Former North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton, a projected first-round pick in next week's NFL Draft, reacted warmly to the growing consensus that he will land with the Denver Broncos, who hold the 20th overall selection.
"I wouldn't be mad at it," Hampton said with a smile during a recent appearance on The Nightcap, a show co-hosted by Broncos legend Shannon Sharpe.
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A two-time first-team All-American, Hampton totaled 3,565 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns across 38 games for the Tar Heels, adding four receiving scores. He averaged a career 5.7 yards per carry on 622 totes, and 138.3 ground yards per game in 2024.
Hampton (6-0, 221) met with the Broncos at February's NFL Scouting Combine where he posted a 4.46 forty, 38-inch vertical jump, and 10-foot, 10-inch broad jump. The North Carolina native is ranked as the arguable No. 2 RB in this year's class, drawing comparisons to current Patriots starter Rhamondre Stevenson.
"High-volume battering ram with a three-ingredient recipe of size, strength and aggression," NFL.com's Lance Zierlein noted in his scouting profile. "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 they could go in various directions on Day 1, Hampton has been an overwhelmingly popular mock selection for the Broncos, with national outlets such as Sports Illustrated and NFL Network all but writing his name on the draft card.
"Denver's running backs ranked in the bottom six in PFF rushing grade and yards after contact per attempt among NFL teams in 2024," Pro Football Focus' Dalton Wasserman wrote on March 31. "During his past two seasons in Chapel Hill, Hampton earned an elite 93.9 PFF rushing grade while trailing only Ashton Jeanty in yards after contact. The Broncos could go about improving their offense in several ways in this draft. A workhorse back would fit in nicely behind their excellent offensive line."
