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Steelers Land ‘Downhill Runner’ in Latest Mock Draft
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- Steelers Land ‘Downhill Runner’ in Latest Mock Draft
Omarion Hampton, UNC Athletics
The Pittsburgh Steelers may have to rebuild their running back room this offseason with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren both set to become free agents. If that happens, draft analyst Todd McShay believes they could snag the second best running back in the 2025 NFL Draft.
In his latest mock draft, McShay has the Steelers selecting North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton with their first-round pick (No. 21 overall).
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"With Najee Harris slated to be an unrestricted free agent and Jaylen Warren headed toward restricted free agency, the Steelers don't have an obvious in-house candidate to lead their running back room in 2025," McShay writes . "[Omarion] Hampton's a downhill runner who brings the yards-after-contact skills that offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has historically coveted. He'd be an immediate talent upgrade at the position from a skill set and contract perspective, functioning as a cheaper, higher-upside version of Harris."
Hampton is viewed by most as the second best running back prospect in this year's draft, behind Boise State's Ashton Jeanty, who is not only viewed as the top back in the class but one of the best overall players.
The 21-year-old has displayed exactly why that should be the case while rushing for 3,164 yards and 30 touchdowns the past two years at North Carolina. Hampton also recorded 67 catches for 595 yards and three touchdowns during the span.
The Steelers will likely be moving on from Harris after they declined his $6.79 million fifth-year option last offseason. But the same can't be said for Warren, who can be brought back for as little as $3 million.
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That wouldn't stop Pittsburgh from drafting Hampton, though. The 6-foot, 220-pound running back brings a very different run style than Warren, so the two could complement each other just as Harris and Warren have over the past three years.
However, does that mean the Steelers should use another first-round pick on a running back?
Probably not, unless Jeanty somehow falls to them , but that seems very unlikely at this point. The Steelers have several other holes they must fill on their roster and the 2025 NFL Draft is very deep at running back.
That said, it might be best for the Steelers to pass on Hampton, unless he falls to them on Day 2 in what would be another unexpected outcome.
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