The New York Giants hold the fifth and seventh selections in the 2022 NFL draft next month. They were not expected to use either on a safety.
That is, until Thursday when they released veteran safety Logan Ryan in a surprise move. Ryan’s release leaves the Giants with just four safeties on the roster — budding star Xavier McKinney, Julian Love, J.R. Reed and Steven Parker.
Does this mean that the Giants could entertain takin Notre Dame’s stud safety, Kyle Hamilton, with one of those picks should he be available?
That remains to be seen but the argument can certainly be made. What we do know is that Hamilton is the highest-rated prospect by NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein with a grade of 6.88, which projects to “Year 1 Starter” status.
Hamilton is 6-foot-4 and weighs in at 220 pounds. His NFL comparison is former Seattle Seahawks All-Pro Kam Chancellor, the leader of legendary ‘Legion of Boom’ and, oh, he ran a 4.59 40-yard dash at the NFL combine this year and has 33-inch arms.
High-impact safety with unique blend of traits and characteristics that make him a bit of a unicorn at the position. Hamilton has the eyes and speed to play over the top, the strength and toughness to play near the line, and coverage length to guard elite pass-catching tight ends who often mismatch opposing defenses.
It’s rare to find such a ferocious striker and intimidator who has the football intelligence and athletic prowess to go make plays in the passing game, but Hamilton provides it all. He thrives playing downhill or sinking into a robber alignment on the back-end but will have occasional missteps in coverage when in retreat from his pedal. Hamilton has the traits and football character to transition from standout college moments to a standout pro career as a future Pro Bowler with All-Pro potential.
The Giants’ decision on what to do in the first round of the draft this year just got a little harder.
