Kyle Hamilton - Pro Football Rumors

Draft Rumors: Jets, Dean, Walker, Hill, Hamilton

April 24th, 2022 at 4:23pm CST by Ely Allen

Both New York teams are in the enviable position of having two top-ten picks in Thursday’s first-round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The Jets have made it clear that they are prepared to use their No. 10 overall pick in order to acquire 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who requested a trade this week.

According to Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network, league sources believe the Jets will use the No. 4 overall pick to address their defense, despite recent chatter that they may be targeting NC State offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu. Pauline reports that he has heard that “the coaches love Kayvon Thibodeaux, but front office personnel have a lot of concerns.”

Thibodeuax has seen his stock drop since the tail end of the college football season with questionable concerns over his motor and effort. Coaches, though, see his ability and potential and, understandably, want him on their defense.

Here are a few more Draft rumors from Pauline’s article concerning some risers and fallers:

Pauline claims there’s a 50/50 chance that Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean goes in the first round. Dean led the National Champion Bulldogs in tackles for loss and was second on the team in both total tackles and sacks. He’s a talented prospect, but teams desire to have the fifth-year option at their disposal for other positions such as cornerback, receiver, or quarterback.
Dean’s teammate, fellow Georgia linebacker Quay Walker, has been soaring up the boards lately. Like Dean, it’s unlikely Walker hears his name called on Day 1, but it’s looking more and more likely that he won’t last long in the second round of the Draft.
Michigan safety Daxton Hill has been the consensus second-best safety prospect for all of the offseason. While he’s been rising up boards as teams begin to realize his versatility and ability to play as a free safety, in the box safety, or even over a slot receiver, he’s still unlikely to be selected in the first round. Hill is another player expected to be drafted early into Day 2.
The top consensus safety prospect on the board, Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton, has been dropping in popularity in the days leading up to the Draft. It won’t be enough for him to lose his title as the top-ranked safety over Hill or even enough to drop him out of the first round, but for a player that is consistently considered a top-ten or even top-five prospect in the Draft, this fall is potentially costing him top money. Pauline reports that league sources see Hamilton going around picks 15 to 20.

Kyle Hamilton To Visit Texans, Steelers

April 19th, 2022 at 11:02am CST by Adam La Rose

Another day closer to the NFL Draft, more news is coming out regarding teams interested in the class’ top safety. Kyle Hamilton is set to visit the Texans and Steelers, per Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson (Twitter link).

[RELATED: Commanders Host Hamilton]

The Notre Dame alum spent most of the build-up to the draft being seen as a sure-fire top-five pick. In recent weeks, however, many have reported that a significant drop from that position is expected to take place. His positional value, athletic testing and a season-ending knee injury have been named as causes for teams at the top of the board to potentially pass on him.

One of those clubs is the Jets. Currently the owners of the No. 4 and 10 selections, the team has been linked with Hamilton on multiple occasions. The former Golden Domer has also met with other teams, such as the Lions and Giants, who hold top-ten picks. It comes as no surprise, then, that the Texans (who own the third-overall selection, as well as No. 13 as a result of the Deshaun Watson trade) are doing their due diligence on him.

The Texans are in position to take the top available prospects with their picks, given the state of their roster. That could lead them towards the top remaining defensive ends and offensive linemen, especially with respect to the No. 3 selection. The Steelers, meanwhile, are in need of a safety; while there are free agents still available at the position (including Tyrann Mathieu), Hamilton would provide a similar skillset and solid value if he were still available at No. 20.

Once Hamilton’s visits with these two clubs are completed, he will have met with nearly every relevant team within range of selecting him. Where he ultimately lands remains one of the most intriguing questions surrounding this year’s draft.

Commanders Hosting Kyle Hamilton

April 18th, 2022 at 11:03am CST by Adam La Rose

Kyle Hamilton has become one of the more polarizing prospects in this year’s draft class. Seen as a prime candidate to fall down the board, the former Notre Dame safety has been the source of speculation regarding his ultimate landing spot in the first round. Today, he is meeting with the Commanders, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link).

While some have had – and in some cases, still have – Hamilton ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect in the class, there has been a growing sense he will be waiting longer to hear his name called than the top defensive ends, tackles and, potentially, quarterbacks. That could land him in range of the Commanders, who hold the 11th pick.

Washington currently has Bobby McCain, Troy Apke, Kamren Curl and Jeremy Reaves at the top of the depth chart at the safety position. Between the financial statuses of those four – none are under contract beyond the 2023 season – and the team’s disappointing defensive performance last year, ranking 29th against the pass, Hamilton would be worth consideration for that pick.

Hamilton had a highly productive three-year career with the Fighting Irish. He totalled 138 tackles and eight interceptions, demonstrating positional flexibility and leadership qualities along the way. His testing numbers, season-ending knee injury and overall athletic profile, however, have led to a belief he could drop to at least the second half of the first round. He has visited the Lions, though there is currently no expectation he would be considered with the No. 2 pick.

Regardless of where Hamilton ends up, there will at least have been a number of teams which have done their homework on him. Given their location on the board, Washington will have a number of intriguing decisions to make, including whether he will be worth a top-15 selection, should he make it that far.

Lions To Meet With DE Aidan Hutchinson, S Kyle Hamilton

April 12th, 2022 at 5:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

If Aidan Hutchinson is still on the board when the Lions pick at No. 2 overall, it would seemingly represent a perfect fit between the Michigan product and a rebuilding team in need of young cornerstones. The Lions will do more homework on the Heisman finalist, with SI.com’s Albert Breer noting (via Twitter) they will meet with Hutchinson next week.

The Lions will also meet with another top prospect ahead of the Hutchinson visit. Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton is set to visit this week, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. It would be a surprise if the Lions went with Hamilton, considering his position, but the former Fighting Irish standout has secured meetings with five of the eight teams holding top-10 picks.

Hutchinson is also meeting with the Giants and Jets this week. It would be a surprise if the former Michigan pass-rushing dynamo made it past the Lions at 2. The Jaguars are favored to select the defensive end first overall. That would put the Lions to a decision. Both ESPN.com’s Todd McShay and NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah have Jacksonville taking Hutchinson and Detroit going with Georgia D-lineman Travon Walker. Hutchinson’s college production laps Walker’s, but the latter showcased elite athleticism at the Combine. A defensive end often used inside as well, Walker made a Detroit visit recently. Hutchinson is a Michigan native who played high school football in a Detroit suburb.

The Lions have also been connected to Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux at 2 but are keeping their options open. The pick is for sale, and GM Brad Holmes would be OK parting with it before the draft.

No team has used a top-two pick on a safety since the first Browns iteration selected Eric Turner second in 1991. The Lions have the Okwara brothers at defensive end, but after cutting Trey Flowers and not making a notable addition in free agency, the team certainly needs edge-rushing help. Detroit re-signed safety Tracy Walker this offseason, giving the 2018 draftee a three-year deal worth $25MM, and used Will Harris as a 17-game starter last season. Pro Football Focus graded Harris poorly in 2021, however.

Kyle Hamilton In Danger Of Falling In The Draft?

April 1st, 2022 at 9:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

Less than one month from the 2022 Draft, there are a number of questions surrounding some of this year’s top prospects. While much has been said about the possibility of edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux falling down the board, Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton may have joined him in that regard.

As noted by ESPN’s Jordan Reid and Matt Miller, the defensive back faces a number of factors currently hurting his stock. The first – and the one which was always going to be a concern, regardless of his pre-draft testing – is his position. The very fact that he is a safety (albeit one who is lauded for his versatility) has led many to believe his overall position in the draft order would undersell his skillset.

Secondly, Miller notes that Hamilton had “an uneven showing at his pro day”. That has amplified concerns related to his athletic profile, something which isn’t helped by the knee injury which ended his third and final season with the Fighting Irish. As a result of those factors, Miller writes that “it’s possible he falls all the way into the second half of Round 1”. While that would represent a considerable slide from his once-presumed top-five status, the insider further states that “the consensus around the league is that a drop is expected”.

In three seasons at Notre Dame, the six-foot-four, 219-pounder totalled 138 tackles and eight interceptions. That production, coupled with his positional flexibility and leadership has led to a connection with the Jets on multiple occasions. New York currently holds the fourth and tenth overall picks, but if their view of Hamilton becomes more congruent with that of the rest (or at least a sizeable portion) of the league, he may find himself waiting until after their selections to hear his name called.

Jets Notes: Fatukasi, Williamses, Draft

March 8th, 2022 at 6:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Run-stuffing defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi moved into a full-time starting role last season and is now expected to generate considerable interest as a free agent. The four-year veteran started 15 games, after combining for eight starts in his first three seasons, and the Jets are prepared for the former sixth-round pick to move out of their price range when free agency opens next week, Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com notes. Although the Jets have deployed below-average defenses during Fatukasi’s two seasons as a full- or part-time starter, the UConn product has played well. Having turned 27 last week, Fatukasi should have prime years remaining. The Jets have Quinnen Williams under contract through 2023 and must make a decision on Sheldon Rankins, who will see $1.25MM of his $4.5MM base salary become guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2022 league year (March 20).

Here is the latest out of New York:

Fewer than 20 teams in the common draft era (1967-present) have made two top-10 picks in a draft. The Jets have the opportunity, holding the Nos. 4 and 10 selections this year. They might face a major decision at No. 4. The Jets are high on Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton, but no team has chosen a safety in the top four since the Browns took Eric Turner fourth overall in 1991. Positional value would likely lean Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh to take Kayvon Thibodeaux over Hamilton at 4, in the event Aidan Hutchinson and tackles Ikem Ekwonu and Evan Neal are off the board, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes. Thibodeaux’s stock has taken somewhat of a hit, but the Oregon edge rusher still figures to be an early pick.
The Jets are picking up Quinnen Williams‘ fifth-year option, keeping the 2019 No. 3 overall pick under contract through 2023. A 2022 extension for the D-tackle starter does not sound especially likely, with Cimini noting the Jets are not in a hurry to hammer out a long-term deal. This is unsurprising, considering teams rarely extend first-round non-quarterbacks with two years of control remaining on their rookie contracts.
Quinnen’s older brother, Quincy Williams, will play for more money in 2022. Under the NFL’s player-performance escalator provision, the young linebacker will see his 2022 salary spike from $965K to $2.54MM, Cimini tweets. Acquired from the Jaguars last year, Quincy Williams earned sufficient playing time to qualify for the bump. The Murray State product started 13 games alongside his brother and enjoyed by far his most productive season yet, recording 110 tackles and two sacks in his first Jets season. His rookie deal runs through 2022.

Jets Eyeing S Kyle Hamilton At No. 4?

February 24th, 2022 at 10:53am CST by Adam La Rose

Defense is thought to be the top priority for the Jets this offseason, in part because of the team’s struggles on that side of the ball in 2021, but also due to the particular strengths of the upcoming draft class. According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, the team has a strong interest in Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton with the first of their two top-ten picks.

The Jets’ first selection is No. 4, which will give them plenty of options to choose from. As Cimini writes, though, the team is said to “like Hamilton a lot”. The six-foot-four, 219 pound Golden Domer is seen by some as the top overall prospect in the class, and has already been linked to New York in the run-up to the draft.

In only seven games in his final college season, Hamilton recorded three interceptions and four pass deflections. Overall, his three years saw him total 138 tackles, eight picks and 16 pass breakups in 31 contests. His combination of production, size, versatility and football IQ have him in line to be one of the most impactful rookies in 2022, especially if he does end up in the Big Apple, considering the Jets ranked second-last in the NFL with seven interceptions last year.

The Jets could experience some trepidation regarding the selection of a safety, given they took the since-departed Jamal Adams sixth overall in 2017. The memory of that process, coupled with the general devaluation of the position, could alternatively steer general manager Joe Douglas towards an edge rusher like Kayvon Thibodeaux to help a pass rush that produced 33 sacks last campaign. A cornerback such as Cincinnati’s Ahmad Gardner could be another option in the secondary. The other prospects, it seems, could have ground to make up behind Hamilton from the Jets’ perspective.

Jets Rumors: Draft, Hamilton, Thibodeaux

February 6th, 2022 at 4:07pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets are high on safety Kyle Hamilton, according to sources who spoke with Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Armed with picks Nos. 4 and 10, the Notre Dame standout should be there for Gang Green, if that’s who they want to take. Still, with several weeks to go between now and the draft, the Jets have ample time to consider all of their options, including players at more premium positions.

Here’s more out of East Rutherford, via Cimini:

The Jets are “always looking at” big defensive linemen, as head coach Robert Saleh noted recently, and that could lead them to Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux. Cimini hears that the Jets would be hard-pressed to pass on him if he slips to No. 4. He’s long been thought to be a candidate for the No. 1 overall pick, but it’s definitely possible that Thibodeaux could fall to the Jets at No. 4.
Some insiders believe that GM Joe Douglas will zero in on the offensive line with a tackle at one of their two Top 10 picks. That’ll largely be dictated by the George Fant / Mekhi Becton situation, Cimini hears. The Jets may opt to leave Fant on the left side and move Becton to the right. If they follow through on that, that’s a sign that the Jets are losing confidence in Becton’s ability to shed weight and, by extension, his long-term potential.
While some see the cornerback position as a major draft target, Saleh continues to pump up his current trio of Bryce Hall, Brandin Echols, and Michael Carter II. “The challenge for those three is to find the ball. Once they do that, they’ll be right there with the upper echelon of the league.” Combined, the three CBs tallied just two interceptions last year.
Braxton Berrios could be too rich for the Jets’ blood this offseason. One agent predicted that the speedy wideout will look for top slot money, which would put him at ~$9MM/year.
Jets tight ends coach Ron Middleton is fond of Colorado State’s Trey McBride and Ohio State’s Jeremy Ruckert, but it’s not clear if the scouting department likes either player enough in Round 2. The Jets could pass on that group of pass-catching TEs, Cimini hears, which would prompt them to spend in free agency instead.

Lions “Open For Business” On No. 2 Pick

February 4th, 2022 at 12:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

While it’s still early days when it comes to the draft process for 2022, Lions general manager Brad Holmes has made it clear that he’s not leaving out any options during the offseason, even with regards to the team’s second overall pick in April. He stated the team is “definitely open for business” when asked about the availability of that selection (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero).

During an interview with Pelissero at the Senior Bowl, Holmes said “I’m never scared to move around” during the draft. In a year without a consensus top choice, not to mention one where Detroit has another first round pick (as a result of the Jared Goff trade), moving down the board would make a good degree of sense.

The two highest-rated prospects in this year’s class, according to most, are edge rushers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Aidan Hutchinson. While the Lions would be guaranteed at least one of them by remaining at No. 2, they could end up with both being on the board if the Jaguars use the first pick on Alabama tackle Evan Neal, as some believe they will.

Prioritizing the defense in the draft would certainly make sense for the Lions, as they finished 31st in the league in points allowed in 2021. That could still be accomplished with the likes of cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. or safety Kyle Hamilton, though, if the team moved down slightly.

With plenty of holes to fill this offseason, Detroit has a number of decisions to make to rebound from the first season of the Dan Campbell era. Flexibility in the draft would certainly go a long way to helping rebuild the roster, even if it were to mean moving out of a top-two draft slot.

Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton To Enter NFL Draft

December 10th, 2021 at 12:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Kyle Hamilton is going pro. On Friday, the Notre Dame safety confirmed that he will forgo the rest of his eligibility to enter the 2022 NFL Draft.

Hamilton, long been pegged as a potential Top 10 pick, will also skip the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma State in order to protect his pro career. The 6’4″ safety has been lauded for his range, versatility, and advanced football IQ. Even scouts who have kept a watchful eye on him tend to forget that he’s still only 20 years of age and won’t turn 21 until March.

Hamilton posted 34 tackles, three interceptions, and four passes defensed in just seven games. He should impress even more at the combine when he displays his reported 40-inch vertical leap.

Along with Hamilton, Notre Dame will also lose running back Kyren Williams to the draft. Williams impressed with over 1,000 rushing yards this season and 4.9 yards-per-carry on average. He also added 42 grabs for 359 yards and three receiving TDs for good measure.