The Denver Broncos did pass up on some notable prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, and will they live to regret one of their decisions? George Paton and Sean Payton were quite clear about the team's strategy at running back heading into the NFL Draft.
They mentioned that the position was going to be a focus for the team, and when the 20th pick came around in Round 1, the Broncos had players like Omarion Hampton, TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins, and other RB prospects on the board.
Denver obviously instead took Jahdae Barron, and Hampton went two picks later to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Should the Broncos have taken RB Omarion Hampton at pick 20?
Many, many mock drafts leading up to the real thing had the Broncos taking the North Carolina running back. Hampton is a three-down prospect who has a brutal running style and is just a sensational athlete. Not only did the Chargers draft Hampton, but when free agency began, the team also signed Najee Harris.
Their RB room is totally remade and features two running backs over six feet tall and over 200 pounds. The backfield in LA is going to terrorize and tire out opposing defenses, and you just have to wonder if the Broncos are going to regret letting the Chargers get Hampton.
I am not saying they will or will not, but the move to pass on Hampton was one of the more shocking ones in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft. In Round 2, the Broncos used their 60th pick on RJ Harvey, an explosive RB from UCF to hopefully supercharge their run game for the long-term.
Only time will tell if the Broncos made the right move, but there is a non-zero chance that they may regret passing on Omarion Hampton.