Subscribe
Follow Us
After enduring a rough 2024 campaign and a slow start to the offseason, it's clear that the Dallas Cowboys need to hit it big in the 2025 NFL draft. In his final mock draft, Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN surprisingly had the Cowboys reach at the No. 12 pick and select North Carolina football running back Omarion Hampton, and he recently explained why he believes that could happen.
While Dallas missed the playoffs last season, their roster isn't as far away from contending for Super Bowls as it seems. They do need some playmakers on offense, though, particularly at the running back spot. That could lead them to target Hampton, who is viewed as a complete running back and one of the top overall prospects in this draft class by Kiper.
“Well, a lot of people think the Cowboys aren’t that far away, and of course they have had a running back in their past when they had Ezekiel Elliott and also Emmitt Smith,” Kiper said on his First Draft Podcast. “Omarion Hampton is a complete back, make no mistake about it; he’s a hell of a football player.”
“If you’re the Dallas Cowboys, and you got Dak Prescott, and you got a running back like this who’s complete, they don’t have anybody like this on their roster the last time I checked. Why not? … He’s got to go in the first round. He’s a Top 10 to 15 best player in this draft.”
Could Cowboys select Omarion Hampton with No. 12 overall pick?
It's clear that Boise State football running back Ashton Jeanty is the top option at the position in this draft class, and if he were to fall to the Cowboys at the No. 12 pick, that would seemingly be a home-run selection for them.
However, there's no guarantee he will make it that far, which could force them to pivot to Hampton. Rather than potentially trading back and trying to have him fall to them, Kiper believes Dallas just bites the bullet and drafts Hampton with the No. 12 pick.
Could this be too high for the Cowboys? Sure, but sometimes filling needs is more important than drafting for value, and that could result in Hampton landing with Dallas when all is said and done. The 2025 NFL draft is set to get underway on Thursday, April 24 at 8 p.m. ET, and time will tell whether or not Kiper's prediction for the Cowboys ends up coming true.
