The AFC West may have two of the league’s most intriguing young running backs ready to take a leap in 2026, and the early edge in that conversation might not go where plenty of people expected.
Ashton Jeanty entered the league as the obvious No. 6 overall pick in 2025, while Omarion Hampton arrived a little more quietly at No. 22.
Both rookies ran into the same kind of problem: talent was never the issue, but the environment around them made life hard. Injuries, shaky blocking and uneven offensive support kept both from showing their best version right away.
Jeanty’s first season was the fuller sample. He appeared in all 17 games, but finished with 975 yards and five touchdowns on 3.7 yards per carry. He also had just 1.6 yards before contact per attempt, a number that tells the story of how little room he had to work with.
Hampton’s rookie year was shorter and rougher in a different way. A serious injury limited him to nine games, and he still managed 545 yards and four scores while averaging 4.4 yards per carry.
That’s why the next step for both players feels so important. Jeanty’s breakout may look easier to project, but Hampton has started to get more attention as his situation improves. Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport recently highlighted the changes around him, pointing to the offensive line makeover and the new direction on that side of the ball.
“Over four seasons making the play calls in Miami, McDaniel's Dolphins teams amassed over 8,000 rushing yards and averaged 4.6 yards per carry,” Davenport wrote. “With a healthy Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater at tackle and a revamped interior, an offensive line that was a weakness for the Bolts in 2025 could be a strength this season.”
The Chargers have added Tyler Biadasz and Cole Strange through free agency at center and guard, and second-round pick Jake Slaughter is expected to try to make the jump from center to guard.
The biggest shift, though, is Mike McDaniel taking over as offensive coordinator. That change should give the Chargers a more modern and efficient offense, which in turn should make Hampton’s job easier.
The Raiders, meanwhile, are still in the middle of a messy rebuild and dealing with Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza in the quarterback mix. With that backdrop, it’s not hard to imagine Hampton making a stronger Year 2 push than Jeanty, even if Jeanty was the more obvious breakout candidate at the start.
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