The night before Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Chargers held a gathering at a restaurant in El Segundo.

Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz was there, as was Head Coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff, the entire scouting and personnel team and several other departments within the Bolts front office.

The event was to celebrate months of hard work and commitment that would culminate over the next three days beginning with the No. 22 overall pick, which the Chargers held in the first round.

"It's a cool thing to just bring people together," Chargers assistant general manager Chad Alexander said of the get together. "After going through the process and debating with each other about this player or that player in our draft meetings, we're still all in this thing together. It always comes from a good place. Everyone was excited. You look around at each other and it's like, 'We're going to go all in this weekend!'"

As he mingled about at the get together, Alexander couldn't shake a premonition thatOmarion Hamptonwas going to end up as a Los Angeles Charger the next night.

Alexander, of course, knew that the uber-talented and productive North Carolina running back might not even be available at No. 22 overall.

Others in the front office felt the same way.

"You hope," said James MacPherson, aChargers regional scoutwhose area includes North Carolina.

"But there was no certainty and no guarantee because other teams are looking at the same film and same things we're looking at," MacPherson added. "I felt like he was an elite player, and those guys usually go early."

Even so, Alexander simply had a hunch and wanted to find a way to pass the intuition along to Hortiz.

Alexander was slated to give Hortiz a ride back to the team facility after the event and figured that was as good a time as ever.

"We were at the restaurant and I was thinking, 'OK, how can I tell Joe this?' But he actually brought Hampton up on the way home first," Alexander recalled with a laugh.

"I was dropping him off back at the facility and said, 'I think it's going to be Hampton.' We all just loved him," Alexander added.

Roughly 24 hours later, the Chargers turned in a card that made Hampton their first-round pick in 2025.

"When it was him, we were thrilled," Alexander said.

"Fired up to get him," Hortiz said in a press conference after the first round.

Over the past few weeks, Chargers.com spoke to various scouts within the Bolts front office for a deep dive on Hampton as a player and a person.

Here's the inside story of how Hampton ended up in powder blue.

'Who the heck is that?'

Let's go back to the beginning.

MacPherson's region is made up of eight states Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and New York meaning he must be strategic on how he handles school visits and which games to attend.

As fate would have it, MacPherson was in Chapel Hill on August 27, 2022, to watch North Carolina open the season against Florida A&M.

It was the veryfirst college game for Hampton, a four-star prospect who played high school ball roughly 50 miles from UNC.

Hampton's first impression on MacPherson was a notable one as the running back scampered for 101 yards with two touchdowns in his college debut. It was the first time a UNC true freshman had hit 100 rushing yards in his first college game since 1946.

"He was a true freshman, and they were already excited about him," MacPherson said. "He kind of stood out and I was like, 'Alright, I'm going to be following this guy.'

"I was scouting some of the older players but even as a true freshman he looked like he was a junior," MacPherson added. "You're looking at a line and it's like, 'Who the heck is that?' He was one of the biggest, strongest-looking backs they had."

MacPherson later caught two of Hampton's games in 2023 when the running back was a sophomore.

Hampton scored twice in the 2023 season opener against South Carolina and rumbled for 234 yards and three touchdowns on just 26 carries the following week against Appalachian State.

"You star those guys," MacPherson said of his scouting process.

Alexander also saw Hampton play in 2023 when he was the Director of Player Personnel for the New York Jets.

Hampton went off against Miami that October night as he racked up 217 total yards and three scores, including 197 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

By the end of the 2023 season, and even into the spring of 2024, everybody in the NFL scouting world knew about the rising running back from North Carolina.

A season with 1,504 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns will do that.

But Hampton also wasn't eligible for the draft yet, and scouts also wanted to see if he could replicate that success again in 2024.

A repeat performance

North Carolina spent much of the 2023 season as a Top 25 ranked team.

Experts credited their strong season to quarterback Drake Maye, who threw for 3,608 yards and 24 scores and went on to be the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

As Hampton geared up for his junior season, many wondered how Hampton would fare without a surefire first-round pick at quarterback next to him in the backfield.

"When a team has a big-time quarterback like Drake Maye, who could throw it all over the field, defenses are going to kind of try to defend that," MacPherson said. "So, they're going to probably play some extra defenders in coverage to basically stop the pass, and that probably opened up some more run lanes, lighter boxes on defense for Omarion to run through."

With Maye in New England, Hampton thrived as the focal point of the Tar Heel's offense.

He matched his rushing touchdown total (15) from the season before but had more rushing yards (1,660) and more yards from scrimmage (2,033) all while North Carolina rotated at quarterback after Max Johnson, the starter to open the season, was lost for the year in Week 1 with a leg injury.

Add it up and Hampton actually tallied more 100-yard games as a junior (10) than he did as a sophomore (eight).

Hampton had 1,726 total yards as a sophomore, which accounted for 27 percent of UNC's offense. That output shot up to 38.5 percent last season when he tallied 2,033 of the offense's 5,287 yards.

Hortiz compared the two seasons unprompted at his press conference after the Chargers selected him at No. 22 overall.

"I go back to last year when I was evaluating Drake Maye and other players in North Carolina in the Fall. He stood out back then," Hortiz said. "There was just this big physical runner with breakaway speed and punishing people and making guys miss. It was like, 'Wow, this is a heck of a back.'

"And to watch him do it again this year two years of production, durability, high character, work ethic off the charts everything about him, that's what makes him stand out," Hortiz added.

Hampton, who averaged exactly 5.9 yards per carry in each of his final two seasons in college, made the same impression on others, too.

"I factored it in a lot," Alexander said. "You have to factor in not only who he's playing against but also who he's playing with. The year before, he was playing with a top five quarterback and was extremely productive.

"This past season he was the focal point of the offense and found a way to be productive," Alexander added. "You turn on the tape every time and see the same thing. That's just a credit to him."

MacPherson said: "That also checked another box for us in terms of, 'Hey, was it just the quarterback?' No, this guy had back-to-back productive years with and without an NFL quarterback.

"To be honest, I would say he had a better year [in 2024] because he had to run against some heavier boxes and probably break a few more tackles than he did in the past," MacPherson added.

All eyes on Hampton

The scouting process for an NFL prospect is about more than on-field production, of course.

That's the starting point, to be sure, and it's an area Hampton excelled at as he put up gaudy stats during his time at North Carolina.

"When you watch him, he's physical, he's explosive, he's tough, he's got great balance, he's got excellent speed, gets outside, finishes long runs, breaks off long runs," Hortiz said. "When you watch him in the secondary, he just lowers the shoulder and runs through tackles he also has value as a pass receiver."

Hortiz later added: "A three-down back. And probably a four-down back."

Alexander couldn't agree more.

"This is a grown man's sport, and he plays the game like a grown man. That's probably the highest compliment you can give to a back like him," Alexander said. "He has a style that is tailor-made for the league and that's why we were excited to get him."

But when a team decides to spend a draft pick on a player, especially in the first round, they want to make sure that prospect will fit into their team in more ways than one.

MacPherson described something called 'The Charger Mentality,' a mantra that Hortiz and Harbaugh brought to the organization when they arrived last January.

In simple terms, this mentality measures what football means to a player. Is he just in it for the fame and financial security? Or is there a hunger there that will help him succeed at the next level?

"Does he love football, and does he love the process? Is he a guy that's going to do what it takes to be successful and help his team be successful in terms of doing the little things?" MacPherson said. "Sometimes those are hard and tedious but that's what it takes to be a successful player or an elite player that can compete at the NFL level.

"He certainly was doing all those things on the field and off the field. I don't think [his production] was by accident. He very much trains like a pro already, which was great to hear," MacPherson added.

Part of MacPherson's job is to go into schools in his area and talk to staff members about prospects.

This could be a head coach, sure, but also other coaches, members of the football staff or academic advisors.

MacPherson recently recalled what he learned about Hampton as he learned more about him as both a person and a player.

"No matter who we talked to throughout this entire process, we couldn't find anybody to say anything bad about this kid. Nobody," MacPherson said. "That's rare but, every once in a while, you do find a guy who checks every box."

While MacPherson was doing his homework on Hampton, Ethan Brodsky was, too.

Brodsky is also a regional scout for the Bolts who primarily covers the Northeast.

But Hortiz recently introduced a crosschecking measure of sorts to the Chargers scouting department where regional scouts have a state or two that a pair of them will work on.

MacPherson, for example, crosses over into Maryland and West Virginia with Brodsky, who in turn will go into North Carolina on his own.

"Joe is big on overlap. Getting more eyes on players is the most important thing, and that definitely helped," Brodsky said.

The result?

A clean and thorough evaluation from multiple scouts on Hampton.

"It very much aligned, the type of player he is, the type of person he is," Brodsky said of his collaboration with MacPherson.

And while Brodsky didn't see Hampton play in person, he had an in-depth conversation with Natrone Means, North Carolina's running backs coach and a former Chargers Pro Bowl running back.

Means raved about Hampton's work ethic and training habits, as well as the fact that he was a standout person off the field and in the community.

Brodsky got an up-close look at Hampton in practice and came away impressed.

"I went there in October, and it was a walk-through day, a Thursday before they played Florida State," Brodsky said. "He was the first one in line in every drill. It's only a walk-through and these are things he's done probably 1,000 times but the way he worked was incredible.

"It was an over-the-top work ethic. That speaks volumes," Brodsky added.

MacPherson came away with the exact same vibe.

"You watch him in practice, and he was always doing something. And it wasn't like he was drawing attention to himself and distracting players," MacPherson said. "He was their No. 1 back so if it's special teams and field goals, he's over in the corner catching balls or working through the ropes.

"He was constantly doing something on the side to try and improve his game," MacPherson continued. "You saw some of those practice habits right away. It's like when you go to our practice and you see Khalil [Mack] working on the bags during special teams. He's always working on something.

"I could tell Omarion just loves ball and wasn't resting on his laurels. And that was every practice I saw him at. He just wouldn't stay still, even punching the bag in pass pro," MacPherson added. "It wasn't like he was sitting on the bench and sipping on Gatorade. I knew this was a guy who would fit right in on our practice field."

By the time the 2024 season ended, it was clear that Hampton was among the top prospects in the 2025 draft class.

And as the Chargers prepped to meet with Hampton in person, they would continue to be blown away by him.

A Bolt & Hammer

Kiel McDonald was more than excited to add Hampton to the Bolts running back room this offseason.

But truth be told, the Chargers running back coach had hoped to coach Hampton earlier in his career, too.

McDonald formerly coach running backs at the University of Utah and at USC. Even then he had heard about a high school running back all the way over in North Carolina.

"There was this running back that they said looks like Herschel Walker and he's all the way out in Carolina," McDonald said. "I'm like, 'I don't know if we're going to get a kid on the West Coast from Carolina.' I got a chance to see the tape, see the workouts and he's always been a big, strong, physical specimen.

"As the years continued to progress, that dude has 'it'. There's that 'it' factor you see in a back, whether it's things you can pull out of somebody or things he already has," McDonald added.

Fast forward to the spring of 2025 when McDonald finally got the chance to meet Hampton at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Already impressed with Hampton's play on film, the Chargers contingent in Indianapolis swooned after his in-person interview.

"I thought he could regurgitate his scheme, his offense and what he was taught," McDonald said. "We threw some random plays from his season on the TV screen and wanted him to talk us through it.

"What's the running back read here, what's his footwork, what's his track? He knew exactly what to say," McDonald added. "Talked about blitz pickup, how he was taught there, understanding how to scan. Just being able to tell us exactly how he's been taught, that was impressive. He is a smart dude, and he is a hard worker."

By that point, MacPherson and Brodsky had already submitted their year-end reports to the front office.

The Chargers host their regional scouts in December for meetings and the chance for them to attend a home game.

Scouts submit their Top 30 reports to Hortiz and Alexander, which is a list of the best players in their region.

Was Hampton the No. 1 player on MacPherson's list?

"He was," McPherson said with a laugh. "And he stayed there."

With Hampton squarely on the Chargers radar, it was time for others in the scouting department to evaluate Hampton, too.

Jaylen Bannerman-Oden is a college and pro scout for the Chargers, meaning he dabbles in both worlds.

During the season, he will work on advance scouting reports for upcoming opponents. But he also visits a few schools for another cross-checking measure.

Additionally, under Hortiz, each scout in the front office is assigned a position group to evaluate ahead of the Draft.

Bannerman-Oden was tasked with looking at the running backs.

One of the first steps of that process was going to Hampton's Combine weigh-in with McDonald.

"With Omarion, I had a little star next to him. He looked rocked up. It looked like my man had been in the gym," Bannerman-Oden said.

Over the next few weeks after the Combine, Bannerman-Oden dove into dozens of running back prospects.

He looked at their touchdowns, simple plays, fumbles, pass protection, routes. Everything.

"Omarion might have the highest ceiling of anybody in this class, just off of his size, he can run inside and outside, has solid hands to catch the ball," Bannerman-Oden said.

"Everything he does, he's a natural at it. Some guys work really hard and they get stuff done. He works really hard and he's naturally gifted," Bannerman-Oden added. "He's breaking tackles and people are bouncing off him, it's like a man versus boys sometimes. He's got some of that stuff you can't teach."

McDonald echoed a similar sentiment when asked about his pre-draft evaluation of the 2025 running back class.

"We look at who's going to fit our skillset and what we're looking for, fit our offense, fit our scheme," McDonald said. "[Hampton] was up there at the top."

The final piece of the pre-draft puzzle?

North Carolina's Pro Day, which was held on March 24 in Chapel Hill.

MacPherson made sure to be as close to Hampton as possible for his final impression.

"You talk about him passing every phase, the last phase was his Pro Day. I was there in Chapel Hill helping the running backs coach from the Saints in the drills," MacPherson said. "We call it 'smelling their breath.' And it's like, 'OK, let me get up on this kid and watch him and see how he responds to being coached in drills and how he's working.'

"He's a nice, humble, quiet kid off the field but there's a switch," MacPherson added. "He attacked his Pro Day and getting over the bags and making cuts I was one of the scouts giving him a secondary reaction in a drill and he just attacked it with a different level of intensity. It was like a game. It was just bags, but he was ready to run through a guy."

As the draft neared and the Bolts front office set their board, Hampton had differentiated himself.

The Chargers have certain icons they put on players for their digital draft board. Some are for medical issues or character concerns, sure.

But some are reflected in a positive light, too.

There's a Bolt, which highlights a player's overall standout character. And there's a Hammer, which echoes a brand of physicality that you know Harbaugh loves to see on game days.

MacPherson explained what the symbols represent.

"It's a high bar to be a Bolt. When you put that Charger Bolt on a guy, you're saying he checks a lot of boxes in terms of being a pro on and off the field just as an elite guy," MacPherson said.

"And a Hammer, when they hit somebody, the other guy is going backwards," MacPherson added.

You can guess which player received both designations when the Chargers final draft board was set.

"He was a Bolt and a Hammer," MacPherson said of Hampton. "A lot of times, guys get one or the other. But the special ones get both."

A bright future

It's a special feeling for a scout when a player they've watched for more than a year gets selected to their team.

Especially in Round 1.

"It's rewarding, I'm not going to lie," MacPherson said. "You put in a lot of hard work, a lot of extra effort. We put in a lot of time as scouts watching and observing guys, watching extra film and then talking to extra people and doing as much background research as you can.

"Sometimes you don't leave a school until 7 p.m. at night and then you still have to type up all the work you did that day," MacPherson continued.

"Of course, it feels good when a guy you put a lot of work into gets picked, but scouts are team guys. And make no mistake, it was a total team effort. Everybody liked him and saw his game as a fit. There was just some really good consensus."

Consensus.

Unanimous.

Those two words came up a lot in April both before and after the Chargers drafted Hampton at No. 22 overall.

And even though Hortiz and Alexander chatted about the running back the night before the draft, everyone also knew there was a reality where Hampton was long gone before the Bolts' pick.

"Did I think Omarian was going to be there? No," Hortiz said. "Because he was one of those unanimous guys, and you kind of anticipate unanimous guys being gone. But we're fired up he was there.

"We go through all the guys, and it was unanimous," Hortiz added. "If he's there, would we take him at No. 22? Absolutely."

And that was even with the Bolts getting multiple strong trade offers to move away from No. 22 and to the latter part of the first round.

"He was designated by us as a player before the draft where we were going to have to be blown away by a trade," Alexander said. "We listen to any trade offer; that's just part of our jobs. But we weren't going to move away from this caliber of player.

"Happy as hell to get him. Offensive coaches were happy, defensive coaches were happy," Alexander added. "We're going to control the ball more and that will help our defense. It was just a consensus. Everybody was excited to get him."

Instead of trading back, the Chargers added adynamic young running backto the offense.

Can Hampton run the ball? Check.

The two-time Doak Walker Award Finalist finished with 3,600-plus rushing yards and 36 touchdowns at North Carolina.

Can Hampton catch the ball? Check.

He had 73 career catches in college.

And can Hampton protect his quarterback? Check.

The 22-year-old will gladly use his 6-foot and 220-pound frame to wall off pass rushers.

"This is a player that can play on third down really well," said Harbaugh. "Gives Justin [Herbert] somebody to throw to out of the backfield, he's also a really good pass protector. His game is really well-rounded."

Hortiz and Harbaugh now have two drafts under their belt in Southern California.

A year ago, they took a mammoth right tackle in Joe Alt (6-foot-7 and 323 pounds) who already showed Pro Bowl potential as a rookie.

Now you add Hampton, who joins a running back room that also includes Najee Harris, a 6-1, 242-pound back that has run for 1,00-plus yards in each of his four NFL seasons.

"They complement each other well. They both have a bruising style of running and wear defenses down over four quarters," Alexander said. "It's an identity we want to bring. We are trying to build a bully here and that's how you do that."

McDonald added of Hampton: "We'll see what part he's going to play, but I can see him helping out the Chargers in a big way."

Is there any question what kind of team the Chargers are trying to assemble?

"[Hampton] is like a humble beast. And Joe Alt was like that, too," Bannerman-Oden said. "Not a flashy guy but that's two years in a row where we've gotten these humble savages that are just about the work and not about all the extra pomp and circumstance.

"They're not flashy guys themselves. They're about the work and they want a team that reflects that," Bannerman-Odens said of Hortiz and Harbaugh. "They want guys that will compete and, when you get into December or the fourth quarter, will want it more."

Hamptonwill wear No. 8with the Chargers and has already made the transition from Carolina blue to powder blue.

And as his rookie season approaches, he can't wait to produce for his new team.

"[The NFL] has been a dream ever since I touched a football," Hampton said. "I'm excited for it.

"It's better than I thought, to be honest," Hampton later added about getting drafted. "Surreal feeling just to get that phone call knowing that the team is trusting you to join their program."

back to top