T
he Los Angeles Chargers almost have everybody from their rookie class signed. On May 16, the franchise announced that it came to terms with first round draft pick, Omarion Hampton, on his rookie deal, officially making him a member of the team. With Hampton now signed, the Chargers have signed eight out of their nine draft picks– with wide receiver Tre Harris the lone unsigned pick remaining.
First reported by Fox Sports insider, Jordan Schultz, Hampton’s contract is a standard four-year deal, with a fifth year option included, and is worth around $17.8 million with a $9.56 signing bonus. Only the second running back taken in the draft, Hampton’s contract has a sizable AVV– earning him nearly $4.5 million per season of the deal.
Hampton’s Expected Role This Season
Even though the Chargers signed Najee Harris to a one year deal, drafting Hampton with the 22nd overall pick shows that the franchise expects him to have a big role as a rookie. Starting in 38 games for North Carolina– with his best season coming as a junior when he carried the ball 281 times for 1,660 yards, Hampton has experience with a high workload and could benefit greatly from a timeshare with Harris out of the gate. But, with Harris only signed for this season, Hampton could end up as the lone starter in 2026 and if Harris’ performance is not up to par, he could even take over the starting role this season.
All throughout the draft process, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh did not shy away about his interest in Hampton, with the team rejecting multiple trade offers for that No. 22 pick. And since joining the team, Hampton has expressed that same excitement about getting to play for a legendary coach in Harbaugh.
“It’s been great just getting to know him and everything,” Hampton said about Harbaugh on The Jim Rome Show. “We know he’s going to run the ball, he’s decided to run the ball and it’s something he wants to do. He did it all his career, so I’m just excited to get started.”
Hampton’s Career Thus Far
One of the best running backs in college football during his time in Chapel Hill, it was no surprise that Hampton went into the draft as one of the more highly touted prospects. Ranked No. 2 in the nation with over 3,000 rushing yards the last couple of seasons, Hampton was the only ball carrier in the entire nation– including Ashton Jeanty– to record at least 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns in each of his final two seasons and earned First-Team All-American and First-Team All-ACC honors in both 2023 and 2024.
By the time he left UNC, he possessed two out of the three 1,500 yard rushing seasons in program history, and is ranked No. 4 all-time in rushing yards for UNC football and No.3 in touchdowns. A finalist for the Doak Walker Award in both 2023 and 2024, the award for the nation’s best running back, Hampton was the highest drafted Tar Heel running back since 1971.
Now, Hampton gets the chance to write the next chapter of his career with a team that is coming off of an 11-6 season– its most wins in a season since 2018. And if he is able to live up to the hype, he could be the key in the Chargers winning their first playoff game since that 2018 season.
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