Omarion Hampton’s Draft Stock Is Soaring. Where Will He Land?

After Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton is the top pick to fly off the board at running back.

Omarion Hampton’s Draft Stock Is Soaring. Where Will He Land?

And his stock is climbing — probably because the masses watched the Super Bowl in February, when Saquon Barkley, a running back, propelled the Philadelphia Eagles to the Promised Land.

FOX Sports‘ Jordan Schultz tweeted this week, “North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton continues to skyrocket up draft boards. One executive I spoke with compared him and Ashton Jeanty to the Bijan Robinson-Jahmyr Gibbs class, saying both will go ‘very early.'”

“Hampton — who’s being lauded for his combination of vision, balance and toughness — visited the Cowboys on Friday. He also has several other visits lined up, following a series of private workouts already completed.”

If that reporting is accurate — it probably is — here’s where Hampton might land, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = top Hampton draft destination).

5. San Francisco 49ers

Pick No. 11

Indeed, the 49ers employ Christian McCaffrey and Isaac Guerendo. But McCaffrey is aging and injury-prone, while Guerendo is unproven. Guerendo could carry an RB1 workload, in theory, but that’s not an ironclad assumption entering his second season.

San Francisco would basically reset the McCaffrey clock by selecting Hampton, employing both men for the next couple of seasons before McCaffey’s contract runs out.

It’s not a hot take to proclaim that Kyle Shanahan prefers to run the rock.

4. Washington Commanders

Pick No. 29

Reaching the NFC Championship rather unexpectedly in 2024, Washington utilized Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler at running back.

That duo obviously did the trick, but imagine Hampton paired with Jayden Daniels in an offense that also added Deebo Samuel this offseason.

Hampton may not fall to No. 29, but if he does, he’d cook in Washington.

3. Chicago Bears

Pick No. 10

D’Andre Swift has never fully taken off anywhere, and his days in Chicago could be numbered.

Bears fans will hold out hope that their 2025 RB1 is Ashton Jeanty, but Hampton would be a sweet consolation prize. Anything to empower Caleb Williams — is the mindset.

New head coach Ben Johnson could even feature Hampton and Swift like his former team, the Detroit Lions, did with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery last season.

2. Dallas Cowboys

Pick No. 12

Javonte Williams signed in Dallas last month, and there’s a world where he’s the Cowboys’ RB1, finally effectuating his lofty 2021 draft stock.

Otherwise, the Cowboys can knock the RB1 spot out of the park — they did no such thing last offseason and later suffered — by drafting Hampton and featuring him with Williams this year.

1. Denver Broncos

Pick No. 20

Hampton to Denver feels like the worst-kept secret from the mock draft community. It just really adds up.

Sean Payton flourished down the stretch of his Saints tenure with Alvin Kamara. Mark Ingram balled out before that with Payton in charge.

Denver is the best fit for Hampton, and No. 20 could be the perfect landing spot, making the Broncos the odds-on favorite to snag Hampton with the draft 2.5 weeks away.

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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the Minnesota Vikings, with 4-7 episodes per week. His NFL obsession dates back to 1989. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL. 

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.