Bear Digest

The difference for Bears between Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton

A closer look at the difference between the top two backs through the top names among media scouts, and the one flashing warning light on Ashton Jeanty.
Gene Chamberlain|
Ashton Jeanty's ability to make tacklers miss or break tackles has become the stuff of legends.
Ashton Jeanty's ability to make tacklers miss or break tackles has become the stuff of legends. | Brian Losness-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The difference between running back Ashton Jeanty and others at this position in the 2025 NFL Draft can be seen on highlight reels, although it can also be determined just as easily by reading descriptions from the top draft analysts.

If the Chicago Bears and GM Ryan Poles have the chance to select Jeanty, these descriptions make it very clear why they should do it at No. 10. In fact, they even suggest it's worthwhile to trade up to do it.

The next-best option at this position is generally regarded as North Carolina's Omarion Hampton. None of the NFL big boards listing talent according to rank have him in the top 10. He would be a back the Bears would most likely try to move back in order to select, if they considered this position important to fill with first-round level talent.

The descriptions of Jeanty by NFL media's Daniel Jeremiah, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., The Athletic's Dane Brugler and Pro Football Focus' Trevor Sikkema all follow the same trend.

They are laced with superlatives when describing the way Jeanty runs with the ball, while they are merely complimentary when talking about Hampton.

An 'incredible' running back

Jeremiah uses the words "unique," "miraculous," "incredible," in describing the Boise State standout's skill set.

Hampton has "enough speed," is "impressive," and "effective," according to Jeremiah.

While Kiper's descriptions stick more to facts, he does say Jeanty has "excellent contact balance and toughness," and eventually concludes he can be a "true all-purpose back in the NFL."

Hampton, who is obviously more of a power-oriented back than Jeanty, is a "dependable rusher," with an "impressive blend of power and balance."

Brugler referred to Jeanty's "uncanny" ability to keep moving through contact, referring to it as staying "afloat." One key fact he used in this description was fairly definitive. Jeanty forced 151 missed tackles, "...57 more than the No. 2 player on the list."

Brugler doesn't shortchange Hampton when it comes to breakaway ability, although he has a definite special tone to his description of Jeanty.

Hampton's speed/power combination and 4.46-second speed for the 40. "And once he sees daylight, he's gone," Brugler wrote about Hampton.

A good summary

Again, Pro Football Focus' description of Jeanty is with an abundance of special terms, but perhaps a sentence borrowed from each description sums it up best.

"He is a first-round offensive weapon who can succeed behind any blocking scheme," they said of Jeanty.

As for Hampton: "He can be a productive slasher type of runner behind zone schemes, but his overall vision could make him a boom-or-bust producer, depending on his offensive line."

Basically, Hampton is largely tied to his blocking. Jeanty will be a threat regardless of blocking.

The rankings say it all, as all four scouting sources put Jeanty among the top five players in the draft. In an era when running backs rarely gain much traction, this is impressive. As for Hampton, both Daniel and Kiper rate him 14th oveall, PFF has him 28th and Brugler doesn't even rate him a first-rounder at No. 36, one behind Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson.

Ashton Jeanty's warning light

Comparisons aside, there is one very good reason teams should be careful in assessing what they see in Jeanty. It's something plenty of NFL teams will take into consideration.

Jeanty, who was second in Heisman voting, carried the ball 374 times last year when he gained 2,601 yards. It was an incredible display in ability and durability. He had 750 carries in three seasons for Boise State.

It's often described as a car. The mileage matters. While he did have only 220 carries in 2023, that's still a good load of work. Hampton had 93 fewer carries last year and 128 fewer carries for his career.

NFL.com's Eric Edholm has eight backs ranked in the top 100 players this year. Of them, Arizona State's Cam Skattebo and Ohio State's Quinshon Judkins were the only ones close for total carries to Jeanty. Judkins had 739 carries in three years, but his load was lessened greatly in his final season at Ohio State when he had just 194 carries after 545 carries in his first two years at Mississippi. Skattebo's 709 carries came over four years time, two each at Sacramento State and Arizona State.

Add in the 80 receptions Jeanty made and the workload toward the end of his college career becomes a particular concern.

Comps to other backs

Of the top backs, Jeanty draws numerous style comparisons.

"Well you know, everybody as of lately has been saying I'm a more explosive Emmitt Smith, so I'm going to go with that," Jeanty said, laughing, during Super Bowl week.

Others have seen him like Alvin Kamara or LaDainian Tomlinson, while they've compared Hampton to Jonathan Taylor, Deuce McAllister or a faster version of David Montgomery.

The Bears would find good use for any and all of them but would do best to look at the tread on that tire first.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.