The Denver Broncos undoubtedly need a running back in the 2025 offseason, but not just any running back will do. There are specific traits to be on the lookout for when it comes to running backs who will be targeted by Sean Payton, George Paton, and the Broncos in 2025, and not every player at the position is going to offer them.
Payton has mentioned this offseason, in case you haven't heard, that the top "must-have" for this Denver Broncos team in 2025 is a Joker for the offense, which is an elite receiver at either the tight end or running back position. The Broncos don't just need a "change of pace" back or a "powerful" back, but they need a back who can be featured in the passing game and take on a large share of the offensive production without being a traditional "bell cow".
Have we got all that?
As niche as it seems, well...it is. The reality is that some prospect is going to need to become the apple of Sean Payton's eye, and Bleacher Report's NFL Draft experts seem to think it's for sure not going to be one particular top-tier prospect, perhaps even the second-best running back in the entire class.
Broncos dubbed as poor fit for North Carolina's Omarion Hampton
"Hampton's case is more interesting than Jeanty's because he's more of a powerful, downhill runner who needs the right system to serve as a hammer for some squad.
Make no mistake, the 220-pound ball-carrier has some juice. But no one should ask him to be working laterally then asked to burst downfield. He's going to punish those along the way or run past them as they wear down. The two-time first-team All-American needs to be utilized in a scheme where he can be a workhorse."
- Bleacher Report
The book on Omarion Hampton out of North Carolina says that he's a big-bodied, powerful back who can punish as a downhill runner. But the Broncos need a back who is elusive in space and elite in the passing game.
NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein compared Hampton to Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson and characterized him as a "battering ram". That sounds a bit too much like Javonte Williams, North Carolina connection aside for a moment.
Perhaps the Broncos will see a different vision with someone like Hampton, but it's more likely that the player being described here already exists on Denver's roster in the form of 2024 5th-round pick Audric Estimé. If the Broncos need a battering ram, they've got one. What Denver needs is someone who looks more like Reggie Bush or Alvin Kamara, as in -- someone who might have been able to be a wide receiver if they'd gone that direction early in their college careers.
Not that Hampton should be off the board completely, but it does seem like he's trending toward the type of player who might be best served in another offense besides Denver's.