One prospect who may interest the Denver Broncos on day two or three of the 2025 NFL Draft is Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson. He is a 5’8”, 200-pound running back who is one of the more explosive backs in the entire draft. The Athletic’s draft analyst Dane Brugler has Sampson graded as his 80th overall prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft and ranks him as the seventh-best back in the entire draft.
Sampson played a total of three seasons at Tennessee and is coming off a breakout year for the Volunteers. During his three seasons with the team, he has totaled 422 carries for 2,492 yards, 5.9 yards per carry, and 35 rushing touchdowns while adding 40 receptions for 342 yards, and 1 touchdown. This past year, he totaled 258 carries for 1,491 yards, and 22 rushing touchdowns while adding 20 receptions for 143 yards.
Dylan Sampson is a touchdown machine.
He put up 22 TDs on 5.8 yards per carry in 2024, forcing 83 missed tackles with 929 yards after contact.
Sampson is extremely strong at the goalline despite only being listed at 5’11, 201lbs. Adding more strength will help clean up fumbles. pic.twitter.com/ILSaw4BuNW
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 1, 2025
Player Profile
Dylan Sampson | Running Back | Tennessee
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 200 pounds
Hands: 8 3⁄4 inches
Arm Length: 30 1⁄2 inches
Age: 20 years old
40-Yard Dash: 4.42 seconds (Pro Day)
Vertical Jump: 35 inches
Broad Jump: 10’4”
Bench Press: 13 reps
Film Room
Scouting Report
Strengths
Explosive athlete
Great long speed. dangerous in space, and consistently made defenders miss
Good contact balance and keeps his legs moving through contact
Flourished as a one-cut runner who used his jump cut to find open space and use his speed to gain big chunks of yards
Quick feet and agile
Showcased good vision
Despite his size, was effective between the tackles and had a nose for the end zone
Willing pass blocker
Weaknesses
Ball security concerns (had 4 fumbles last season)
Wasn’t used much in the passing game and wasn’t effective when used
While a willing pass blocker, he was slow to find the free blitzer and may not have the size to hold up consistently as a blocker in the NFL
Undersized back
What other analysts are saying about Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson
NFL.com’s draft analyst Lance Zierlein on RB Dylan Sampson
Compact back with good instincts and run-after-contact ability that propelled him to stardom in his lone season as a starter. Sampson separates himself from other backs in the class with an impressive feel for timing, spacing and blocking scheme. He sees lane development in real time and is disciplined to stay on the designed track, but he can flip a switch and improvise when traffic mounts. He can wiggle around tacklers or break free from their grasps. Ball security and pass protection improvement will be early priorities for his next coaching staff. Sampson plays with the instincts of a seasoned veteran and has the talent to build on what he started in 2024.
Final Thoughts
I like Dylan Sampson’s game overall but I just don’t see the fit with the Broncos.
Sampson is a talented and explosive one-cut runner who is coming off a very productive year for Tennessee. He proved he can run between the tackles and has the speed and vision to bounce it to the outside and use his speed to out run the defense. However, he wasn’t used much as a pass-catcher and when used, had some drops and does not have much of a route tree. As we know, Sean Payton loves to throw to his backs and I am simply not sure that Sampson can be that type of player.
On top of that, he has ball security issues and limitations as a pass blocker which make him a risky draft choice. The speed and running ability are great and make him an intriguing prospect, but he lacks the little things that Sean Payton looks for in a back.
With all that said, players can learn and grow and if Payton and the Broncos feel like they can mold him into the type of player they want, then that is a different story. For that, we will have to see, but I believe there are other backs who fit what Sean Payton wants better than Sampson.
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