ESPN NFL Draft debrief peppered with mentions of former Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton

With the 2022 NFL Draft now almost two weeks behind us, the top football experts across the country have had a chance to digest the selections. One such result involves former Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton, who was selected with the No. 14 overall pick by the Baltimore Ravens.

On Tuesday, ESPN released a panel-like article answering several questions related to the NFL Draft, including favorite selections, most head-scratching picks, most impactful rookie classes and early predictions for offensive and defensive rookies of the year.

Hamilton was mentioned at least once in three of the four categories for which he was reasonably eligible; it’s safe to say he will not be in the offensive rookie of the year conversations.

Here is what members of the 12-person panel had too say.

Favorite pick of the draft

NFL analyst Matt Bowen took Hamilton as his favorite pick of the entire draft. That’s 262 total picks.

“With his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame and top-down speed, Hamilton can play a disruptive role in the Ravens’ system,” Bowen said. “Look for new coordinator Mike Macdonald to deploy the versatile rookie at multiple levels of the field to create on-the-ball production.”

Fellow analyst Matt Miller also took Hamilton as his selection in this category.

“S Kyle Hamilton to the Ravens at No. 14. Hamilton was my No. 4 overall player in the entire draft class, so not only was this pick a great value for Baltimore, but it is also a perfect example of taking the best player available,” Miller said. “Hamilton will be a leader and a three-down difference-maker for the Ravens’ defense.”

National NFL writer Dan Graziano gave Hamilton a shoutout despite ultimately taking former Michigan safety Daxton Hill.

“S Daxton Hill to the Bengals at No. 31. Look, my answer is probably Hamilton, but I have to think he’s going to be a popular one, so let’s pivot here and highlight what I thought was a really smart value pick by the defending AFC champs,” Graziano said.

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Hamilton was a fan favorite, earning “A” grades from nearly every outlet.

Defensive Rookie of the Year prediction

A safety has not won the Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award since 1990 when Mark Carrier of the Chicago Bears took home the honor. Miller thinks Hamilton could buck that trend.

“It’s very rare for a safety to win postseason awards, especially as a rookie, but Hamilton has the instincts and playmaking ability to produce the type of three-down stats (tackles, interceptions, sacks) to get the nod,” Miller wrote.

In three years and 31 games at Notre Dame, Hamilton accumulated 138 tackles and eight interceptions. He did not record a sack, but he did have 7.5 tackles for loss.

Miller was the only one to take Hamilton in this category and the only writer of the 12 to pick a safety. Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. of the Houston Texans was chosen twice and was the only other mention of a player from the secondary.

Biggest 2022 impact from a rookie class

This mention is not all Hamilton, but Miller went with the Ravens group for this category. In addition to the former Irish safety, the Ravens took Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum with the No. 25 overall pick in the NFL Draft. But the two first-rounders aren’t the only first-year players the Ravens will utilize this season.

“First-rounders Kyle Hamilton and Tyler Linderbaum will both be rookie starters, but DT Travis Jones, RT Daniel Faalele, CB Jalyn Armour-Davis and TE Charlie Kolar will also play early roles and have starter potential,” Miller said. “And don’t forget punter Jordan Stout, who will also have an impact on Day 1.”

The Ravens have a reputation for bringing in elite draft classes. Will this one join those ranks?