What They Are Saying: Grades and Analysis For Kyle Hamilton To The Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens took former Notre Dame All-American safety Kyle Hamilton with the No. 14 pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Early on some projected Hamilton to go as high as No. 2, but a number of factors resulted in him falling to the Ravens. It provided great value for the Ravens, who got one of the best talents in the draft at No. 14 and they didn't have to move up to get him.
Most of the grades and analysis of the pick praised the Ravens. Let's take a look at what is being said about the Hamilton selection. Let's begin with Hamilton's comments on being selected.
Sports Illustrated, Sporting News and Pro Football Focus were the highest on the selection.
Sports Illustrated - A+
Baltimore got one of the four A+ grades from Sports Illustrated.
"The Ravens get a steal with my second-ranked player overall. Hamilton’s timed 40-yard dashes—4.59 at the combine and in the 4.7 range at Notre Dame’s pro day—disappointed, but he has outstanding range. With a rare combination of size and length at the position, Hamilton’s athleticism, fluidity, smarts and instincts allow him to make plays all over the field against the run and pass."
Sporting News - A+
Baltimore earned an A+ for their selection of Hamilton and former Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum. They were two of five A+ grades.
"The Ravens have been searching for that special playmaking safety since the glory days of Hall of Famer Ed Reed after Earl Thomas didn’t pan out for long. They get that answer here in a top-five overall talent in this draft. Hamilton is a thumper against the run and a ballhawk in pass coverage. He just has a nose for impact plays. He’s an immediate strong candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year working next to solid free-agent addition Marcus Williams." - Vinnie Iyer
Pro Football Focus - Elite
Baltimore earned one of only two "elite" grades from PFF in the first round.
"The Ravens, as they are wont to do, sit back and capitalize on value with Hamilton sliding to No. 14 overall. Hamilton’s disappointing 40-yard dash time (4.59 seconds) doesn’t show up as a concern on his tape. He’s coming off three consecutive seasons with PFF grades above 75.0, and he has the size and length (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) to line up anywhere and affect the offense in coverage. Baltimore now has one of the better arguments in the league for the NFL's best secondary with Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters, Marcus Williams and Hamilton." - Ben Linsey
Bleacher Report - A+
"Notre Dame's Kyle Hamilton may not be the fastest safety when he's asked to run a straight line during non-football activities. But his performance when he takes the field makes him the unicorn of the 2022 class.
".... As a deep safety, Hamilton is adept at reading a quarterback's eyes, tracking the ball and covering a large expanse of space thanks to his rangy 6'4", 220-pound frame with 33-inch arms. He can then move up and play linebacker in certain packages. He's also capable of playing near the line of scrimmage and slicing his way into opposing backfields.
".... The Baltimore Ravens may have missed out on Georgia’s Jordan Davis, if the Philadelphia Eagles’ hunch was correct. The Ravens clearly didn’t panic and landed one of the best players in the entire draft class."
Yahoo Sports - A
Yahoo Sports handed out just three A grades and one went to Baltimore for this pick.
"Every year it seems the Ravens just let the draft come to them. How? We’re talking an annual draft pastime. Hamilton would have been a steal at 11; at 14, he’s grand larceny. He’ll be a Day 1 post safety who can move into the slot or box as needed. The Ravens didn’t make enough plays in the secondary last year. This pick will change that." - Eric Edholm
The Athletic - A
"Hamilton (6-foot-4, 220) has rare size for a safety and showed off outstanding range during his 19 college starts. He lined up at free safety and strong safety for Notre Dame, while also logging more than 200 snaps in the slot. The best version of Hamilton would be a supersized Tyrann Mathieu who can line up all over the defense and use his smarts and instincts to create chaos. Hamilton ran a slow 40 time (4.7) at his Pro Day, but he timed in at 4.59 at the combine. He missed six games last year because of a knee injury." - Sheil Kapadia
NFL.com didn't hand out grades but it is clear Bucky Brooks is high on this pick.
"Hamilton is a future all-star with a game built on instincts, awareness and elite athleticism. He covers ground like an MLB center fielder while packing a punch like an All-Pro linebacker. As a middle-of-the-field defender with size, range and versatility, the Notre Dame standout is the kind of playmaking safety defensive coordinators build game plans around."
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