In the absence of four-year starter Najee Harris, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ running back search added three new names — officially — to the growing list of candidates on April 9, with the headliner being potential first-round draft talent Omarion Hampton.
Along with Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, the Steelers hosted Hampton (North Carolina) and Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II on Wednesday, according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette beat writer Ray Fittipaldo.
A couple of hours later on April 9, The Draft Network’s Justin Melo also reported that UCF ball carrier RJ Harvey told him he has a pre-draft visit scheduled with the Steelers too. Melo revealed this bit of information after interviewing Harvey exclusively.
Where Do Potential Steelers Draft Targets Omarion Hampton, Ollie Gordon & RJ Harvey Rank Within 2025 RB Class?
The Athletic’s NFL draft expert Dane Brugler released his comprehensive prospect guide, “The Beast,” on April 9. Within it, he included his full 2025 running back ranking.
No matter who you ask, Hampton seems to be the consensus RB2 of this draft class behind Ashton Jeanty. Brugler did not disagree, ranking the 6-foot North Carolina product 29th overall in his top 100.
Harvey, standing at 5-foot-8, made Brugler’s top 10 running back ranking as well, at No. 8. He placed 93rd in the top 100 overall.
Out of the three, Gordon (6-foot-1) was the only one to rank outside of Brugler’s top 100. He’s currently the 14th RB on Brugler’s board.
Omarion Hampton & Ollie Gordon Are Bigger Running Backs With Plus Acceleration & Contact Balance
In terms of skillset, Hampton and Gordon are much more similar than Harvey. As you’d expect, the potential first rounder is the most well-rounded of the three.
At 22 years of age, Hampton is a former two-year starter and two-time 1,500-yard rusher. He can also catch the football well with just under 600 receiving yards over the past two seasons.
Brugler describes Hampton as a “proven” durable workhorse with an “NFL-ready frame.”
“Hampton quickly reads the blocking scheme and collects his feet to accelerate through congestion or press and cut toward slivers of daylight,” Brugler noted. “Once he gets north-south, he will mash the gas pedal into second-level defenders, but sometimes does so at the expense of his balance.”
Where Hampton and Gordon are similar is in their “bruising” style that relies on power and contact balance.
At Oklahoma State, Gordon (21 years old) ran for over 1,700 yards in 2023, earning unanimous All-America honors. With less help around him in 2024, however, he struggled with just 880 rushing yards.
Brugler explained why, in his opinion, stating that Gordon “has somewhat of an identity crisis as a runner.”
“He has a wide, balanced gait and the acceleration to make defenders miss. But what he faced in the Big 12 wasn’t close to the NFL pursuit he’ll see, and he must embrace his size to be more of a banger through contact,” the draft expert wrote.
Gordon is one of the bigger backs in the draft, but Brugler expressed throughout that he needs to display even more physicality. As a positive, he also said that Gordon’s “promise as a blocker and pass catcher will help his chances on an NFL depth chart.”
Both Hampton and Gordon could have what it takes to lead a backfield — although Hampton is more “can’t miss.”
RJ Harvey Is Former Quarterback With ‘Dynamic Make-You-Miss’ Elusiveness
There’s a lot to like about Harvey as a runner too, but he’s different from Hampton and Gordon. While those two have both been bell-cow RBs for most of their football careers, Harvey is a former quarterback who only switched positions at UCF.
He ended up taking over RB1 duties in his final two seasons, amassing nearly 3,000 rushing yards over the two-year span.
“Though he doesn’t have the power to drive through the first level, he is a dynamic make-you-miss runner with his tempo and burst (54 carries of 10 or more yards in 2024), which made him a frequent visitor to the end zone (UCF-record 48 total touchdowns),” Brugler scouted.
Continuing: “Overall, Harvey needs to develop better consistency on passing downs, but he is skilled at patiently settling his feet and changing lanes with his instinctive field vision and lateral quickness. Similar in ways to Tyjae Spears, he projects best in a timeshare role in the NFL.”
A major strike against Harvey is that he’ll be 24 years old by the time the 2025 campaign begins. In relation to the Steelers, he also might be too similar to current depth chart leaders Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell.
