DaVon

Hamilton

Hamilton (6’4/320) was a one-year starting nose tackle at Ohio State who earned third-team All-Big Ten honors as a redshirt senior. Before his breakout campaign in 2019, he was a rotational depth option for the Buckeyes, but improved conditioning and maturity led to career highs in sacks (6.0), TFLs (10.5), and tackles (28) last season. He wins with a bull rush on tape, which was backed up by a class-leading 31 bench press reps at the NFL Combine. He lacks the burst of an interior disruptor in the NFL, but Hamilton figures to compete for a starting defensive tackle job because of his strength and physical playing style.

Hamilton (6'4/320) performed well at the NFL Scouting Combine, as he tallied an impressive 33 reps in the bench press and ran the 40 in 5.14 seconds. Just how high he goes in April’s draft will largely depend upon how teams view him as a pass rusher, with Hamilton having proven just how effective he can be against the run. “He flashes needed traits as both a one- and two-gapper, but better skill with his hand-fighting could help unlock quicker wins and clearer paths to the quarterback,” Zierlein wrote. “His draft stock could be tied to how teams view his upside as a pass rusher.” Hamilton projects to be an early Day 3 selection, with a shot at sneaking in late on Day 2.

Those 33 reps from Hamilton (6'4/320) are the most of any defensive lineman at the combine, and the fourth most of all players who have participated so far. The defensive tackle was strong for the Buckeyes -- literally and figuratively -- with five sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss in 2019, and also helped plug the line to allow stars like Chase Young go to work. He’s viewed as a mid-round prospect at this point, but if a team believes he can get to the quarterback, it’s not hard to imagine he goes earlier.

Hamilton (6'4/300) did a lot of the dirty work inside the tackles by occupying double-teams and bringing interior pressure that allowed Chase Young to run wild on opposing offenses. He posted 25 tackles, 16 solo, 5.0 sacks and 8.5 TFL this season and has 19 sacks over his Buckeye career. Hamilton has been in the Buckeye program for five years and is viewed as a potential Day 3 selection should he perform well in the CFB playoff and Senior Bowl practices.

The 6-foot-4, 300-pound Hamilton, a natural DT who has the versatility to play DE, went off for three sacks in the spring game at the Horseshoe. “Urban Meyer mentioned [Hamilton a] couple weeks ago as guy having a good spring,” Cleveland.com’s Doug Lesmerises wrote in a tweet during the game.

No word as to exactly when Hamilton underwent surgery, but regardless, his recovery has sidelined him for the spring. This past season, the 6-foot-4, 300-pounder recorded 10 tackles (2.5 for loss) and one fumble recovered over the course of nine games played. Scout.com ranked Hamilton as the No. 54 defensive tackle prospect in the 2015 class.

Hamilton (6'4/300) has seen his playing time limited in part because of the injury and has recorded just eight tackles (2.0 for loss) on the year. This back issue is not the only health concern that the redshirt sophomore has had to deal with since the 2016 season, as he also underwent surgery to repair a broken foot during the offseason.