Ashton Jeanty will be the first running back off the board at the 2025 NFL Draft. He may be the first tailback drafted in the top 10 since Saquon Barkley in 2018.
He's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to a stacked class of running talent. Potential starters can be picked from each round of the upcoming draft. This year's lineup means there will even be some priority undrafted free agents who work their way up NFL depth charts come summer. As such, we're gonna take a deeper look at three of these players -- one stud, one sleeper and one REM cycle star who could slip through the cracks before rising to prominence.
Studs are players with first round grades. Their inclusion here doesn't necessarily mean they're the best at their position -- just that they're worth singling out for a deeper look. Sleepers are prospects slated for selection in the middle or toward the end of the 2025 NFL Draft. REM cycle stars -- the deep sleepers -- will likely be undrafted free agents after pick No. 257 is read. That's going to create an uphill battle to find a roster spot, but these could be bargain pickups who play key roles for playoff teams.
Let's talk about three guys who could have big NFL impacts from three very different draft positions this spring.
Stud: Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
We all know what Jeanty is capable of. No player in college sports had his game film broken down as intensely as Boise State's star running back. Instead, let's focus on the player most likely to be the second tailback off the board.
Hampton is a power runner at just under 6-feet and 225 pounds. He also has moderate breakaway speed as evidenced by his 4.4-second 40 time at the combine and nine runs of at least 20 yards last fall. Like Jeanty, he's a bellwether RB1 capable of toting the ball all day long. He led the ACC in attempts and rushing yards each of the last two seasons, averaging more than 126 yards per game in the process. He's capable of powering through contact and getting to the second level to create real problems.
But his biggest strength may be his prodigious vision, both at the line of scrimmage and in the open field. He knows where his holes will be, obviously, but he also understands where they may open up a split second later. With that twitchy acceleration, he's able to deviate on a whim to create extra yardage. Then, with the space that creates he can turn linebackers and safeties around in circles as they panic to keep up.
Hampton is also an asset in both phases of the passing game. He's an intuitive and effective blocker. He also had just two drops at UNC while racking up 67 catches the last two seasons. He's a wheel route nightmare for even the most prepared off-ball linebackers.
What could ultimately hurt him is a lack of top-end speed (that 4.4-second 40 time is closer to a 4.5) and the accumulating damage his game attracts. But those probably won't be hindrances until later in his career. Draft Hampton and you're getting an NFL RB1 right out of the gate.
Sleeper: DJ Giddens, Kansas State
Giddens isn't quite as prolific as Hampton, but he's got feature back bonafides after averaging more than 17 carries per game the last two seasons -- and 103 rushing yards per contest. He's much more of a jump-cut back than a bruiser despite his 212 pound frame. He sees holes and slices through them with authority, creating highlight reel jukes from thin air to turn bad situations into first downs.