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Joey's draft outlooks and potential best team fits for three top draft prospects at running back: Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton and TreVeyon Henderson.
With running backs gaining momentum in the free-agent market and a great crop of players entering the draft process, it's a great year to draft a running back. This year's class is excellent at the top, deep in the middle, and intriguing at the bottom.
The clear top dog of this running back class is Boise State's Ashton Jeanty. Not too far behind is North Carolina's Omarion Hampton, and further behind him is Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson.
Let's take a look at the draft outlooks of these three backs and their best possible team fits.
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Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
In his final season at Boise State, Jeanty established himself not only as the nation's top running back but one of college football's top players. Jeanty ran for a whopping 2,601 yards on 7.0 yards per carry and scored 30 touchdowns, leading Boise State to the College Football Playoff. He also finished second in Heisman Trophy voting behind two-way phenom Travis Hunter.
Ashton Jeanty took over college football 🤯
He had nearly 50 more rush YPG than anyone else in FBS during the 2024 season@BroncoSportsFB | @AshtonJeanty2 pic.twitter.com/YTptkzK4nz
— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) April 8, 2025
At 5-foot-8, 211 pounds, Jeanty is a compact runner with a low center of gravity. His quick feet, excellent balance, and lower-body strength make him incredibly difficult to tackle in one-on-one situations. Although Jeanty doesn't have home-run speed, he was still fast enough to have a 50-yard rush in nine of his 14 games last season. Combine that with his burst and vision, and you have a running back who can succeed even in an offense with ineffective run-blocking.
However, that may not have to be the case for Jeanty. While he's been linked to the Patriots at the No. 4 pick and the Raiders at No. 6, both teams lack the current structure up front to get the most out of him. But the Chicago Bears, fresh off an outstanding free agency in which they heavily strengthened their offensive line, could do just that at pick No. 10. Jeanty fits the ground-and-pound approach of Bears head coach Ben Johnson's offense and would immediately make Chicago one of the best rushing offenses in the NFL.
Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
After a great final season at UNC and a standout performance at the 2025 NFL Combine, Hampton is the clear RB2 in the draft class. Rushing for 1,660 yards and 15 TDs, Hampton was named a second-team All-American and a finalist for the Doak Walker award as the nation's best running back.
Omarion Hampton is a RB prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 9.70 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 64 out of 2099 RB from 1987 to 2025.https://t.co/ceou1zw2q1 pic.twitter.com/7Yj23y6sIb
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 8, 2025
Despite weighing in at 221 pounds, Hampton has breakaway speed to go with great power and contact balance. His lateral quickness isn't anything special, but his physical attributes allow him to bounce off tacklers and turn decent runs into huge gains. He is also a solid pass-catcher out of the backfield on shorter routes.
While the Steelers lost Najee Harris to free agency and currently hold the No. 21 pick, I think Hampton's best fit is one pick earlier. The Denver Broncos hold the No. 20 pick and desperately need to improve their running game if they want to be complete offensively. Part of their inconsistencies on the ground were the fault of HC Sean Payton, who too often abandoned the run in the second halves of games. However, adding a workhorse back with a three-down skillset like Hampton could be just what the doctor ordered for the Broncos' rushing attack.
TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
The top running back in his recruiting class, Henderson was excellent on the field for the Buckeyes but struggled with multiple injuries during his time at Ohio State. Henderson suffered foot and rib injuries that caused him to miss eight games between his sophomore and junior seasons. However, he shone again as a senior: Henderson reached 1,000 yards rushing on just 144 attempts (7.1 yards per carry) and helped the Buckeyes win a national title.
TreVeyon Henderson was the ONLY RB in CFB to hit these marks:
➖7.0+ Yards Per Carry
➖1,000+ Rushing Yards
➖250+ Receiving YardsHis 145 Rushing Attempts were the LEAST by a player who cleared the 1,000+ yard mark..
➖Size: 5’10, 207 lbs
➖40 Time: 4.43 (92nd Percentile) pic.twitter.com/pOMx91jEKQ— Austin Abbott (@AustinAbbottFF) April 1, 2025
At 5-foot-10, 202 pounds, Henderson might not be big enough to be a workhorse in the NFL, especially due to his injury history at OSU. With that being said, he can still be a massive contributor at the pro level as the leader of a committee or a change-of-pace back. Henderson shared carries with Quinshon Judkins in his final year with the Buckeyes, allowing them to stay healthy and productive.
Henderson is arguably more well-rounded than any running back in this class. He's a great runner with shiftiness, change of pace, and explosive speed - Henderson blazed a 4.43 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He is also a very solid receiver and is arguably the best pass-protector of any running back in this class. That should get him on the field as a third-down back very early into his NFL career.
Henderson will likely go in the second round of the NFL Draft, where teams are more willing to spend a draft pick on a potential starter at RB. The Bears could snag Henderson at pick No. 39 or No. 41 if they miss out on Jeanty in Round 1, or the Cowboys could take him at No. 44 to replace free-agent departure Rico Dowdle.
But I think Henderson's best fit is with the Washington Commanders at No. 61 if he's still on the board. Third-down back Austin Ekeler is aging and has just one year left on his deal, and Brian Robinson Jr. lacks the blocking and receiving skillsets to succeed on passing downs. Henderson makes sense for the Commanders as the heir apparent to Ekeler and maybe even a future starter.
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