to game plan against for NFL offenses.

Weaknesses

In order to find weaknesses for Kyle Hamilton, you must be willing to nitpick. The product that he put on film should leave little doubt in the minds of scouts. One thing Hamilton can work on is his discipline. While he possesses the ability to analyze plays at an incredible speed, he is at times vulnerable to mistakes in diagnosing fakes. NFL offenses often use smoke and mirrors to disguise plays, so there may be some growing pains as he transitions to the next level.

Fit with the Packers:

Safety is not an explicit need for the Packers. Adrian Amos is a high-end talent at the safety position, and Darnell Savage is a quality starter. Green Bay’s defense frequently uses three-safety looks but lacks the third safety to complete the package. In recent years, Green Bay has tried Henry Black, Will Redmond, and Ibraheim Campbell among others to try to fill this void. At worst, Kyle Hamilton would allow for the Packers to have three quality safety options on the field. Darnell Savage has flashed brilliance, but if he continues to struggle with consistency, Hamilton could prove to be a quick upgrade. Kyle Hamilton is also capable of playing in the box, where Green Bay has struggled to find a second middle linebacker. The Packers almost certainly could not draft Kyle Hamilton at their current draft slot. Given the uncertainty of many players on their roster, however, it is possible they may trade up in the draft. Hamilton is a can’t-miss prospect that would fit right in with Green Bay’s defense.