The Kansas City Chiefs could be in the market for a running back in the 2025 NFL Draft — and Tennessee back Dylan Sampson could be a player on their radar.
Sampson is a dynamic speedster who rushed for over 1,000 yards in the 2024 season, and he could be a hot commodity the weekend of the draft.
Player profile
Sampson isn’t the biggest back in the world, but he makes up for it with good speed and explosion.
Sampson didn’t participate in the NFL Combine in March, but at his pro day, he recorded a 4.42-second 40-yard dash and an impressive 2.59-second 20-yard split. While his 10-yard split of 1.58 seconds falls into the more average range, this is typically the yardage range where Sampson would be reading blocks and getting ready to accelerate.
Sampson also scored well in the broad jump category, which showed his ability to create power through his hips from a prone position.
The critics of his game will point to his size and stature as possible pitfalls, but his tape shows a player who plays bigger than his frame.
Explosion
Sampson provided plenty out of the backfield in a Tennessee offense predicated on explosive plays.
Sampson is eyeing the space the entire time, but the well-timed juke sucks in the defenders and ensures once he turns on the second gear he will have room to run. pic.twitter.com/8txPtRnITd
— Caleb James (@CJScoobs) April 1, 2025
Against a light box, Tennessee goes with an offset zone look to Sampson. After taking the handoff and following his lead blocker, Sampson approaches both backers in the box, using a perfectly timed cut to blow past them and find the open field.
His burst out of the cut is impressive and showcases how quickly he can accelerate once he is in the open field. He can’t quite finish the play in the end zone, but in just one snap, he totally flipped the field and gave his team all the momentum.
Sampson’s burst is most noticeable on the outside, and where he can be at his most dangerous.
I love how patient Dylan Sampson is once he first gets the handoff, and then how explosive he is once he decides to turn on the jets. He out runs every angle every defender has on this one. pic.twitter.com/PZnEdHaNRd
— Caleb James (@CJScoobs) April 1, 2025
Running a counter look, Sampson patiently waits in the backfield for his blockers to get in position, and once he feels the defenders suck in closer to the line of scrimmage he turns on the jets.
He quickly outruns the angles taken by the Alabama defenders and is finally knocked out of bounds after a gain of around 20 yards. In one run, he was able to pick up one-fifth of the football field, which would set his team up for success and keep the defense on their toes.
Vision and patience
Oftentimes, fast college backs can lack patience and the vision needed to find a hole in the NFL. This is not the case for Sampson. He is a mature ball carrier for a college back, and this should translate well to the NFL.
Tennessee goes with a zone look, and initially, nothing is there for Sampson. The Alabama defensive line and linebackers should fill their gaps, bottling him up. Sampson waits for the tight end to initiate his kickout block on the backside of the run and quickly bursts through the hole that opens up.
He shows some fight to end the play and turns what could have been a loss into a decent gain.
Making men miss and contact balance
The biggest talking point for Sampson during this draft cycle has been his speed, but his moves in the open field and contact balance are underrated, especially for a player of his size.
Sampson’s uses of juke moves and other quick cuts to set up his burst were some of the best in college football last season, and this goes back to his overall vision and anticipation of plays. He uses the threat of his speed to draw in defenders, and then puts them on skates.
While Sampson isn’t the largest back, he runs tough and fights for every yard he can.
His contact balance comes from his strong base, and he makes defenders look surprised at times at how hard he is to bring down. It is not in the cards for him to be a power back in the NFL, but he does have the sneaky play strength to break arm tackles and turn good runs into great runs.
The bottom line
With any player selected in the NFL Draft, there is give and take, with Sampson being no exception. A few of the weaker points of his game include ball security and his overall comfort in the passing game.
Sampson fumbled four times in 2024 as a Volunteer, and it is one of the largest questions scouts have had on him during the evaluation process.
Tennessee does not use their backs very frequently in the passing game — partially due to their downfield philosophy — so they had minimal snaps to show off their prowess as a receiver. Pass protection is an area where he struggled greatly in college, and this is an area where the Chiefs have valued backs who are solid in pass protection to keep Patrick Mahomes safe.
The “give” to Sampson’s game are all fair critiques, which could have him off the Chiefs radar, but the “take” could add another layer to the offense.
The Chiefs have failed to have backs capable of explosive runs through most of the Mahomes era, but to have a back capable of flipping the field on any given play could make a good offense even better, and help return them to the dangerous form of the 2018-2020 teams.
The team has relied on reliable runners who hold onto the ball and are good at pass protection, but at times, this has caused them to leave yards on the field and made them less dynamic overall.
If Sampson were in a backfield alongside Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco, he would play the role of the “home run hitter.” He could provide a tremendous balance to the skills of Pacheco and Hunt, all while providing a new element for defenders to attempt to stop.
