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Chicago Bears snag star running back not named Ashton Jeanty in latest 2025 mock draft from NFL Network

The Chicago Bears are expected to address running back in the early rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, and in the latest mock draft from NFL Network, Poles pulls a shocker at No. 10 overall.
Bryan Perez|
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It's not a matter of if the Chicago Bears will select a running back in the 2025 NFL Draft; it's a matter of when.

That 'when' could be as early as the first round, especially if Boise State superstar Ashton Jeanty slides to the No. 10 pick. But, what if he doesn't? Will GM Ryan Poles use one of his two second-round picks on a player like Ohio State's TreyVeon Henderson or Iowa's Kaleb Johnson?

According to NFL Network draft analyst Bucky Brooks' latest 2025 mock draft, the answer is no. Instead, Poles still uses his first-round pick on a running back: North Carolina's Omarion Hampton.

Yep. Brooks has two running backs getting drafted in the first 10 picks.

"Ben Johnson's immense success with a two-back rotation in Detroit could prompt Chicago to expend its top pick on a physical runner to partner with the dynamic D'Andre Swift," Brooks wrote.

Short, sweet, and to the point.

North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton (RB09) during the 2025 NFL Combine
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Hampton, meanwhile, isn't short, and he isn't sweet when he runs. Instead, he's a 6-foot, 221-pound runaway train who, two or three years from now, we could look back and wonder how he wasn't the highest-rated running back in this year's draft.

I know, I know. Jeanty is a special prospect. And this isn't meant to suggest he won't have a special NFL career. But Hampton should not be dismissed as an All-Pro caliber talent. If he lands in Chicago, he'd supplant Swift as the Bears' primary running back by the end of training camp.

"High-volume battering ram with a three-ingredient recipe of size, strength and aggression," NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote in Hampton's scouting report. "Hampton is a linear runner lacking creativity and wiggle, but once the gas is engaged, he runs like a downhill truck whose brake lines have been cut. He has the base, balance and power to batter tacklers and reignite runs after contact but he fails to recognize alternative run lanes that offer easier paths and more yardage. He needs to work on his pass protection but can create positive plays on swing passes and screens. Hampton is a tone-setting future starter who can handle a heavy workload, but he absorbs rare levels of heavy contact that could create durability or longevity issues if he doesn’t learn to pick and choose his battles."

While this may be a very unpopular opinion, I'd almost prefer the Bears end up with Hampton over Jeanty in the first round. He's the kind of running back this team needs: a dude capable of grinding the clock and setting a tone on offense. Chicago doesn't need flash; they need a bully. And that's Omarion Hampton.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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