Is Kyle Hamilton a luxury the Carolina Panthers can afford?

Could Notre Dame’s exceptional safety Kyle Hamilton be a luxury that the Carolina Panthers cannot afford given their need for upgrades elsewhere?

Although the Carolina Panthers are expected to focus heavily on the offensive line in free agency and the 2022 NFL Draft, there are a couple of exciting prospects that warrant consideration if the organization holds firm at No. 6 overall. Of course, the ongoing complications at quarterback could come into the equation, and another potentially elite talent might also be available depending on what transpires in the top five.

That player is Kyle Hamilton.

The Notre Dame safety will be one of the first names called on draft night. Hamilton possesses a game-changing skill set that should transition extremely well to the next level, with the prospect demonstrating the sort of range and athleticism that will no doubt be a hot commodity during the evaluation process.

Players like Hamilton don’t come along every day. Someone that can be highly influential on the backend and create turnovers almost at will with exceptional instincts and explosiveness that defies belief at times.

Pro Football Focus mocked Kyle Hamilton to the Carolina Panthers

There is a good chance Hamilton will be off the board by the time Carolina is on the clock. But a recent mock draft from Austin Gayle of Pro Football Focus has the Panthers selecting the stud defensive back with their first-round selection.

"“Safety isn’t a premium position, and it is relatively low on the positional value chart because of it, but Kyle Hamilton is different. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, the Notre Dame star legitimately has all of the sideline-to-sideline range, size and ball skills to be a game-changer, regardless of scheme or role at the next level.”"

Much will obviously depend on how free agency plays out for the Panthers. But if they ended up going in this particular direction, it would be incredibly divisive despite Hamilton’s obvious credentials.

The offensive line is an absolute mess. Only right tackle Taylor Moton is guaranteed a starting position in 2022 and considering how veteran free agents don’t normally come cheap, building through the draft is the best possible outcome with just $24 million in spare resources at the present time.

Going with Hamilton over someone like Charles Cross, Ikem Ekwonu, or Tyler Linderbaum could cause some significant complications. And the current regime cannot afford to get any personnel decision wrong this offseason.

Hamilton is a special player. That isn’t up for debate.

And if the Panthers had a better offensive line, this is a completely different discussion.

Imagine what a safety pairing of Hamilton and Jeremy Chinn could do for Carolina’s fortunes on defense. It would also allow Phil Snow to move the Southern Illinois product to an outside linebacker without worrying about complications in the secondary.

However, that is not the Panthers’ biggest priority. Unless the protection gets fixed, then the same problems will emerge in a critical Year 3 of Matt Rhule’s tenure.

We are still relatively early in the evaluation process, obviously. The Panthers might also look to trade down in pursuit of landing a Day 2 pick they don’t currently possess after moves for Sam Darnold and C.J. Henderson.

If they had a second-rounder without moving back down the board, then Hamilton would be in play providing they got their hands on an offensive lineman at No. 38. But that is sadly not the case.

Hamilton is going to be a stud somewhere. Whether that’s in Carolina or not is another matter entirely.