Omarion Hampton
Getty
LA Chargers rookie is predicted to win the OROY.
Even though the NFL season doesn’t start until September, reporters and analysts are already dropping their predictions for the 2026 NFL Honors.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer predicts that the Los Angeles Chargers’ 2025 NFL Draft first-round pick will win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award in his latest NFL Mailbag.
When asked “Who do you think is going to be NFL rookie of the year?” in the mailbag:
“On offense, give me Chargers running back Omarion Hampton. The continued investment by Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz in the offensive line, the run-game ingenuity of OC Greg Roman, and the plug-and-play nature of the position gives Hampton a slight edge over the Raiders’ Ashton Jeanty (I think both will rush for over 1,200 yards),” Breer writes.
“And I’m just not sure the infrastructure around Cam Ward or Tetairoa McMillan is strong enough for either guy to put together the kind of stats it takes to win the award.”
The Chargers brought in Mekhi Becton on a two-year deal and brought back Bradley Bozeman to help reinforce the run game in the City of Angels.
Odds to Win OROY
Omarion Hampton
GettyChargers RB Omarion Hampton
ProFootballFocus released a list of the top offensive and defensive players to win rookie of the year on their respective sides of the ball.
PFF gave Omarion Hampton a +1600 to win the award, behind favorite Ashton Jeanty (+200) and four other players.
The players ahead of Hampton are on teams rebuilding, while the Chargers aim to make the playoffs for a second consecutive season.
“Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman love to run the football. Najee Harris may stand in Hampton’s way a bit early on, but that shouldn’t prevent the North Carolina product from taking on a lead role after being selected 22nd overall,” Dalton Wasserman wrote for PFF.
Competing for Snaps
Najee Harris
GettyNajee Harris will join the Chargers after rushing for over 1,000 yards in the 2024-25 season.
Before selecting Omarion Hampton with the first round, the Los Angeles Chargers signed former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris on a one-year deal.
Hampton sees himself pairing with Harris instead of competing, allowing the team to have a prominent run game in the future under Greg Roman’s playbook.
“We know they’re going to run the ball, so I’m loving it,” Hampton said this week, via The Jim Rome Show. “I’m excited, we got me and Najee, a dominant duo backfield. I’m excited to learn from him, I’m excited to get out there. We got a good offensive line, a good quarterback. I feel like we’re building something special here.”
Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh told CBS he is excited for the new running back duo, that they will make a great combination and there will be plenty of carries going between the two.