Cowboys take 'home-run hitter' in latest mock draft

Hampton led the ACC with 1,660 yards rushing last season and totaled 3,565 yards and 36 touchdowns in three years as a Tar Heel. He also had 635 yards and four scores receiving in his college career.

NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein calls Hampton a “high-volume battering ram with a three-ingredient recipe of size, strength and aggression,” noting that “he runs like a downhill truck whose brake lines have been cut.”

It's an apt description, as the 6-foot-1, 220-pound prospect is certainly hard to bring down. Per Pro Football Focus, his 1,222 yards after contact were second-most in the FBS last season. He’s rarely stopped without a gang tackle, which Zierlein fears could be a problem down the road.

“He absorbs rare levels of heavy contact that could create durability or longevity issues if he doesn’t learn to pick and choose his battles,” Zierlein says. 

He also believes Hampton lacks adequate elusiveness, which forces him to bang into blockers, and can be too eager to leave his feet and take abuse in the air.

Still, Kiper has Hampton ranked as the second-best running back in the draft and 19th-best prospect overall on his latest Big Board. He calls him a reliable pass-catcher out of the backfield and an impressive all-purpose performer. 

Hampton recently met with the team while at the NFL Scouting Combine. He offered few details when asked about the meeting beyond saying, “It was amazing to get to know those guys, get to know the coaches." 

If Kiper is right, Hampton would become the first Cowboys running back taken in the first round since Ezekiel Elliott in 2016.