2022 NFL Draft: Baltimore Ravens GM reveals Georgia product was his top choice in round one

The Baltimore Ravens didn’t believe former Notre Dame star Kyle Hamilton would be available when they were on the clock with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Instead, they were hoping former Georgia defensive anchor Jordan Davis would available when their time came around, but the Philadelphia Eagles beat them to it.

“I was thinking thank God Kyle Hamilton is still on the board because he was the highest-rated player, quite honestly, and it wasn’t super close between those two,” Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta said.

“People have asked me, ‘Would you have taken Jordan Davis?’ Yeah, we would have. Jordan Davis is an excellent football player and fits us very, very well. But as we mocked out and looked at all the different scenarios, in no scenario did we see Kyle there for us.”

During his four seasons with the Bulldogs, Davis emerged as one of the top defensive linemen in the nation. Last season, Davis helped bring a championship to Georgia for the first time in over four decades when the Bulldogs defeated Alabama in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Additionally, the star defensive lineman was the recipient of the Chuck Bednarik Award, presented annually to the best defensive player in college football, so of course the Ravens had them high on their draft board.

Philadelphia traded up to draft Davis, and the Ravens had to quickly scramble to figure out who should replace him atop the Baltimore draft boards. They landed on Hamilton, and the former Fighting Irish defensive back is nothing but excited to get started with his new team.

“Looking back on it, it may feel or seem like a big deal now, but I think I fell into the perfect place, perfect situation,” Hamilton said. “Honestly, it’s a blessing and I’m just excited to be here.”

Hamilton was originally projected to be a top 10 2022 NFL Draft pick and suffered one of the biggest slides of any first round draftee this cycle. While Hamilton certainly did not go where he would have liked on the board, and as a result will not make as much on his rookie contract, fit is important. Many players drafted well behind the No. 14 spot have gone on to sign huge deals later in their career after catching on in a good situation early.

“I would say it was definitely stressful,” Hamilton said about falling further than expected. “Not just because of that reason solely – the whole process in itself is stressful. … Everybody knows that. You’re being talked about, you’re being dived deep into throughout your whole background, your whole whatever mistakes you’ve made – and everyone’s going to try to shine a light on them.

“It’s a stressful process, especially in that one moment where I do get past a certain point in the draft. But like I was saying earlier, it’s a silver lining that I’m here now. It’s the best thing that could’ve possibly happened.”