2022 NFL Draft: Kyle Hamilton on the mystery of landing spot

Kyle Hamilton is widely regarded as one of the top safety prospects to come out of college in this draft class — and while only the elite at that position hear their name called early in the NFL Draft — the Notre Dame star is pegged anywhere from the top five to the middle of the first round according to most experts.

Earlier this week, the versatile defensive back joined the Rich Eisen Show and gave a unique glimpse into one of the aspects fans often overlook. In 24-48 hours, Hamilton will know what city and team he will land on and be expected to come in, thrive at a high level and ideally become the face of a NFL defense.

Yet when asked if he has any gut feeling of where he may land, the Fighting Irish defensive back literally has no clue with just hours remaining until the 2022 NFL Draft kicks off from Las Vegas. 

“I mean I’ve been all over throughout the process,” Kyle Hamilton said. “So far I’ve been to Detroit, Atlanta, Houston, New York, Washington, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, but at the end of the day I have no clue.”

Hamilton had a unique analogy for his draft process.

“Kind of the funny part about it is you’re watching a show and it’s like the pre-draft process, you’re waiting to find out what happens and you really just don’t know until the end. It’s like that but I’m living it.

“Wherever I go I’ll just be so thankful and excited.”

Mel Kiper identifies potential landing spot for Kyle Hamilton

NFL general managers and executives are experts at throwing out false information and hiding their cards as each hour inches closer to draft day, so it’s truly impossible to know where a given prospect may fall unless it’s a sure-thing like Trevor Lawrence to the Jaguars last year.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper recently felt Kyle Hamilton was falling on draft boards and now pegs him landing one spot out of the top ten to a team the Notre Dame star mentioned while talking to Eisen.

During the ESPN mock draft special, Mel Kiper explained why he dropped Kyle Hamilton down his board after watching the NFL Combine and the Notre Dame Pro Day.

“Kyle Hamilton is still on the board for Washington at this stage because he ran a sub-par 40 time, or a 40 time that was less than stellar, not what was expected,” said Kiper. “Go to the tape, go back and watch the kid. The range, vertically, horizontally, he does it all on the field, makes plays in every way imaginable. If he’s there at 11 for Washington, I think that would be a heck of a pick.”

The waiting is almost over and all speculation will soon be gone.