Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton may be the best defensive back in the 2022 NFL draft. The Texans Wire editorial board has championed Houston selecting Hamilton and have clarified why he should be the target at No. 3 overall in Round 1.
Doug Farrar from the Touchdown Wire wrote a detailed scouting report on Hamilton and added where the Notre Dame product still stands to improve when he makes it to the NFL.
Hamilton’s height leads to iffy transition skills at times, and while he can play the deep third as a single defender, it’s not his optimal spot — unless he’s turning and running to react. He’s not the ideal defender against quicker, more angular receivers downfield. On this play against USC, Hamilton’s backpedal out of single-high is decent enough, but he doesn’t transition as quickly as he would if he was coming down to the receiver. Drake London gets a 29-yard catch as a result.
I think that Hamilton can develop into a better deep-third player, and it’s still crazy what he’s able to do back there at his size, but that’s one discussion to be had in front offices, and you can see why some analysts ding him for this. If you want him up high in two-deep looks, which is where the NFL is headed anyway, I think he’ll be just fine. He needs to be more sudden with his transitions, develop better timing to the ball, and trust what he sees in those open-field situations.
If coach Lovie Smith believes that he can help Hamilton rise above these frailties and develop his game, providing the Texans with one of the best safeties in the league over the next three seasons, then Houston may try to acquire him. As has been the case throughout the offseason, Smith’s attention has been with another defensive back in the Midwest.
