The Los Angeles Chargers are building their identity around Jim Harbaugh—and now they’ve drafted a back who fits it perfectly. With the No. 22 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Chargers selected North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton, a true blend of power, burst, and bell-cow durability.
There were flashier names on the board. There were bigger needs, too. But this wasn’t a splash—it was a foundation. Harbaugh’s entire vision is built on physicality, and Hampton is the type of runner who fits that mold from day one. He’s not a gadget guy. He’s not a part-timer. He’s a workload back with real three-down value.
Omarion Hampton’s game has drawn comparisons to Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, and it’s not hard to see why. Both have a similar frame, run with long strides, and excel at creating yards after contact. Hampton enters the league with more polish in the passing game and is further along in pass protection than Taylor was coming out of Wisconsin.
Hampton gives Harbaugh his ideal workhorse in the backfield
Standing 6-foot, 221 pounds with a 4.46 forty, Hampton brings the same upright, gliding style Taylor had coming out of Wisconsin—but with even better contact balance and pass protection polish. He’s racked up over 3,100 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns the last two seasons while adding nearly 600 receiving yards as a pass-catcher.
There’s nothing finesse about his game, but he’s far from one-dimensional.
While the Chargers signed Najee Harris to a short-term deal this offseason, that move was always more about the short term than the future. Hampton gives the Chargers a legitimate long-term answer at a position that’s been in flux since Austin Ekeler’s departure.
Fans may have wanted something splashier like a receiver. They may have hoped for defensive line help. But after the top targets flew off the board early, the Bolts pivoted to the best fit left for their new head coach—and they didn’t overthink it.
Harbaugh’s system doesn’t work without a tone-setter in the backfield. Now he’s got one.
And just like Taylor helped anchor the Colts’ identity, Hampton could be that same kind of stabilizing force for Harbaugh in LA. The comparison isn’t just stylistic—it’s foundational.
Hampton is a program pick. And in Harbaugh’s world, that makes perfect sense.