(Editor's Note: While the start of the 2025 NFL Draft isn't until late April, it's never too early to profile some of the key participants. The staff of DallasCowboys.com intends to preview the landscape of the draft's top prospects, with an emphasis on possible Cowboys draft picks – from the first round to the last. Today's featured player is North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton.)
- Name: Omarion Hampton
- Position: Running back
- College: North Carolina
- Height/Weight: 6' / 221
- Did You Know? Hampton is North Carolina through and through, attending Cleveland High School in before heading to his in-state home, and bringing a North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year and Mr. Football award with him to Chapel Hill. He finished his collegiate career as the 9th all-time leading rusher in program history with 2,911 yards, and the sixth most career rushing touchdowns with 30
Where He's Projected:
A lot of people have Hampton as the second best running back in the class behind Boise State's Ashton Jeanty. With the draft inching closer, projections see Hampton going in the mid-to-late first round, with the potential to sneak back into the early parts of the second round.
How He Helps the Cowboys:
Hampton would immediately provide a plug-and-play, three down back for the Cowboys that embodies the physical style of play that Brian Schottenheimer wants to install in his scheme. He's got good contact balance and is more than willing to meet defenders in gaps, using his larger frame for the position to keep his legs churning and pick up the extra couple of yards on early down to keep the offense on schedule, as well as what's needed in short yardage situations.
A 4.46 40-yard dash at the combine was a solid time, but Hampton isn't going to be a breakaway runner that can outrun everyone in the open field. That's not necessarily a knock, however, because his sheer size and play strength make up for his lack of home-run speed, and Dallas has plenty of speed elsewhere on the roster to make up for it.
Dallas already has a pair of backs in Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders that can lighten the load for Hampton if he needs some time to develop at the start of his career, but it likely wouldn't take long for him to emerge as the top running back option.
Final Thoughts:
In Hampton, you're not going to get an elite cutter who can jump around defenders with cuts left and right. He needs to do a better job of seeing the play develop in front of him and utilizing his blockers instead of running into them but has the adequate footwork to be able to get out of a phone booth if necessary.
The biggest area of growth that will help Hampton see the field more is improving in pass protection. For a guy his stature, he's got a high ceiling in terms of what he can do in that department, but there's still work to be done.
All in all, the Cowboys would likely only pick up Hampton in a trade-back scenario in the first round. This team is in need of a bell cow, and Hampton has a good chance to check that box if he's the pick.
2025 ÃÛÌÒTV Star Magazine Draft Guide
Never fear, the OFFICIAL 2025 ÃÛÌÒTV Star Magazine Draft Guide is here. Inside you'll find positional breakdowns for the team as well as in-depth scouting reports on more than 100 incoming rookies and over 500 players ranked overall. Also featured will be our look back 50 years to the famed Dirty Dozen draft of 1975, a profile on local product and budding running back superstar Ashton Jeanty and, of course, our annual first-round mock draft. Do the draft the Cowboys way with the 2025 ÃÛÌÒTV Star Magazine Draft Guide!
