5 early 2022 prospects for the Minnesota Vikings to watch
By Luke Parrish
Kyle Hamilton – S (Notre Dame)
Measurements:
- Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 219 pounds
2020 Stats:
- 63 tackles
- 1 INT
- 4.5 tackles for loss
Kyle Hamilton enters the season as the top safety in college football, with some projecting him to land in the top 10 of the 2022 NFL Draft. While that is certainly possible, we have not seen a safety withstand early projections and see them out in recent years. Not a single safety was even drafted in the first round in 2021.
Hamilton is truly a do-it-all safety with a ton of size on the back end of the defense. He’s an absolute beast when attacking downhill in the run game or as a blitzer. One thing that really stands out with Hamilton is his ability to wrap up ball carriers in space and land soul-crushing hits when the opportunity arises.
HIs long arms are a weapon in coverage as he often gets into the mix and prevents running backs and tight ends from making plays. I would like to see more from him as a deep safety but everything else pops when watching Notre Dame’s defense.
Hamilton is an instinctive defender that finds the ball as well as anyone. If he can find the ball in college, he’ll find it at the next level as well. If the Vikings want to get their long-term answer behind Harrison Smith, dipping back into the Notre Dame waters might be worth a shot.