Omarion Hampton wasted no time passing Najee Harris on the Los Angeles Chargers depth chart. When the Las Vegas Raiders selected Ashton Jeanty, there was no debate who would be RB1. While Jeanty scored a touchdown in Week 1, Hampton outplayed him. It’s far too early for the Raiders to worry about the Boise State graduate, but it’s worth comparing the two ahead of their head-to-head battle on Monday Night Football.
2025 Draft: Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton Headline 1st Round Running Backs
Las Vegas is undergoing some major changes with HC Pete Carroll looking to bring this team to the promised land. Their acquisition of Geno Smith got things off on the right foot as they immediately saw a vast improvement in QB play. Smith may be aging, but it seemed like a no-brainer to spend a third-round pick on him. At the end of the day, Vegas always knew who they were selecting at No. 6.
Ashton Jeanty is in for his 1st career TD!
LVvsNE on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/3I1Un9GRb7
— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025
Jeanty was the first running back off the board as Vegas needed help in the backfield. Currently, Jeanty is listed ahead of Zamir White, Dylan Laube, and Raheem Mostert. On paper, he should have no issue retaining the RB1 title throughout the season. That said, he averaged just two yards per carry in Week 1. Jeanty’s final numbers saw him run the ball 19 times for just 38 yards with a touchdown. He also had two receptions for two yards.
Hampton was selected No. 22 overall by the Chargers. LA’s backfield remains up in the air as Hampton is battling a man who has four straight 1,000-yard seasons. Harris only signed a one-year deal with the Chargers after putting up 4,312 yards in his first four seasons in Pittsburgh. In Week 1, Hampton had 15 carries for 48 yards. Harris had just one carry for five yards.
Comparing Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton’s NFL Contracts After Brilliant College Careers
Knowing how high Jeanty was selected, it comes as no surprise that his contract trumps Hampton’s. Jeanty is set to make just over $35 million on his four-year rookie deal. One of the main benefits of his rookie contract was the $22M signing bonus, along with the fact that his deal is fully guaranteed.
1 minute of Jim Harbaugh speaking very highly of Omarion Hampton.
“I really thought Omarion was going to be a great player and a great back, and I was hoping that would be right from game 1. Exhibit A, he’s really good.” pic.twitter.com/IKW4YgzlQ7
— Noah Pires (@NoahPires_) September 8, 2025
Hampton’s deal, while far less, is also fully guaranteed. His signing bonus sits at just over $9M as he will make $17.77M throughout the next four-seasons. Each running back played three years at college. Jeanty was a Heisman candidate at Boise State while Hampton put together a brilliant career at North Carolina.
The Chargers’ first-round pick had 15 touchdowns in each of his last two seasons. His 2022 season left much to be desired, but he turned on the jets with 1,504 and 1,660 yard-seasons to follow.
Ultimately, there’s nothing to compare to Jeanty’s 2,601-yard 2024 season. With 29 touchdowns last season, Jeanty finished just one shy of what Hampton had in 2023-24 combined.
