
Vikings Get a Bit of Salt Poured In the Wound
Dec 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah looks on before the game against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.
If, somehow, the Vikings get a redo, the decision likely would be to scoop up Kyle Hamilton at No. 12 in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Until that day arrives ā not looking likely ā the Vikings will have to continue living in the reality of dropping to No. 32 before selecting Lewis Cine, someone no longer employed by the Vikings. The safety room is led by Harrison Smith, Josh Metellus (at least for one more year), and then Theo Jackson. Combined, theyāre a pretty strong trio, but itās a cluster of talent that could be a lot better if Kwesi Adofo-Mensahās debut draft went in a different direction, as a recent piece on ESPN helped to show.
Vikings Get Yet Another Reminder of Draft Disaster
Before getting to the ESPN piece, consider what Jordan Reid had to say on the matter. Reid is among the foremost draft experts, so his word carries weight.
The draft wizard offered his take after seeing that Mr. Hamilton was named the NFLās best safety. āThe Ravens donāt make it hard,ā Reid begins. āThey simply draft the best players available. Despite having the best safety on the list, they drafted another one in Round 1. Wouldnāt be surprised to see Malaki Starks on this list sometime early in his career.ā
So, a tip of the cap to Baltimore for their simple excellence.
Oct 9, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton (14) before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports.
A season after finishing 2nd in the NFL, the Ravensā star defensive back claimed the top spot in the league.
The piece from Jeremy Fowler included a thought from an NFL employee: āāAll-around best player: Size instincts, production, blitz ability,ā an NFL personnel director said.ā Not too long afterwards, Fowlerās piece layers in another insight from someone else in the NFL: āāGreat player, scheme specific,ā an AFC executive said. āIn his role, heās very good. He canāt man cover and does not have elite range, thatās why teams with quicker receivers can have success against him.’ā
So, thereās some sense that Kyle Hamilton has areas where he can still grow ā is there a player in the NFL who doesnāt have flaws? ā but heās nevertheless the top-ranked safety according to the ESPN ranking.
Keep in mind the process behind the top-ten list: āVoters gave us their 10 best players at a position, then we compiled the results and ranked candidates based on number of top-10 votes, composite average and dozens of interviews, with research and film study help from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen. In total, more than 70 voters submitted a ballot on at least one position, and in many cases all positions. Additional voting and follow-up calls with those surveyed helped us break any ties.ā
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
In 2024, Kyle Hamilton played in all seventeen games. Along the way, the safety picked up 107 tackles, 2 sacks, 6 QB hits, 4 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception, and 9 passes defended. He was a Pro Bowler, finished as a second-team All Pro, and came in at 9th for Defensive Player of the Year voting.
As for versatility, check out these snaps (playoffs included). Hamilton was in the box for 407 snaps, a free safety for 355 snaps, a slot corner for 292 snaps, along the defensive line for 78 snaps, and a wide corner for 18 snaps. PFF gave him a truly elite 90.0 grade for his efforts.
Oh, and he did so while carrying a $4,433,206 cap charge in 2024. The number bumps up to just $5,172,074 for the upcoming season.
Do note that Harrison Smith still showed up, if only in the āalso receiving votesā section. Fun fact: the Vikings traded up with the Ravens back in 2012 to draft Mr. Smith, a move that worked out tremendously for Minnesota but not as well for Baltimore. Small comfort at this point in time, but itās something.
Kyle Hamilton is 24.
Editorās Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
I’m the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. I am Canadian.