The Notre Dame football program saw Kyle Hamilton selected in the first round on Thursday, and here is why he will be the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year.
It was an eventful first round of the 2022 NFL Draft for Notre Dame football star Kyle Hamilton, as he dropped down to No. 14 overall. For months, Hamilton was mocked as being a top-5 pick, and some even had him going as high as No. 2 overall to Detroit, so to go in the middle of the first round was a bit of a shock.
Still, Hamilton became the first Notre Dame football player to be drafted in the first round since 2019, and he could end up being the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Notre Dame football: Reasons Kyle Hamilton will be the NFL’s DROY
Playoff contending team
Over the last five years, the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year has come from a playoff team, and the Ravens should be exactly that in 2022. This is a team that missed out on the playoffs last year, which is why they were drafting at No. 14 overall, but that was because Lamar Jackson missed crucial games down the stretch.
In 2022, you can expect John Harbaugh and his Ravens to not only challenge for the AFC North title but possibly a Super Bowl ring. Jackson is a winner at quarterback, and thanks to the talent the Ravens have put around him on both sides of the ball this offseason, they should be back on top in 2022, which bodes well for Hamilton’s Rookie of the Year chances.
Notre Dame football: Reasons Kyle Hamilton will be the NFL’s DROY
Ravens’ defense should be elite
Staying with the team that selected Hamilton, the Ravens being one of the elite teams in the NFL in 2022 is not the only reason he should win the Defensive Rookie of the Year honor. The Ravens will have one of the elite defenses in the NFL, and him being a key part of that will go a long way in him bringing home the award.
For years, the Ravens have been built on their defense, and that has brought them Super Bowl titles and produced Hall of Fame players. Now, Hamilton will try to fill the shoes of Ed Reed, one of the best safeties in NFL history, and a player who led the Ravens to a victory in Super Bowl XLVII.
Despite all the talent, the Ravens have produced on defense, they have not had a player win the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year honor since Terrell Suggs, who won it back in 2003. Hamilton plays a premier position in today’s game and should have more than enough opportunities to put his stamp on the game every week.
Notre Dame football: Reasons Kyle Hamilton will be the NFL’s DROY
Playmaking abilities
To win the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, you have to make plays, just look at what Micah Parsons did for the Dallas Cowboys last season. In Hamilton, the Ravens are getting a ball-hawking safety who is not afraid to make plays, and you can expect him to be all over the field in Charm City as a rookie.
The one thing Hamilton is known for is playing with no fear, and I believe he will not have any kind of rookie headache in Year 1 with the Ravens. He will go into that locker room and establish himself as a leader, and in turn, his confidence will bleed over into the field, where I expect him to lead all rookies in interceptions next season.
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No matter if he wins the award or not, Hamilton is in a perfect spot to start his NFL career, and should enjoy success both individually, and as a team early on. Baltimore is a Super Bowl contending team nearly every season, and with Hamilton in the secondary, they may have found one of their final pieces of the puzzle.