The Los Angeles Chargers targeted a running back with their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and ultimately decided to take North Carolina star Omarion Hampton with the No. 22 overall selection.
In doing so, they chose Hampton over some other very talented running backs, including Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson.
The Patriots were happy to take Henderson with their second-round pick at No. 38 overall, and he has rewarded them with an excellent rookie campaign.
Did the Chargers consider Henderson at No. 22? And what did they think of his skill set entering the draft?
Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer joined NBC Sports Boston’s Patriots Pregame Live before Sunday night’s Patriots-Chargers playoff matchup and explained Los Angeles’ thinking at the 2025 draft.
“They loved Hampton, and clearly they view him as the sort of player that Jim Harbaugh had in San Francisco when he built an entire offense around Frank Gore,” Breer said, as seen in the video above. “So he was a very clear pick for them at No. 22 overall. That said, if Hampton had been gone, Henderson would have been a consideration there for a couple of different reasons.
“First, they viewed four backs as above the group, and it wouldn’t surprise anybody here those were Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, and the two guys out of Ohio State — TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. And they felt like, if they didn’t take one there at No. 22 overall, that by the time they were picking again, they’d probably be all gone. They were right about that.
“And I thought what was really interesting about this one was when I talked to some Chargers people about it this week, I figured, ‘OK, well, they’re just such different players. You’ve got Omarion Hampton, who’s your prototypical 225-pound every-down back, and then you’ve got Henderson, who’s more of a specialty player.’
“The Chargers didn’t see Henderson that way. They felt like Henderson could be a true three-down back. So had Hampton been gone, he would have been a consideration for them.”
Hampton missed eight games in the regular season due to injury, but he’s played well when healthy. He ran for 545 yards (4.4 per carry) and four touchdowns, in addition to 32 receptions for 192 yards and one receiving touchdown.
Henderson played in all 17 games and rushed for 911 yards and nine touchdowns, along with 35 receptions for 221 yards and one receiving touchdown. He also had four rushing touchdowns of 50-plus yards, which tied a rookie record.
Both teams found a quality running back in the 2025 draft.
And it wouldn’t be surprising if one or both players make a profound impact on the outcome of Sunday night’s AFC Wild Card Round game at Gillette Stadium.
