Much of the discussion surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason has revolved around the quarterback position.
Justin Fields left the Steelers for the New York Jets in free agency, while Russell Wilson has now signed with the New York Giants. Currently, Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson are the lone quarterbacks on the roster, and it seems inevitable that the team will add a legitimate starting option at some point.
However, running back is another position on the team that seemingly needs a new starter. After being the workhorse over the last four seasons, Najee Harris departed for the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency.
Jaylen Warren is an option to take over Harris’ spot, as is offseason addition Kenneth Gainwell. However, neither of these players appear to be more than rotational options, and the team could look to the draft for its next workhorse.
Hayden Winks of Underdog Network recently published a mock draft that has the Steelers selecting North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton with the No. 21 pick. Regarding Hampton’s potential fit in Pittsburgh, Winks offered the following:
We can assume Aaron Rodgers is coming on a 1- or 2-year deal. He’s only there to win right now, so I don’t see a Round 1 QB being attached to Pittsburgh at this point, especially without a Round 2 selection (D.K. Metcalf trade). This would be rich to me, but the Steelers do have a thumper need at RB after Jaylen Warren disappointed last year in a committee role next to the departed Najee Harris. Hampton is a downhill runner with far more speed than Harris provided for OC Arthur Smith’s run-first scheme. It’s almost too on the nose for the Steelers to make, yet this is a team that’s typically really easy to mock for.
In 2024, Hampton exploded for 1,660 rushing yards, which led the ACC. Hampton found the end zone 15 times on the ground, and also excelled as a pass-catcher, catching 38 passes for 373 yards and two scores.
Over 38 college games, Hampton rushed for 3,565 yards with 36 touchdowns. The running back ended with the fourth-most career rushing yards in North Carolina history.
Like Winks mentioned, Hampton is easily faster than Harris and averaged a whopping 5.9 yards per carry, which would be welcomed in Pittsburgh.
While Harris was a reliable runner for the Steelers, the former first-round pick never lived up to his potential. he eclipsed 1,000 yards in each of his four seasons, but averaged under four yards per carry in his career, suggesting that was a product of volume.
Hampton, on the other hand, has elite vision and footwork. The North Carolina product routinely makes defenders miss and is strong enough to require multiple defenders to get him down.
If the Steelers end up landing Aaron Rodgers, like has been rumored, then a high-upside offensive weapon like Hampton would be a perfect pick.
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