The Denver Broncos would be wise to target a prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft that everyone seems to be overlooking during the pre-draft process.
It’s no secret that Denver needs to add some playmakers to the roster this offseason to help quarterback Bo Nix.
Specifically, the Broncos could use a play-making running back that can also be productive in the passing game.
A great option in the middle rounds (third or fourth round) would be Tennessee Vols running back Dylan Sampson.
Sampson, 5-foot-10/205 lbs from Baton Rouge, LA, proved to be a dynamic runner for the Vols over the last three seasons.
In 2024, which was Sampson’s only season as the featured running back in Tennessee’s offense, the former four-star recruit set a Volunteers single-season program record with 1,491 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns.
Sampson has been compared to New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (who also played at Tennessee) thanks to his elite burst and ability to break tackles in the open field.
The Louisiana native has said in the past that he models his game after Kamara.
Some of Kamara’s best seasons in the NFL came in New Orleans with current Broncos head coach Sean Payton. Landing the next Kamara in the middle rounds of the draft seems like a no-brainer for the Broncos.
Dylan Sampson is more than what his numbers show
Part of the reason Kamara has been so successful in the NFL is his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield (that’s something Kamara excelled at during his time with Payton).
Statistically, that wasn’t a big part of Sampson’s game at Tennessee (40 receptions for 342 yards and one touchdown in three seasons).
But there’s a reason for that. Tennessee’s offense, which utilizes wide splits, often requires the running back to help in pass protection on non-running plays (as a result, Sampson’s pass protection steadily improved during his time in Knoxville). There just aren’t many opportunities for running backs to catch the ball in Tennessee’s offense.
Sampson is elite in the open field, so I don’t think his lack of receptions at Tennessee is a sign that he can’t be productive in the passing game at the next level — he just needs opportunities.
Beyond the on-field abilities that Sampson brings to the table, he also has great intangibles. Sampson was a key team leader for Tennessee during his last two seasons on Rocky Top. For example, after the Vols’ win against Iowa in the Citrus Bowl to end the 2023 season, Sampson challenged his teammates to immediately start putting in the work for the 2024 season.
Sampson was a beloved player by his Tennessee teammates throughout the 2024 season, which tells you all you need to know about how that message was received in the locker room.
On-field production is obviously important, but it’s the intangibles (leadership, competitiveness, toughness, buy-in, teamwork, etc) that truly determine how successful a player will be in the NFL.
Sampson checks all the boxes that an NFL team could want. And considering the success that Payton had with a similar player in Kamara in the past, it seems obvious that Sampson would be a tremendous fit in the Broncos’ offense.
