The NFL Draft is always filled with surprises, and one of the biggest came with a Kansas City Chiefs AFC West rival as the Los Angeles Chargers selected the second running back of the draft at pick 22.
Despite the Chargers signing former first-round pick Najee Harris this offseason, Jim Harbaugh still felt the team needed to make additions in the backfield. I had a top 30 grade on Hampton and he ranked as my RB2, but because of the weak value of the running back position, we only had a second round grade on him.
I first want to get something out of the way so this does not come back to bite me: Hampton is a great player and will have a very solid NFL career. But the Chargers may have missed out on a big-time opportunity with several teams looking to trade up at the back end of the first round Thursday night. Several big trades came up at the end of the first round last night, with teams like the Giants and Falcons giving up a king's ransom to get their guy.
Hampton was unlikely to go to any other team in the first round, and due to the depth of the RB position this year, it was also unlikely anyone would have jumped the line to get him. There were rumors that several teams (Philadelphia Eagles specifically were mentioned) were looking to trade up to No. 22, and the Chargers were fielding calls. But at the end of the day, LA decided to stay put and take their running back of the future.
What makes this such a lost opportunity for the Chargers is that they likely could have gotten Hampton later in the first (like the Eagles' 32nd pick) while adding several more selections. The Giants gave up a second, a third, and a future third to get pick 25, and the Falcons were willing to part with their 2026 first-round pick to get to pick 26. The Chargers likely could have gotten deals similar to this and maybe more while still landing Hampton later in the draft.
In a deal with the Eagles, the package for the Chargers could have gotten pick 32, pick 64, and a future second or third, potentially even more. While Hampton is incredibly talented and will likely have a great NFL career, the Chargers missed out on a lot of draft capital by sticking at No. 22, and it may come back to haunt them down the line.