Notre Dame football: 3 Irish NFL players who will have biggest impact in 2022
By Ryan Shanko
There are plenty of former Notre Dame football players in the NFL, but here, we look at three who will have the biggest impact on their team in 2022.
Notre Dame football is a powerhouse when it comes to producing NFL talent, and as we approach the 2022 NFL season, there is no shortage of Fighting Irish contribution around the league. I’m going to take a look at some of the former Fighting Irish elite who are poised to make the biggest impact in the NFL this upcoming season.
Notre Dame football: 3 Irish NFL players who will have biggest impact in 2022
Kyle Hamilton – S – Baltimore Ravens
Kyle Hamilton somehow fell into the Ravens’ lap at No.14 overall in this year’s draft, and Baltimore could not have gotten luckier. Hamilton is the kind of player who can step in Day 1 and make an impact. The Ravens defense is already considered one of the best in the league, and thanks to Hamilton’s incredible size and athleticism at the safety position, it is easy to see how he could make an impact right away.
At Notre Dame, we watched Hamilton run almost sideline to sideline and make play after play in coverage with the Irish, while also reading offenses like a picture book on short yardage situations in order to break through the line of scrimmage and make plays in the backfield as well. At 6’4″ 220 pounds with a 38″ vertical, I can’t imagine Hamilton being slowed down much by the change from college to the NFL.
Final Assessment
Hamilton would shock me if he wasn’t a Year 1 starter. I think he has the ability to beat out Chuck Clark for the second safety spot in Baltimore. It seems to be fate that Hamilton will end up on the All-Rookie first team. Look for him to be a dark horse candidate to make an All-Pro team as a rookie. Yeah I said it, and I mean it.