Notre Dame football: Kyle Hamilton named top-6 breakout candidate

May 7, 2022; Owings Mills, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton (14) (center) warms up during rookie minicamp at Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
May 7, 2022; Owings Mills, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton (14) (center) warms up during rookie minicamp at Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Notre Dame football team knows what the Baltimore Ravens are getting in Kyle Hamilton, who was recently named a breakout candidate.

During the 2022 NFL Draft, Notre Dame football saw star Kyle Hamilton fall in a big way in the first round. Maybe it was his 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, but the top-5 pick ended up going all the way to No. 14 overall, landing with the Baltimore Ravens.

For Hamilton, that could end up being a blessing in disguise, as he joins a franchise that is known for winning and will be a part of a playoff-ready team right out of the gate. Had he gone in the top-5, he may have mired with a bad organization for years, so the Ravens give him the opportunity to win right away.

For them to do so, he will have to have a big season, and one outlet feels that will be the case in 2022.

Pro Football Focus recently named six potential AFC breakout candidates, and Hamilton was named one of them. In fact, he was the only two rookies to be named in the AFC, alongside Treylon Burks, a wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans.

Notre Dame football star enters a perfect situation in Baltimore

Recently, we spoke about the fit for the Ravens, and how Hamilton should be a front-runner to win the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year honor. He could have the same kind of impact that Derwin James had during his rookie season, a season where he was named All-Pro and made the Pro Bowl.

Hamilton is a special player, and anybody who watched him every Saturday during his time with the Notre Dame football program knows that. He is going to be a playmaker at the next level, and within this Ravens defense, should make an instant impact in Year 1 of what should be a special NFL career.