Chargers select Omarion Hampton: Instant analysis of LA's first-round pick

Chris Roling | Apr 24, 2025

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Los Angeles Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers started their trip to the 2025 NFL draft with one of the biggest bangs possible in the form of North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton.

One of the most wished-for picks for the Chargers at No. 22, Hampton was by far one of the best ways for Jim Harbaugh and Co. to make the offense around Justin Herbert more explosive.

Last year alone, Hampton ran for 1,660 yards and 15 touchdowns on a 5.9 per-carry average. And the year before that? With fewer attempts, he still rushed for 1,504 yards and 15 touchdowns on the same per-carry average.

Upon arrival, Hampton forms a nasty one-two punch with Najee Harris in the Greg Roman-coordinated offense.

The Chargers were bemused last year with the injury woes for Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins, plus Kimani Vidal’s struggles in pass protection.

Experts like NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, though, don’t stress too much about these areas: “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.”

Some fans might bemoan the team going away from some of the wide receivers who were still on the board. But the Chargers clearly feel strongly about Mike Williams returning to space the offense for Ladd McConkey—never mind whatever else they might do with their remaining draft picks.

For now, Hampton is an obviously excellent pick that will fire up the fanbase—and Herbert’s offense.