Jim Harbaugh’s first season as the Chargers’ head coach featured a lot of smashmouth football on offense. They are looking to take a step forward in Year 2, and their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, running back Omarion Hampton, will help them do exactly that.

What Hampton Brings to the Table

Hampton has the skills to be a star at the next level. Jeremy Percy’s scouting report highlighted his contact balance, big-play ability, and attitude with the ball. He has true three-down potential due to his ability as a rusher, receiver, and pass blocker.

In 2024, Hampton ranked second in rushing yards per game (138.3), which only trailed Ashton Jeanty’s otherworldly average (185.8). He was also one of three college running backs who had over 1,000 yards after contact last season (Jeanty, Skattebo). The 22-year-old forced a broken or missed tackle on 26.3% of his attempts from last season, which ranked 6th among the nation’s top rushers (minimum 200 carries).

In the passing game, Hampton ranked 11th in yardage among RBs with 363. He was 4th in terms of Total Points (16.5), and 13th in yards per target (8.3). These numbers were especially impressive considering he caught most of his passes behind the line of scrimmage (-2.2 Average Depth of Target, 2nd-lowest).

Overall, Hampton has the skillset to be a three-down back with the Chargers.

Analyzing the Chargers’ Rushing Attack

The Chargers put a major emphasis on their rushing attack last season, and it started when they hired Greg Roman as their offensive coordinator. Most NFL teams are running ‘11’ personnel, which means 1 running back, 1 tight end, and 3 wide receivers. Los Angeles went in the other direction, using more ‘21’ and ‘22’ personnel.

They ran 21p on 17% of plays (4th-most), and 22p on 13% of plays (2nd-most). Despite their efforts, they had mediocre results in these heavy packages. Los Angeles ranked 20th in success rate out of 21p, and 13th out of 22p.

From a schematic standpoint, the Chargers leaned more towards man/gap blocking schemes over zone. They ranked 5th in usage for gap runs, but 24th in success rate. For zone runs, they ranked 27th in usage, and 31st in success rate.

The run-first offense didn’t result in elite offensive output for the Chargers last season. They are hoping that by bringing in a potential star running back like Hampton can take them to the next level.

How Should the Chargers Use Hampton?

Hampton figures to play a healthy amount in his rookie season, even with the Chargers adding Najee Harris to the mix on a one-year deal worth up to $9.25 million. The other running backs on their roster include Hassan Haskins, Kimani Vidal, Jaret Patterson, and Raheim Sanders. In terms of Total Points for running backs, Harris ranked 7th as a rusher and 20th as a receiver last season.

Los Angeles has two running backs in Harris and Hampton that are capable of playing on all three downs. This should keep both running backs relatively fresh, or the Chargers can do the ‘ride the hot hand’ approach. Harris might get more work this season since he has more NFL experience and is on the one-year deal, but Hampton is the clear running back of the future and could get the lead role if Harris fails to impress.

The Chargers had a diverse rushing approach last season, with 55% of their runs being zone schemes, and 44% being man/gap. Their zone-run success rate was just 34%, which was second-worst in the NFL. North Carolina had a zone-heavy rushing scheme (82% of runs) and had a higher success rate at 47%. Hampton’s effectiveness and experience in a zone-heavy scheme should give the Chargers a boost.

Another area that Hampton might have some influence in on screens. The Chargers ran the 4th-fewest screens in 2024 (43), while Hampton led all NCAA receivers by a wide margin with 10 Total Points off screen passes.

Is Hampton a Good Fit for Los Angeles?

A successful rushing attack requires above-average play out of your offensive line, quarterback, and running back. The Los Angeles Chargers are hoping that they added the final piece to their puzzle with Omarion Hampton.

Their offensive scheme last season was mainly under-center, man/gap run schemes, with play-action. Hampton is coming out of an offense that ran a lot of inside/outside zone out of shotgun, so the Chargers would be wise to diversify their rushing gameplan. Not only that, but Hampton’s impact on screens should have Los Angeles running more of those in 2025 as well.

Overall, Hampton is a great fit for the Chargers’ offensive plan-of-attack.