The 2025 NFL Draft is right around the corner, and with the marquee weekend of the offseason less than five weeks away, the hype and excitement surrounding this year’s event is already heating up.
Over the next several weeks, we’re going to take a look at some position groups in this year’s class while examining a handful of names to know. Here’s what we’ve covered so far:
We’ll continue with this year’s running back class.
Six Names to Know
Depending on where you look, the various experts from around the web have identified a handful of players who are widely considered the top running back prospects in this year’s class.
Here’s a look at six players to know.
Ashton Jeanty – Boise State
Measurables: 5-foot-8, 211 pounds
Snapshot: A finalist for the Heisman Trophy, Jeanty led the FBS with a ridiculous 2,662 rushing yards in 2024. He averaged 7.0 yards-per-carry (and 185.8 yards-per-game) while breaking off an FBS-most 36 rushes of 15+ yards. He also led the FBS in yards-after-contact (1,970) and forced missed tackles (152). It’s for all of those reasons that Jeanty is expected to be taken somewhere in the top 10 selections.
Big Board Rankings:
Pro Football Focus (Post-Combine): No. 5 overall (No. 1 RB)
Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com) Top 50 (March 6): No. 3 overall (No. 1 RB)
Expert Analysis:
NFL.com: “Jeanty is a fun player to study. He is a short, compact runner with incredible strength, balance and burst. He displays outstanding vision, tempo and feel…He’s a mixture of Dalvin Cook and J.K. Dobbins as a runner.”
PFF: “Jeanty is a total-package backfield playmaker with impressive balance, footwork, vision, explosiveness and big-play ability — reminiscent of Alvin Kamara. He is a first-round offensive weapon who can succeed behind any blocking scheme.”
For more on Jeanty, check out his draft profile at NFL.com.
Omarion Hampton – North Carolina
Measurables: 6-foot-0, 221 pounds
Snapshot: Hampton racked up 1,700 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024, trailing only Jeanty among all FBS players with 1,222 yards-after-contact. He topped the 1,500-yard mark in each of the last two years.
Big Board Rankings:
Pro Football Focus (Post-Combine): No. 24 overall (No. 2 RB)
Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com) Top 50 (March 6): No. 14 overall (No. 2 RB)
Expert Analysis:
NFL.com: “Hampton is a big, athletic back. As a runner, he likes to press the hole early before deciding to stay inside or bounce out wide. He has enough speed to capture the corner when he gets to the perimeter. He’s a loose runner and has make-you-miss ability in space. He has an impressive blend of power and balance on contact…Overall, Hampton has the size and tools to be an effective starter right away.”
PFF: “Hampton is one of the class’ most physically gifted running backs with his combination of size, explosiveness and lower-body strength.”
For more on Hampton, check out his draft profile at NFL.com.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
