The Denver Broncos are primed to take off in the run game in 2025. They could elevate themselves by drafting one of the top backs. Among that group, former North Carolina Tar Heels star Omarion Hampton remains a popular speculative match for the Broncos.
During an appearance on Broncos Super Bowl champion and Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe’s podcast, Hampton addressed that and what kind of player his next team will get.
It all would bode well for the Broncos; if Hampton slides to them, that is.
“A lot of the mock drafts, the latest mock drafts, have you going to the Broncos,” Sharpe told Hampton, tongue-in-cheek, on the “Nightcap” podcast on April 10. “Now, if you need the hookup, I know some people.”
“I wouldn’t be mad at it,” Hampton told Sharpe.
“Whoever pick me, I’ll be happy with. It’s a lot of teams that need a running back. So whoever pick me going to get the best of me, really,” Hampton said. “I kind of don’t look at all the little draft mock drafts and stuff like that.”
The Broncos could use the kind of skill set Hampton touts.
Omarion Hampton Gives Elevator Pitch
GettyOmarion Hampton #28 of the North Carolina Tar Heels tosses the ball after scoring a touchdown against the North Carolina Central Eagles.
Hampton went into greater detail about the kind of player he is and expects to be at the next level.
“I feel like if a team drafts me, they going to get a three-down back. They going to get a guy that plays special teams,” Hampton said. “Everybody can run in this league. So I feel like pass protection is a big thing I key on. I feel like catching out the back field is another thing that I key on. Just learning the defense learning like where the safes are, learning how the linebackers move, and stuff like that. Just different things like all the in-depth stuff like that.”
The Athletic’s Dan Brugler ranked Hampton the No. 29 overall free agent and RB2 in this class.
“A two-year starter at North Carolina, Hampton was the featured back in former offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey’s balanced run attack. He was a beast during the 2023 season and led the ACC in rushing, but it was even more impressive to see him repeat as the conference’s leading rusher in 2024 without Drake Maye (and with defenses selling out to stop the run). He rushed for 100 or more yards in 10 of 12 games in 2024 and set a UNC single-season record with 2,033 all-purpose yards,” Brugler wrote on April 9.
“With his NFL-ready frame, Hampton quickly reads the blocking scheme and collects his feet to accelerate through congestion or press and cut toward slivers of daylight. Once he gets north-south, he will mash the gas pedal into second-level defenders, but sometimes does so at the expense of his balance — and those heavy hits will take their toll over time.”
“Overall, Hampton has only average creativity and is a tad tight in his hips and ankles, but he is a bruising runner with an effective blend of patience, power and speed,” Brugler wrote. “Given his reliability on passing downs, he is a complete player and should start as an NFL rookie.”
Notably, Brugler gave Hampton a first-to-second-round grade, which could bode well for his chances of making it to the Broncos.
Omarion Hampton Name-Drops Former Broncos RB Javonte Williams
GettyJavonte Williams #33 of the Denver Broncos warms up before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Hampton led the ACC in rushing yards in 2023 (1,504 yards) and 2024 (1,660 yards), and in total plays from scrimmage this past season. Hampton also averaged 9.8 yards per reception en route to 338 yards, which should allay concerns the Broncos may have about his relative lack of usage.
He said he draws from a wide range of inspirations and resources in the NFL, including former Broncos back Javonte Williams.
“For me, I like to watch like a lot of guys, take tips off a lot of guys. I feel like Joe Mixon is kind of like a running style that I feel I try to watch. I like [Jahmyrr] Gibbs’ running style, I feel like Bijan [Robinson] is going to be crazy in the future – I feel like [I watch] all those guys, really. Saquon [Barkley]. I feel like [I watch] everybody,” Hampton said.
“Jovante, Michael Carter, Ty Chandler. I feel like even Natrone Means, I feel like those are all my guys.
Williams signed with the Dallas Cowboys in free agency.
“I can talk to them whenever I need to,” Hampton said. “They help me out with stuff I need too – I take tips off them too. So I feel like, yeah, they’re always a connection for me.”
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