Mel Kiper NFL Mock Draft 2025: Omarion Hampton to Cowboys After Jeanty to Raiders

One of the deepest running back classes in years has ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. expecting two ball carriers to be selected very high in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.

In his latest mock released on Tuesday, Kiper projected Ashton Jeanty to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 6 overall and Omarion Hampton to the Dallas Cowboys with the 12th pick.

The Raiders' offseason moves, most notably acquiring Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks, has opened up the possibilities for them in the draft. They no longer have to force a quarterback if they aren't in love with any of the first-round options.

While there are still a lot of needs on this roster, new Raiders head coach Pete Carroll loves to run the football. He frequently talked about needing to run the ball more often during his tenure with the Seattle Seahawks.

Jeanty had one of the best running-back seasons in college football history in 2024. His 2,601 rushing yards were the second-most by an FBS player, just 27 yards behind Barry Sanders' 1988 campaign (2,628).

Even though Jeanty is going to be the headliner in this running back class, Cowboys fans shouldn't be upset if Hampton ends up being their pick.

B/R's NFL scouting department has Jeanty ranked as the top back and No. 8 overall player, but Hampton is only two spots behind him at No. 10 on the overall list.

Hampton had one of the best athletic testing scores of any running back ever at the scouting combine. Kiper noted Hampton's performance in Indianapolis "firmed up his first-round case" because his testing was so impressive.

Both players are useful as receivers. Jeanty caught 66 passes over his final two seasons at Boise State. Hampton increased his reception totals every year at North Carolina from six in 2022 to 29 in 2023 to 38 last season.

The Raiders and Cowboys both need help at running back. Raheem Mostert, who signed a one-year, $2.1 million in free agency, is penciled in as Vegas' starter going into 2025.

Dallas is currently slated to have Javonte Williams as its lead back, with Miles Sanders and Deuce Vaughn also on the roster.

For a Cowboys team that ranked 27th in rushing yards per game (100.3) and tied for 27th in yards per carry (4.0), adding Hampton would fill a huge need and take some of the pressure off Dak Prescott in the passing game.