The Kansas City Chiefs, yet again, didn’t appear to make a big investment in the secondary this offseason. They added two Day 3 rookies in the 2020 NFL draft along with some undrafted free agents following it. They returned Bashaud Breeland, who will be suspended to start the first four games of the season.
The lone free-agent acquisition at the position was Antonio Hamilton, a fifth-year veteran who has played just 200 defensive snaps in his career. The unheralded product out of South Carolina State impressed the Chiefs’ evaluators on special teams. In fact, Dave Toub believes he’s the best gunner they currently have on the team. However, Hamilton isn’t just going to play special teams in Kansas City. He has emerged as someone with the positional versatility to fill in at every position in the secondary. Outside corner, nickel and even safety — Hamilton has earned repetitions at each spot during the course of training camp.
“I can appreciate Coach Spags and Coach (Dave) Merritt and in the entire defensive side for just giving me the opportunity, number one,” Hamilton told reporters on Monday. “And secondly, they see that I can pick up on the defense very fast, which is a very difficult defense I would have to say, compared to the other defenses I’ve been in. Not knocking any of those defenses, but this is very detailed and very specific, and they see with me being able to be very versatile that they’re trying to put me in all the spots on the backfield. So, I’m just open, I’m prepared and they’re doing a great job with preparing me for every position that they think that I could best contribute to the defense.”
Chiefs secondary coach Sam Madison likened Hamilton’s role to that of ex-Chiefs DB Kendall Fuller. During training camp, it seems the speed of the practice have allowed Hamilton to get the repetitions to feel comfortable when asked to play a number of different roles on defense.
“Coach Reid’s offense is amazing,” Hamilton said. “The speed and the amount of reps that we are able to obtain in the different periods at practice is just crazy, like his speed and how the offense works that we get a lot of work in, and so I’m able to get 10 reps in corner, 10 reps at nickel, 10 reps at safety because we get so many reps in that I’m able to get as much repetition at every spot. So, I’m learning and I’m able to make a mistake and get it corrected and then still able to go out and put it on tape and performing in a way that best benefits the defense.”
This also isn’t the first time that Hamilton has been asked to play multiple spots either. Working under current Seahawks DC Ken Norton Jr. early in his career in Oakland, Hamilton was asked to play all over the secondary. That experience gave him some confidence to step in and play multiple positions as needed with the Chiefs.
“Most definitely, it shows that I’m very versatile because I can cover anybody that they put out there where it’s big, small, quick, fast or slow,” Hamilton boasted. “Even when I was in the system with Coach Norton, Ken Norton Jr. who’s now in Seattle, who was in Oakland with me my first two years. I played both corner and nickel and occasionally they would sprinkle me in at safety a little bit, and even back to college, I did corner, nickel and safety, everything.”
At the end of the day, Hamilton wants to do whatever it takes to help the team win games. He’s the ultimate utility player in the secondary and even on special teams. If it means playing as the No. 1 gunner, he’ll do it. If it means playing any variety of the three roles on the back end, he’s fully committed to making an impact when he’s on the field.
“I can really appreciate Coach Spags, and the entire defensive side for using me in such a way and whatever best fits them,” Hamilton said. “To think that me being out on the field in a certain time or certain package is going to help us win, then I’m going to make sure that I put my best foot forward.”
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