With the 22nd pick in the NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Chargers select Omarion Hampton!
Those words echoed throughout the draft in Green Bay, washing away Najee Harris’ fantasy value with it. This doesn’t mean that Harris won’t have any role or relevance at all.
The Roman Road – RB opportunity under Greg Roman vs. 2024
Last season, in his 13 games, JK Dobbins averaged 14.8 fantasy points per game. That would have ranked 17th among qualified RBs. Meanwhile, Gus Edwards averaged 5.8 fppg. That’s not nearly as lucrative-sounding a role for Harris, but when tracking opportunity, there’s plenty of room for both to carve out relevant roles for managers.
In Greg Roman’s previous three stints as a play-caller, his teams have ranked 1st, 1st, and 3rd in team rush attempts. What does that mean? Slap Hampton on the hiney and send him slicing through opposing defenses like the Rohirrim at the Pelennor fields in “Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.” Ride now! Riders of Hampton!
Last season, the Chargers’ primary running backs saw usage worth 19.9 xFP/game. Dobbins’ role was worth 13.3 xFP/g as the lead back, averaging:
- 15 rush attempts per game, including nearly 2 red zone rushes per game.
- Almost 3 targets per game, with almost all of them coming outside of the red zone.
Last season, Dobbins saw 42% of the Chargers’ carries in the backfield and 8% of the team targets, while Edwards commanded 22% of the rushes and 1% of the targets.
Dobbins, coming out of Ohio State, didn’t profile as a prolific pass catcher, but had capable hands. Hampton, who is expected to fill the Dobbins role, boasts a strong pass-catching profile.
Each season, Hampton saw his routes per game, receiving yards per game, target rate, and Y/RR all increase each season. His final season with the Tar Heels saw Hampton become a weapon in the passing game, utilizing his size, fluidity, and acceleration to average nearly 2 avoided tackles per game as a receiver. Nearly 10% of his receptions went for at least 5 yards.
Harris, who has 180 receptions across his four-year career, is a more than capable pass-catcher, unlike the departed Edwards. His usage in the pass game in Pittsburgh fell with the emergence of Jaylen Warren, but Najee still commanded almost 50 targets in 3 of his 4 seasons, and he never caught fewer than 75% of his passes.
So why is Najee not a threat to Hampton?
This is simple. Hampton is a faster, more explosive runner than Harris. He’s younger than Harris, and the Chargers spent pick 22 to add him to the backfield. In other words, he’s better and more talented than Harris.
Standing 6′ tall and weighing just over 220 pounds with a blistering 4.46 40, Hampton’s a menace in the backfield. Plus, despite the obvious perspective distortion, this picture is hilarious and shows how massive a man Hampton is.
Ranking behind only Jeanty in this class, Hampton has elite contact balance and offers a unique blend of patience, power, and speed.
With history as our guide, we see that rarely does a first-round RB not get handed the keys to the backfield.
Harris’ career has consisted of high-volume, low-efficiency, which often made him a touchdown-reliant back to roster. With a career success rate on rushes just north of 46%, including 43% in 2024 (league average of 49.6%), he just doesn’t present to be anything more than a change of pace back that will be a seamless upgrade over what was left of Edwards.
Hampton is currently being valued as the RB14 in best ball drafts, according to Underdog.
