Former Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton signs rookie contract with Ravens
Former Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton is officially under contract with his NFL team. Hamilton, the No. 14 overall pick in April’s draft, signed his four-year rookie contract with the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday, the team announced.
Hamilton’s fully guaranteed deal is worth $16.255 million with a $9.002 million signing bonus, according to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Like all first-round contracts, it includes a fifth-year option. Teams must decide to pick up or decline that option after the player’s third pro season.
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Since being drafted, Hamilton participated in Ravens’ rookie minicamp and offseason team activities (OTAs) in May. The team’s third OTA session began Tuesday. Mandatory minicamp begins June 14.
With Hamilton signing, both Notre Dame 2022 draft picks have agreed to terms with their respective teams. Ex-Irish running back and Los Angeles Rams fifth-round pick Kyren Williams reportedly signed his contract Monday. Williams broke his foot Tuesday, Rams head coach Sean McVay said. He is expected to return during training camp.
The Ravens ended Hamilton’s draft-day wait after about 90 minutes and made him the first safety chosen. He slid from the top five in most prospect rankings and mock drafts to top-10 status in the weeks leading into the draft. Projections that he would go outside the top 10 became widespread in the final days before the first round.
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Still, Ravens coach John Harbaugh didn’t expect Hamilton to be available at No. 14. He even told Hamilton that himself on a pre-draft visit.
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“He was in for a visit, and I joked with him about it,” Harbaugh told reporters in May. “I asked ‘Why are you here? There’s no way you’re going to fall to 14.’ We laughed about it.”
When the possibility became real, Harbaugh instantly became an advocate for it.
“It got to about to [pick] 11,” Harbaugh said. “I looked across the table at [general manager] Eric [DeCosta], and I said ‘Hamilton?’ He said ‘Maybe!’ Then he was there. That’s about how it went.”
Hamilton was the first safety drafted in the top 15 since the Miami Dolphins took Minkah Fitzpatrick No. 11 overall in 2018. He became the highest-drafted Notre Dame defensive player since defensive tackle Bryant Young in 1994 (No. 7 overall).
