Kyle Hamilton Visits Washington; Could He Fall to No. 11?

On paper, the Washington Commanders don't have a terrible roster.

Washington Commanders general manager, Martin Mayhew

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Garrett Wilson, a popular choice to land with the Washington Commanders in NFL mock drafts.

Early on, quarterbacks like Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett were commonly mocked to the Commanders, but that trend has faded since the team acquired Carson Wentz.

Of course, in a league designed to create parity, this is how it's supposed to be.

This is why the NFL Draft is commonly looked at as one key moment in the league schedule that determines which franchises will be successful, and which will struggle.

As Washington looks to build on back-to-back seven-win seasons, a solid NFL Draft class this year will go a long way in helping the team catch back up to the top of the NFC East Division, where it sat following the 2020 season.

This is where Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton comes in. A player mock drafted to the Washington Commanders on a regular basis these days, who visited the team on Monday, just 10 days from the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

The third player on NFL.com Daniel Jeremiah's Top 50 list has been a consistent name to head to Washington with the 11th overall pick next Thursday night.

"Against the pass, his versatility is a major asset," Jeremiah writes about Hamilton. "He has exceptional instincts from the deep half and his range is off the charts. He eats up ground quickly with his long stride and has the athleticism and speed to mirror tight ends and slot wideouts all over the field. Hamilton is an explosive blitzer from depth. He can find and play the ball with ease. Against the run, his burst and angles to the ball are highly impressive, but he will go low and miss a few tackles. I love his competitiveness and production covering punts. Hamilton has all of the tools to emerge as a Pro Bowler early in his career."

A Pro Bowl safety in Washington, now that's something this team - and its fans - would love to see again.

While some would consider it a long shot the top-rated safety in this year's draft makes it outside of the Top 10, there is also a growing expectation the early picks could all be spent protecting existing quarterbacks or adding pass rushers to attack them.

Of course, we can never really rule out a team's willingness to trade up for a quarterback, helping to knock position players of greater talent down the board a peg.

Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson and Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton are two popular names associated with the Washington Commanders' first pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton visited the Washington Commanders on Monday as the team continues its preparations for the 2022 NFL Draft.

Notre Dame safety, Kyle Hamilton

Nobody really knows what will happen on draft night. Even the teams themselves don't know until they're on the clock themselves.

And there's always a surprise or two waiting in round one.

Could Hamilton end up with the Washington Commanders at pick 11? Sure.

And it's good to know the team is doing everything in their power to make sure he's the right pick if they get the chance to draft him.