Three Pack of Tar Heels- 2025 NFL Draft

The 2024 college football season is coming to an end, so you know what that means? The 2025 NFL draft is coming soon, as well. Draft Nation is here to guide you through the prospects and how they can help NFL teams.

Here is a three pack of North Carolina players who are looking to get selected in the 2025 NFL draft.

RB  Omarion Hampton, North Carolina

6-foot-0 220 lbs

2024 stats: 1,660 yards rushing 15 touchdowns

What to like about Omarion Hampton

Hampton has an elite burst off the snap and gets to the holes quickly, making it hard for linebackers to react in time. He looks to run people over and is physical in every aspect of his game. He will put his head down and go through defenders, helping him pick up extra yards.

Hampton's vision allows him to bounce outside when the holes are congested, and he does an excellent job of using his vision when picking up blitzing defenders in the passing game. He is a willing blocker who will step up and stick a defender who is flying in to put pressure on the quarterback. He has the ability to be an every down back and demonstrates dependable hands and quality route running in the passing game.

Reason for concern

Hampton has a habit, especially later in games, of running too upright, making it easier for defenders to get a good hit on him. When he runs stiff and upright it also hurts his balance and it affects his power. Hampton is more north and south runner than other top prospects and he has trouble slowing down for cutback opportunities. He will sell out to put a hit on a defender instead of keeping his balance and being able to bounce off and keep churning.

Draft Projection

Third-Round pick

Tight End Bryson Nesbit, North Carolina

5-foot-10 196 lbs

2024 stats: 24 receptions for 264 yards and 3 touchdowns in seven games

What to like about Bryson Nesbit 

Some upsides to Nesbit’s game are his reliable hands, contested catch ability, and run after catch. Nesbit appears as a tight end on the roster, but has the athletic ability of a wideout. This is the reason why UNC has split him out wide on so many snaps. He has great hands and a large catch radius. This combined with his impressive stature makes him a matchup nightmare for most DBs. He has a great ability to elevate and use his length to make contested catches while still having the moves to be creative after the catch. He may not be the fastest pass-catcher, but he has the agility and make-miss ability to be very effective in the open field. With these skills, he is a threat to make plays all over including around the line of scrimmage with TE screens or down the field with 50/50 balls. He is also a great red zone target with the ability to elevate for a pass.

Reason for concern

The part of Nesbit’s game which draws the most criticism is his blocking. He has a high center of gravity and tends to stand too high while setting blocks. This allows defenders to gain leverage on him by playing lower to the ground and pushing him backwards to affect the run. He is also a tweener who is not quite fast enough to play WR full time but has a slightly undersized frame for the average NFL tight end. 

Draft Projection

Fourth or Fifth round pick

Linebacker Kaimon Rucker, North Carolina

6-foot-3 290 lbs

2024 stats: 28 tackles  8-tackles for a loss  5.5 sacks

What to like about Kaimon Rucker

Rucker sets the edge well by using his strength to keep ball carriers from reaching the outside. He plays very low to the ground and uses his length and leverage to make plays that other edge rushers may not be able to make on running backs attempting to hit a gap. His tackling skills make him a great run-stopper.

Reason for concern

A few possible downsides to Rucker’s game are his lack of speed in the open field and agility off the line. Rucker is not necessarily slow, but he will have some trouble chasing down a speedy or agile ball carrier outside of the pocket or backfield. He makes up for this with his great tackling ability but would not be a good option to drop back into coverage or to the outside.

Draft Projection

Sixth round pick