Mel Kiper names his favorite landing spot for Notre Dame product Kyle Hamilton

Despite suffering a season-ending knee injury in October, former Notre Dame star Kyle Hamilton is a projected top pick in April’s NFL Draft. ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has projected where Hamilton will go — and he thinks it’d be a great fit.

In his Mock Draft 1.0, Kiper has Hamilton going No. 4 overall to the New York Jets. But Kiper thinks Hamilton’s talent would have quite an effect on the Jets if he falls to them.

“He is more than just a safety,” Kiper told Todd McShay this week. “He’s a rangy, tall, athletic, do-it-all type … who can also become basically a linebacker/safety combo guy. His range and his athletic ability separates him from any true safety in the recent drafts, so he’s a different entity entirely.

“I think for the Jets, who need a player like this, he makes a lot of sense and they have another pick right after that. … I think Hamilton’s perfect for the way the game’s played today in the NFL and he brings an incredible amount of talent to that secondary. And I think Robert Saleh will be very excited if they get him at No. 4 to bring him into the fold.”

In seven games for Notre Dame this past year, Hamilton had 34 total tackles and three interceptions prior to his injury. He was a Consensus All-American and cemented himself as a top-tier NFL Draft prospect.

Mel Kiper discusses tool that makes Kyle Hamilton special

Notre Dame fans saw firsthand what impact Kyle Hamilton can make. ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. explained how that impact can translate to the NFL last week.

Kiper unveiled his first mock draft of the season and projected Hamilton to go No. 4 overall to the New York Jets. While explaining his pick, Kiper broke down what makes Hamilton such a special talent — and why he’d be a great addition in New York.

“You want guys perfect for the way the game is played now,” Kiper said on ESPN2. “Tall. Rangey. Versatile. Dynamic in coverage and also tackling in the open field. Can get after quarterbacks and also has that range to break up passes.

“Kyle Hamilton … didn’t finish [the season due to injury], but we saw enough. There’s enough of a body of work to say this kid is ideally suited to be a real impact player for the Jets on the defensive side of the ball.”

In his three years at Notre Dame, Hamilton had 138 tackles and eight interceptions, including three picks in seven games this year before his injury. He earned Consensus All-American honors this season and cemented himself as a potential top-five pick in April’s NFL Draft.