We’ve seen enough flashes from Caleb Williams to say that he is the Chicago Bears quarterback of the future. But not all growth is linear — it’s certainly been a bumpy ride.
Williams put up a subpar rookie season and, along with some dreadful coaching miscues, led Chicago to just five wins after being deemed a playoff team at the start of the 2024 season.
With an offensive guru in Ben Johnson as the new head coach, there is optimism for a better year in the Windy City. One analyst predicts Johnson will go with a two-back offense as he has the Bears picking North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Bears Projected To Draft Omarion Hampton in 2025 NFL Draft
While there were some highlights, the overall season had to be considered a massive disappointment for Williams and the Bears. A 10-game losing streak from Week 8 to Week 17 doomed Chicago’s season completely and eventually resulted in the firing of Matt Eberflus mid-season.
The appointment of Johnson should bring some changes to the team, as well as the play of Williams, who had to go from explosive to conservative midway through the year. It led to an atrocious offense that finished third-worst in the league, per PFSN’s Offense+ metric.
As per PFSN’s latest seven-round mock draft by Ben Rolfe, the Bears are predicted to pick Hampton at No. 41 in Round 2 and pair him with D’Andre Swift for the two-back offense that Johnson used in Detroit as the Lions’ offensive coordinator.
“Picking a running back might be seen as a luxury for the Bears, but this is Ben Johnson we are talking about. We have seen how effective the two-back offense was in Detroit, and Omarion Hampton would give Johnson the chance to have a similar style of offense in Chicago.”
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Rolfe also highlights Hampton’s dual-threat ability and believes he could be the David Montgomery-style back, who played for the Bears from 2019 to 2022.
“Hampton is the kind of dual-threat back that Johnson loves, but he also has the power to be a force near the goal line. Hampton’s style is a little more physical than that of D’Andre Swift, so he could be the David Montgomery-style back, with Sanders playing more of the Gibbs role. However, it is also worth noting that Swift was traded out of Detroit while Johnson was the offensive coordinator, which makes for an interesting situation.”
Hampton has established himself as one of the best running backs in college football since becoming a starter at Tar Heels. He is fourth among UNC’s all-time rushing leaders, racking up 3,565 rushing yards in three years. In the same timeframe, he has racked up 36 rushing and four receiving touchdowns.
Omarion Hampton is an absolute workhorse.
➖ 6’0/220lbs | 21 Years Old
➖ 1222 Yards After Contact (#2 in FBS)
➖ 73 Missed Tackles Forced
➖ Good Pass-Catcher, Vision, InstinctsHe’s going to be a damn good football player. Some Josh Jacobs/Nick Chubb to his game… pic.twitter.com/kdt54DBWwH
— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) February 21, 2025
Hampton led the ACC with 1,660 rushing yards in 12 games last season and was ranked second nationally behind Ashton Jeanty. The 21-year-old would make a ton of difference to the Bears’ offense, and if Johnson manages to use his dual-threat abilities well, they may well be in the playoffs and beyond next year.
Hampton’s Scouting Report
In PFSN’s scouting report on Hampton, here’s what Ian Cummings writes:
“At around 6’0″, 220 pounds, Hampton easily fits the volume mold, and he brings the kind of physicality and contact balance you’d expect. On top of his pure combative energy, he’s a supremely explosive runner with the speed to stretch seams and generate chunk plays.
“Though he’s more of a press-and-go runner than a pure creator, Hampton has good creative instincts — evident in his ability to press into gaps and displace linebackers — but his main appeal comes as a finisher in space, where he can use his burst and agility in tandem with his physicality to muscle through defenders.
“At his size, Hampton has excellent foot speed and accelerative capacity, and those traits are the bedrock of his profile as a runner. Meanwhile, as a receiver, he’s very competent with active body control, hand-eye coordination, a solid route tree, and a strong RAC framework.”