Omarion Hampton 2025 NFL Draft Profile

The Chicago Bears are primed to select a running back early in the 2025 NFL Draft. It’s possible that if Ashton Jeanty isn’t there at the tenth spot in the first round, the Bears could look at getting North Carolina back Omarion Hampton.

Hampton is gaining a lot of steam in terms of his positioning in the NFL Draft. It would appear as if he could be a first-round pick, providing nothing negative happens between now and the end of April when the draft takes place. The Bears are clearly in the market for an additional running back to go along with D’Andre Swift so Hampton could be in the mix.

Let’s take a detailed look at this future NFL superstar who just might be a target of the Bears at number ten in the draft.

Measurables

Height-6’0”
Weight-221 pounds
40 Yard Dash Time-4.46 seconds
10 Yard Split Time-1.54 seconds
Vertical Jump-38”

Accolades

AP First-Team All-ACC (2023)
First-Team All-ACC (2023)
Second-Team CBS Sports All-American (2023)
Second-Team Sporting News All-American (2023)
Second-Team AP All-American (2023)
Second-Team AFCA All-American (2023)
Walter Camp First-Team All-American (2023)
Doak Walker Award Finalist (2023)

Player Background

Hampton was born in Clayton, North Carolina, and played his high school ball at Cleveland High School. He comes out of school early entering the 2025 NFL Draft as a junior. Throughout his collegiate career, Hampton has played a total of 38 games during his three years with the Tar Heels. He carried the ball a total of 622 times for an average of 5.7 yards per carry. He rushed for a total of 3,565 yards, and 30 touchdowns while catching the ball 73 times for 373 yards and two scores.

Hampton should benefit from the recent surge in a running back-friendly league. NFL teams are starting to fall in love with running backs again. Hampton will likely take advantage of this.

Positives

With a big body like Hampton’s, he’s a cannonball on legs tearing through the defense to get the necessary yardage. He’s very much in shape and enjoys staying that way. He will plow through would-be tacklers with ease at times and there are moments where it takes an army to bring him down. Hampton has a decent burst and can get through the line in a hurry. He can blast through arm tackles and is tough to bring down. He displays good balance staying on his feet when he gets hit.

Hampton can be a threat out of the backfield in the passing game taking screens and swing passes on with ease. He doesn’t stray away from contact and finishes his runs by punishing the defender. Something very nice about Hampton is that he is a willing blocker in the passing game and isn’t afraid to take on defenders to protect the quarterback. Finally, he sees the field well and can locate holes in the defense.

Negatives

While being a big back is great there are some drawbacks to his size and some of his ability. Hampton is not an incredibly elusive back and isn’t going to outmaneuver too many defenders in the NFL. While he sees the field well, he is a little slow at figuring out how things are developing in front of him so he can miss open lanes. He isn’t a burner; he’s got a quick burst but isn’t going to break away with an extra gear in the second level of the defense. Hampton is also a little slow around the corner and won’t get too much yardage that way.

Another negative about Hampton is that, while he will pass protect, he needs some work on technique to block better. He might get eaten up pass protecting in the NFL although he is an aggressive pass protector. He won’t make a lot of defenders miss. Finally, Hampton will take to the air sometimes when he’s running leaving him open to taking unnecessary body shots. Because of this, he is risking potential injury.

Why The Chicago Bears Should Select Him

Let’s face it, at number ten in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, if Boise State’s Jeanty is available, the Bears should go ahead and get him. He is, after all, the best running back in the draft. But, if they want to run an effective offense and feel that the running back position is as highly valued as we think they do if Hampton is available and Jeanty is gone, they need to grab Hampton. The combination of him and D’Andre Swift would be huge for the Bears. It would give them a one-two punch that would be tough to stop.

Player Comparison

Hampton is like a younger Ezekiel Elliot. He’s got a similar body type and running style. He’s just a little bit better than Elliot was.

Projected Round

Mid-1st Round