SI.com · Apr 5, 2022
2022 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Safeties
One of the draft’s most intriguing story lines is how early (or late) a team will select
Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton.
Hamilton is my second-ranked prospect overall, and he’s often mocked inside the
first five picks. That said, safeties aren’t typically top-five selections. Hamilton’s
worse-than-expected timed 40-yard dashes could give front offices another reason
not to deviate from that historical trend at the top of the draft.
Over the past three decades or so, three safeties have been drafted with a top-five
pick—Eric Turner (second, 1991), Sean Taylor (fifth, 2004) and Eric Berry (fifth,
’10).
While safety is viewed as a nonpremium position, it has also led to some notable