It's always interesting to observe the evolution of popular pairings in the NFL draft and how fanbases shift from one popular option to the next. At first, Denver Broncos fans had dreamed of Boise State superstar running back Ashton Jeanty in the first round.
Now it appears that Jeanty is more likely to go top 10 than fall to Denver at 20. Fine, no running back? How about a joker option at tight end?
Penn State's Tyler Warren would be fun but also mocked well before where the Broncos select. Instead, Michigan's Colston Loveland found himself continuously mocked to Denver. Now that the Broncos have signed tight end Evan Engram, the masses, both in the media and fan base, have shifted back to running back for Denver.
Instead of Jeanty though, whose most popular landing spots appear to be with the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 6 and the Chicago Bears at No. 10, the Broncos are now often being mocked North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton.
After two great seasons for the Tar Heels and a very good Combine showing, measuring in at just under 6-foot and 221 pounds with excellent jumps and 40 times, the Broncos’ far and away biggest need could be answered with a selection of Hampton at pick 20.
Is that a good fit for Denver and a good usage of team resources? According to The 33rd Team’s Ian Valentino, Hampton makes complete sense for the Broncos. In a 'Buy or Sell' piece on prospect pairings across the NFL, Valentino “buys” Hampton to Denver with the team’s first-round pick.
"The North Carolina star is an excellent prospect, and the need for impact running backs is at a high we haven't seen in at least eight years. Hampton is worth a first-round pick, and teams are shifting their mindset to what's an otherwise down draft class in terms of talent at key positions.
"Even if Ashton Jeanty doesn't come off the board as early as he's been projected to be for months, Hampton's range is higher than most think. Chicago, Dallas, and Cincinnati can easily justify taking Hampton as the RB2. If Hampton lasts until the 20th pick, it'd be more of a surprise if they go to any other position besides tight end," Valentino wrote.
The Broncos’ biggest remaining hole on the roster is running back. If Jeanty were to fall to Denver, it would be a no-brainier at pick 20. Things are a bit more murky with Hampton, though.
"This is partly because Denver likes its receivers more than the public. Young playmakers Devaughn Vele, Troy Franklin, and A.T. Perry fit Sean Payton's vertical passing attack even if they're not proven college superstars who earned Round 1 capital. He lacks a great back, though, and Payton has long favored a talented backfield," Valentino wrote.
While Hampton can operate in the pass game as a dump-off option, he doesn’t bring true home-run juice after the catch, nor does he have the flex-out route-running ability to create mismatches in the pass game. Also, while he's a strong athlete with a good build, his vision and running style tend to project far more favorably to a team that utilizes a zone scheme as opposed to the gap/man and power-oriented blocking scheme deployed by the Broncos.
Finally, while Hampton is a very good back and deserves first-round consideration, there is opportunity cost at positions that historically a team needs to draft high to find good players, such as defensive line and wide receiver, as opposed to running back, where Day 3 and undrafted options make impacts across the league every single season.
This is only amplified by the reality that the 2025 running back class is likely the most talented group of rushers since 2008, which was a draft that had five running backs selected in the first round and the likes of Jamaal Charles and Matt Forte selected on Day 2.
Hampton is a talented player more in the mold of a Deuce McAllister or Mark Ingram type back that Sean Payton deployed next to a more explosive and dynamic player such as Reggie Bush or Alvin Kamara during his time in New Orleans. A more modern-day analogy would be the Detroit Lions (Dan Campbell and Ben Johnson are Payton coaching tree products), with Hampton being more of a David Montgomery archetype than the more valuable and explosive Jahmyr Gibbs.
With the newcomer Engram occupying a hybrid tight end/wide receiver role, at age 31, the Broncos should still be considering tight end early in the draft. Furthermore, while the Broncos can state publicly that they love their wide receivers, none of Marvin Mims Jr., DeVaughn Vele, or Troy Franklin currently project as anything more than WR3 or WR4 types in the league.
Plus, with Courtland Sutton entering the final year of his contract and turning 30, wide receiver has to be on the table and dependent on the evaluation of prospects when Denver is on the clock.
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Finally, if not an offensive weapon, look no further than the defensive line. With Nik Bonitto on the edge likely to garner a massive contract and three of Denver’s top four interior defensive linemen entering the final year of their deals for the Broncos, another premium investment up front cannot be overlooked for Denver early in the draft and possibly in the first round.
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