Los Angeles Chargers' head coach Jim Harbaugh loves to run the football, a philosophy that was underlined in Carolina Blue when the organization selected Tarheel RB Omarion Hampton with the 22nd pick in NFL Draft on Thursday.
Listed at 6'0", 221 pounds, Hampton is a bruising back who loves contact while also sporting 4.46 speed at the NFL combine. While Ashton Jeanty went to the Raiders with the 6th pick overall, Hampton could prove to be just as good.
As ESPN noted on draft day, Hampton has some elite stats and stories that demonstrate his power and prowess. Hampton totalled 3,565 total rushing yards in three seasons at UNC (4th most in school history) and is the only Tarheel to ever rush for 15 TD's in two different seasons. A tough runner, he was also the only FBS player with 1000+ yards after contact in both 2023 and 2024.
Perhaps the best tidbit, however, came from his high school coach at Cleveland High (NC), Scott Riley who said, " We let him max out in squat after his sophomore year in high school because the bar would bend if you put anymore weight on it. We didn't have the equipment to handle him."
Hampton may not be as elusive as Jeanty but there is no question he is highly effective and fits Harbaugh and OC Greg Roman's offense perfectly. Given the Charger's stout offensive line and added weapons to the pass game, it won't come as a surprise if he is tearing up the AFC West in the second of half of this season.
