Omarion Hampton NFL Draft Profile: College Stats, 40 Time, Combine Results, Top Comps

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In a generational running back class, some are pointing to Omarion Hampton from the North Carolina Tar Heels as their favorite option among it.

Hampton had a hyper-effective year to help the Heels deal with the loss of Drake Maye, which produced a rather non-functional passing game.

He's a larger back that showed a three-down skillset in college, and unlike Ashton Jeanty, we saw him work out at the NFL Scouting Combine on March 1st.

Is it crazy to put Hampton as the RB1 in the class? Will he be a first-round pick? Let's dive in.

Note: All stats and rankings come via Pro Football Focus (PFF) and PlayerProfiler.com.

Omarion Hampton NFL Draft Key Information

College: North Carolina

Age: 21.9

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 221

40-Yard Dash: 4.46

Vertical Leap: 38"

Bench Press: 18 reps

Broad Jump: 10'10"

3-Cone: N/A

Shuttle: 4.4

Size-Adjusted Speed: 111.7 (93rd percentile)

Games Played: 38

2024 Rush Attempts: 281

2024 Rushing Yards: 1,660

2024 Rushing Touchdowns: 15

2024 Receptions: 38

2024 Targets: 43

2024 Receiving Yards: 373

2024 Receiving Touchdowns: 2

Omarion Hampton Top Comparables

Omarion Hampton Scouting Report

Strengths

Tremendous patience behind the line of scrimmage. Waits for blocks to develop
Incredible contact balance and core strength for an upright rusher
Impossible to bring down with one tackler
Smooth, natural pass-catcher with top-shelf instincts after the catch
Sudden, small moves to elude oncoming defenders

Weaknesses

Plays slower than his 40-yard dash on tape. Lacks a second gear to beat you off the edge
Vision to identify the right gap can be inconsistent
Not going to make guys outright miss in space
Unlike similar size and speed comps, route tree is basically non-existent. Screens and flats only.
250+ carries in consecutive seasons is suboptimal for a slightly older back

A WCFF All-American as a true sophomore, Omarion Hampton returned for his final required year and absolutely dominated ACC competition.

He mowed over defenders for a 128.1 elusiveness rating and 4.35 yards after contact per attempt, per Pro Football Focus (PFF). The end result? A second straight season averaging just south of six yards per carry (5.9).

Hampton is a bigger back that will shed through blocks and feels impossible to bring down one-on-one. His upright-yet-mighty running style is incredibly similar to that of Joe Mixon's, but Mixon was significantly more polished in the passing game as one of the best prospects ever in that regard.

I honestly thought he was utilized too little in UNC's passing game given their deficit at quarterback. When asked to catch passes in the flat, his hands are extremely reliable, and he makes great decisions with the ball in space to pick up yards.

There won't be much creativity with the 220-pound back, but he doesn't really need it. It was stunning to see him run a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash because one of the things you see frequently is him getting chased down. He plays slower than that, but it's not poor speed.

A Le'Veon Bell comp has to be included for size, speed, and how patient he is waiting for blocks to develop, but at this point, he's not always choosing correctly. For what it's worth, Bell didn't in college, either. He's also much harder to tackle, yet Bell's usage as a receiver is also not a feature of Hampton's at present.

The comparisons speak to how ready Hampton is to assume a three-down workload in the NFL. Because of the sample size and level of competition, I wouldn't fault anyone for ranking him as this class's RB1. If I were a GM, I'm just a bit worried about the mileage and top-end speed to invest a first-round pick when the position is loaded in this draft class.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.

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