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The Los Angeles Chargers sifted through what was still available at the No. 22 pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday night, carefully deciding their move, before selecting North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton.
Early on in the draft process, Hampton was seen as a great fit for the Chargers, but as a second-round pick. But through the process, he began to fly up draft boards, and with the rejuvenation of the running back position, led by what Saquon Barkley did for the Philadelphia Eagles last season, teams began looking at him as a first-round pick.
The Chargers needed more firepower at running back. Whether they needed that in the first round or not is debatable.
Depth at running back was seen as one of the best parts of this draft class. The Chargers thought long and hard, taking up the entire clock, before selecting Hampton. But it's obvious what he brings to the team. He is a physical, downhill runner who fits what Jim Harbaugh likes to do, which is to beat you up in the trenches and run the ball down your throat.
One of the underlying storylines with this pick is the fact that nearly every mock draft written in the past two weeks had the Denver Broncos taking Hampton at No. 20. Denver passed on him in favor of Jahdae Barron and they now go from the team predicted to draft Hampton to one who has to face him twice per year.
The Chargers spent a little over $9 million to bring in Najee Harris this offseason and the selection of Hampton has been characterized as counter-productive to that signing. However, behind Harris, the Chargers had only Kimani Vidal, Jaret Patterson and Hassan Haskins on the roster.
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The Chargers seemed a bit indecisive when their pick came up and there were reports out there that the team was fielding calls from teams looking to move into the pick. They may have been thrown for a bit of a loop when Colston Loveland, a player many thought would be the Chargers' top option in this class, went to the Chicago Bears at No. 10.
Still, there is plenty of value with this pick. The Chargers get a running back who fits what they do like a glove. He will be the perfect option to spell the veteran Harris and he provides upside as a receiver out of the backfield.
There isn't much to dislike here.
Grade: A-
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