Why The Vikings Should Draft Kyle Hamilton
Kyle Hamilton is a generational player at safety and just might fall into the Vikings’ laps. But with so many more pressing needs on defense, like corner, EDGE, and DL does it make sense? One word: Yes. Hamilton is a unique player and labeling him a “safety” doesn’t do him justice.
The Vikings Should Draft Kyle Hamilton
The biggest reason the Vikings should draft Kyle Hamilton is that he’s a generational player. No team should ever pass up drafting a generational player, no matter if it’s a position of need or not. The Vikings did the right thing drafting Randy Moss in spite of already having Hall of Fame wide receiver, Cris Carter and the very good Jake Reed on the roster. It’s never a mistake to take a player that will be among the best at his position over the next decade.
The next reason is that in Ed Donatell’s defense he could be used as a disruptive weapon. Hamilton’s combination of size, speed, and athleticism makes him versatile enough to play all over the field. He can line up as a safety. He could come up and play robber or the WILL linebacker and even lineup on the line of scrimmage to rush the passer.
There simply hasn’t been a safety that offers quite the same abilities as Hamilton. At six-foot-four and 220 pounds, he’s a hybrid. He’s a very large safety and small linebacker. He’s an excellent, punishing tackler with good vision and football IQ. He could be a disruptor like no other safety has been.
The Drawbacks
There are drawbacks to drafting Hamilton. Safties are not generally considered a good value when taken in the top half of the draft. The top half of the draft is reserved for the premium positions like a defensive end, quarterback, wide receiver, and offensive tackle. This is the primary reason that Hamilton will fall to the Vikings, he’s not an EDGE, QB, WR, or OT.
The other drawback is that he’s going to struggle to cover smaller shifty wider receivers like Cooper Kupp. His length and size are much more of an advantage than a detraction, short-area quickness isn’t a strength. These are small concerns but if Hamilton were not to be as good as advertised safety at this spot is a horrible value.
Conclusion
If the Vikings are sitting there with the twelfth pick and Hamilton is available, he’s the right pick. You simply can’t pass on a player that could transform your defense. Not only transform the defense but do it from day one in the NFL.
They also need to have a replacement for Harrison Smith on the roster. Smith has been great for them but is on the backside of this career. And as John Boyd wrote about the Ed Donatell Defense, Robber is prominent and Hamilton is the ultimate Robber.
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