The NFL offseason is fully underway with the NFL Scouting Combine starting this week and the 2025 NFL Draft just two months away. That means it’s mock draft season. The Pittsburgh Steelers have plenty of routes they could pursue with the 21st overall pick, whether they choose to beef up their defensive line with a big tackle or add some explosiveness to their passing game with a first-round wide receiver.
But in his latest mock draft, former player and NFL Network analyst Bucky Brooks has the Steelers going a different direction in the first round.
“The Steelers need an elite running back to impose their will on opponents in the way Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith envision,” Brooks wrote. “Hampton is an A+ talent with the size (6-foot, 220 pounds), athleticism and raw power to thrive as a workhorse in a ground-and-pound offense.”
While it might be surprising to see the Steelers selecting a first round running back who isn’t Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, Brooks isn’t the first analyst to have the Steelers landing Omarion Hampton. Todd McShay paired Hampton and the Steelers in his latest mock draft, and Daniel Jeremiah ranks him as the 19th overall prospect in the draft.
Hampton checks off pretty much all the boxes for an NFL starting-caliber back. He’s got the size and strength to run between the tackles fifteen times a game, and he’s got enough speed to beat defenders outside and break big runs. He was a true workhorse back for North Carolina, racking up over 250 rush attempts, 1,500 yards, and 15 touchdowns in each of his last two seasons. The question is whether he has the tools that could make a truly great NFL running back, not just a good one.
As we wrote in our profile of Hampton, he might not have the top-end speed to outrun NFL defenders, something Najee Harris struggles with. Other analysts have referenced his inconsistent vision. He’s a really strong running back prospect, just not an elite, grand-slam prospect like Bijan Robinson or Ashton Jeanty.
With Najee Harris likely gone this offseason, the Steelers will need to add another strong RB option to replace him. Jaylen Warren can split carries and catch passes, but he doesn’t have the size or talent to tote the rock 20-plus times per game.
Most analysts expect the Steelers to grab a running back in the draft, just not in the first round. This running back class is considered one of the deepest ever, indicating that a lot of NFL teams could be really happy waiting to take a back until Day 2.
While Hampton going in the first round is picking up steam, there are other options — like Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson and Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson — with explosive-play ability who will likely fall to the second or third round.
It’ll be hard for Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin to justify drafting another first-round running back when there are so many other pressing needs for the team that were revealed last season. That being said, if Arthur Smith and Mike Tomlin want to double down on their claims last season and turn into a team that bullies defenses by relentlessly pounding the rock, drafting another first-round running back might not be the craziest thing.
