New Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has made it known that established a run game is extremely important in his first season with the organization. Despite Caleb Williams being the center of the team’s offense moving forward, having that balance with a consistent rushing attack is essential for Chicago to have any bit of success in 2025.
Johnson mentioned at the combine to the media this week that he is excited to get back to work with current Bears’ lead running back, D’Andre Swift. The offensive guru might need more in the backfield prior to his first season than Swift. Chicago had Swift and Roschon Johnson serve as the one-two punch a year ago, but that could soon change.
The former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator thrived when having two dynamic running backs in his scheme, and could look to have the same type of pairing in the Windy City. This draft is loaded with backfield talent and the Bears should be linked to all of the prospects that would play off Swift well. One prospect that has seen his stock all over the place has been a force at North Carolina the last two years.
Why the Chicago Bears should target Omarion Hampton in the draft
Omarion Hampton has been one of the country’s best and most consistent running backs over the last two seasons. He finished the 2024 campaign with 1,660 yards on the ground while getting 281 yards. Hampton averaged 5.9 yards per carry and scored 15 touchdowns, the exact same amount that he had in 2023.
Hamptons’ 2023 season with the Tar Heels also saw him eclipse 1,500 yards as he ended the year with 1,504. Similar to 2024, he had 5.9 yards per rush while getting 253 total carries. Not only has Hampton been extremely good in a large sample size of work at North Carolina, he has done so while being a true bell cow back. He has displayed that he can shoulder the load of an offense and not get too worn down as a season goes along.
The Clayton, NC native’s violent rushing style and his ability to accelerate once hitting the second level is exactly what the Bears need in their new offense. Hampton’s mix of power and speed would go hand-in-hand with how Swift likes to run the ball and would allow for Johnson to be creative in drawing up plays for each back.
Why Omarion Hampton wouldn’t fit with the Chicago Bears
Hampton’s draft stock being all over the place could prevent the Bears from even having a chance to grab him. The ideal spot for Chicago to select him would be with either of their second round choices, but analysts like Mel Kiper Jr. have Hampton going as high as 12th overall to Dallas.
Two reasons for concern when looking at Hampton are his breakaway speed and his collegiate workload. While he hits the hole well and has goof burst once getting to the second level, Hampton often got flagged down from behind on his breakaway runs at North Carolina.
Even though Hampton getting a lot of work with the Tar Heels can be seen as a good thing in the fact that he can handle be the top back in an offense, there are negatives that come with it as well. Being fresh is important as a back no matter how old you are, and Hampton having over 600 carries in three years of college ball can be worrisome. He might not have as much tread on his tires a little bit down the road, which will be something the Bears need to take into account when evaluating him.
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