Chargers may have made mistake drafting Omarion Hampton

EL SEGUNDO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 19: Omarion Hampton #8 of the Los Angeles Chargers runs with the ball during offseason workout at The Bolt on May 19, 2026 in El Segundo, California. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Los Angeles Chargers selected Omarion Hampton out of North Carolina with the No. 22 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Much of Hampton's rookie year was spent on the sidelines as he missed eight games due to injury. He had a decent statistical season with 124 carries for 545 yards and four touchdowns in nine games, but his overall production pushed him out of the first round in Bleacher Report writer Gary Davenport's 2025 NFL redraft.

Instead of Hampton, the Chargers were projected to select Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts, who was a third-round pick chosen by the Atlanta Falcons.

Watts lasted until the latter stages of Round 3 in the 2025 draft, but he certainly didn't play like it with the Atlanta Falcons-Watts tallied almost 100 total tackles and intercepted five passes with apasser rating againstof less than 90, Davenport wrote.

Pairing Watts with Derwin James would give the Chargers one of the best safety duos in the NFL-if notthebest.

Given how deep this year's running back class was, there may have been better value in taking someone like Quinshon Judkins in the second round. The Chargers could have boosted their secondary sooner in the 2025 draft. They ultimately selected R.J. Mickens in the sixth round out of Clemson and Trikweze Bridges in the seventh round out of Florida, but the latter did not make the 53-man roster. He was ultimately claimed by the Dallas Cowboys.

Hindsight is 20/20, so it's possible the Chargers would have made a different selection if they had this year's information ahead of time, but that's what makes the draft so tricky.

This doesn't mean Hampton is a bust quite yet as he still has the keys to the backfield in 2026 and is expected to be the Chargers' leading rusher this season if he is healthy. With an upgraded offensive line, Hampton is expected to have a chance to prove why he was a first-round pick to begin with.