Few NFL teams got as good value for a single pick as the Baltimore Ravens did with Kyle Hamilton in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Notre Dame safety, who many analysts viewed as a top player in the draft, fell all the way to 14th, where they were able to grab him. And the Ravens couldn’t be happier about it.
This week the Ravens released footage of the Draft Day call between Hamilton and general manager Eric DeCosta. During the call, DeCosta revealed that the players – not just the front office – were impressed by his game and wanted him to play for them.
“”I was just down in the training room and half our team was down there because we had so many injuries this year, and a few guys asked me specifically about you because they’ve seen you play,” DeCosta said.
As a member of the Fighting Irish, Kyle Hamilton was one of the most dynamic defensive backs in the country. He earned First-Team All-ACC honors in 2020 and was a consensus All-American in 2021.
Hamilton was limited to just seven games in 2021, but he made the most of those appearances with 34 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, three interceptions and four passes defended.
Now he joins the Ravens, potentially turning a position of weakness into of strength.
He might wind up being the steal of the draft if he’s as good as advertised.