Chargers' Omarion Hampton compared to NFL great by exces

The Los Angeles Chargers received mostly universal acclaim for the first-round selection of running back Omarion Hampton. 

Even those that didn’t agree it was the best possible pick at the time for the Chargers have likely at least acknowledged that, indeed, Hampton certainly fits what Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman want to do in the AFC West. 

But much of the praise comes courtesy of onlookers simply loving Hampton the prospect, too. One anonymous NFL executive has even gone as far as suggesting that the former North Carolina star is similar to modern NFL great Frank Gore. 

“He’s a really good player, and he fits exactly what Harbaugh wants to be and helps the quarterback,” an exec said, according to The Athletic’s Mike Sando. “He’s like Frank Gore, but more dynamic.”

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There’s… probably a little exaggeration in there, of course, but the Chargers certainly won’t complain if that’s the case. 

Gore, after all, was the five-time Pro Bowler and member of the 2010s All-Decade Team with 16,000 rushing yards to his name from 2005-2020.

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For Gore, the ascent was swift, too. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry on just 127 attempts as a rookie, then exploded for 1,695 yards and eight scores on a 5.4 average as a sophomore. 

So while the Chargers intend to use Hampton in a rotation with Najee Harris in 2025, they’re certainly eyeballing a Year 2 outburst, too. If that happens, the comparison would start to make even more sense.

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