The Los Angeles Chargers, heading into the 2026 campaign, have almost endless reasons to be excited about their offensive outlook.
There are the obvious factors— most notably, the potential for a major leap from Justin Herbert. But it's hard to argue that an Omarion Hampton breakout in his sophomore season isn't one of the most exciting storylines for the Chargers (if not the entire NFL) this season.
Hampton struggled with an ankle injury as a rookie that limited him to just nine games. But he managed to post impressive production when he was healthy, even in Greg Roman's relatively limited offense. He has the burst and the athleticism to be a real weapon under Mike McDaniel's outside-zone run scheme in 2026.
Any time a team spends a first-round pick on a running back, though, the expectations for high-caliber production come pretty immediately. While Hampton seems poised to achieve that, the pressure will be on him as he enters the second year of his rookie contract.
There's not a lot of room to argue the Chargers made a mistake with the Hampton pick (at least not yet). But Bleacher Report's recent 2025 NFL Re-Draft poses, at the very least, a interesting thought experiment. What could Los Angeles have gained if they waited until Day 2 to pick up a running back?
The Omarion Hampton pick is worth reflecting on, even if we don't yet know the dividends it will pay
As outlined above, there's more than enough reason to believe Hampton can make the leap in his second year. He posted 4.4 yards-per-carry in 2025, leading to a rushing success rate of 46.8%. In a scheme much better-suited to his skill-set, these numbers will likely increase.
But Gary Davenport, in his re-draft, makes in intriguing point. If Los Angeles had selected a running back in the second or third round, would their offense still have the same potency?
"Were the team to pass on Omarion Hampton in this re-draft, you can bet the rent that the Bolts would be looking to draft a running back on Day 2—because the depth chart in the backfield would be—rough... Give Jim Harbaugh say Quinshon Judkins, and he'll be fine—especially if it means an already-solid Chargers defense can address a potential weak spot with safety Xavier Watts." Gary Davenport, Bleacher Report
Obviously, the gap between Hampton and Quinshon Judkins in terms of long-term potential is pretty wide. But Judkins just rounded off an excellent rookie campaign with the Cleveland Browns, in which he posted 827 yards and seven rushing touchdowns across 14 games.
The alternative pick that Davenport proposes— Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate Xavier Watts— is also an interesting thought. Watts was one of the best coverage safeties in the league even as a rookie for the Atlanta Falcons, and he posted an absurd 96 combined tackles in 2025. If the Chargers were to pair him with Derwin James in their secondary, they would immediately form one of the best safety duos in the league.
There were a number of other top defensive prospects available in that range as well. Malaki Starks, Jihaad Campbell, and Carson Schwesinger were all there for the taking.
Would that have been worth sacrificing Hampton's long-term upside for a more short-term gamble at running back?
In a way, that's a more philosophical question for the NFL as a whole. For the Chargers specifically, the success of the Hampton pick will depend upon what he can do over the remainder of his rookie contract.
As of now, it's far too early to make any claims that Los Angeles would've been better off with a prospect like Watts.
Add us as a preferred source on Google