Chargers’ Omarion Hampton gamble is too early to classify as mistake

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The Los Angeles Chargers, due to the strange injury bug (or curse?) that seems to chase the team, haven’t gotten an impressive return from first-round rookie running back Omarion Hampton just yet. 

But that doesn't mean Hampton won’t be a breakout star for the Chargers as soon as this postseason and well into 2026. 

That’s why some, such as Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon, have already started telling onlookers to pump the brakes, declaring Hampton as the team’s best young building block: 

“There's a lot of promise with tight end Oronde Gadsden II, but he's made too many mistakes. Hampton has been much less of a liability and was performing steadily before running into a bit of a wall in Week 17. Still, there's no reason to worry about the first-round pick out of North Carolina right now.”

It’s not hard to figure out why outsiders criticized the Chargers for picking Hampton. The devalued nature of the running back spot plays a huge role. There’s a pretty fair perception that most running backs won’t retain strong production and availability far into their second contracts. 

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And already, Hampton has only appeared in nine games due to injury. He’s rushed for 545 yards and four scores on a 4.4 average, true.

But Hampton’s absence allowed the Chargers to find a breakout player with…former sixth-round pick Kimani Vidal. Over 12 games, he’s rushed for 631 yards and three scores on a 4.2 average. 

One could argue that running backs will simply feast to at least a respectable degree when the threat of Justin Herbert is also on the field. 

It doesn’t help that, along the way, the Chargers have suffered injuries at key areas along the offensive line. They felt strongly enough about the lack of pass-rushing production that they went and traded for Odafe Oweh, then coughed up resources to acquire offensive lineman Trevor Penning, too. 

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Again, there’s a valid argument that selecting Hampton was bad value. Look at his draft classmate and AFC West rival Ashton Jeanty with the Las Vegas Raiders right now: He’s rushed for just 888 yards and five scores on a 3.7 average over 16 games. When the 2-14 Raiders finally get back on track, he might be out of his prime. 

The Chargers are contenders right now, of course. And Hampton is a fan favorite for obvious reasons. He’s in a better spot than Jeanty by far and there’s certainly no reason to go back and criticize the pick just yet. 

And who knows? Maybe all future conversations on the topic will be moot if Hampton puts the Chargers on his back in the playoffs while Herbert plays through a fractured non-throwing hand. 

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