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After Isiah Pacheco’s injury last season, the Kansas City Chiefs lacked an explosive runner in the backfield to generate chunk plays. Signing free agent Elijah Mitchell added juice to the team’s running back room, but Mitchell carries a concerning injury history and is on a cheap one-year deal. The Chiefs should explore more long-term options through the 2025 NFL draft.
Tennessee Volunteers running back Dylan Sampson is a young prospect with a track background that translates to the field. He’s on the smaller side at 5'8 1/8", 200 lbs., but playing at a light weight makes him an explosive runner capable of firing through narrow gaps and springing through cuts.
Sampson’s sudden acceleration and elite agility make him difficult to bring down in the open field. He explodes laterally for jump cuts that cover significant ground and leave defenders grasping at air. Sampson is a one-cut style runner with the second gear to erase pursuit angles and enough long speed to finish big plays in the end zone.
Sampson plays with a low center of gravity and churns his legs through contact. This makes it difficult for defenders to bring him down, especially if they try to tackle him high on his frame. His contact balance is good, but playing at such a light weight prevents it from reaching an elite threshold.
Sampson fumbled four times in 2024 and benefited from Tennessee’s offense spreading defenses out to create light boxes. Sampson checks many athletic boxes but falls short of elite in almost every category. He doesn’t display ideal twitch and elusiveness in the open field, instead preferring to be a linear speedster.
Sampson played a very limited role in Tennessee’s passing attack. He ran a short route tree and never had more than 200 receiving yards in a season. His size makes it a struggle to provide reasonable play in pass protection.
The Chiefs own picks 66, 95 and 133 in the third and fourth rounds. While the deep running back class should push some borderline top 100 talents into Day 3, it seems unlikely that Sampson reaches 133. That makes pick 95 the sweet spot if he’s the top running back left on Kansas City’s board on late Day 2.
This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: 2025 NFL draft scouting report: Tennessee Volunteers RB Dylan Sampson
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Tennessee Volunteers running back Dylan Sampson is a young prospect with a track background that translates to the field. He’s on the smaller side at 5'8 1/8", 200 lbs., but playing at a light weight makes him an explosive runner capable of firing through narrow gaps and springing through cuts.
Sampson’s sudden acceleration and elite agility make him difficult to bring down in the open field. He explodes laterally for jump cuts that cover significant ground and leave defenders grasping at air. Sampson is a one-cut style runner with the second gear to erase pursuit angles and enough long speed to finish big plays in the end zone.
Sampson plays with a low center of gravity and churns his legs through contact. This makes it difficult for defenders to bring him down, especially if they try to tackle him high on his frame. His contact balance is good, but playing at such a light weight prevents it from reaching an elite threshold.
Sampson fumbled four times in 2024 and benefited from Tennessee’s offense spreading defenses out to create light boxes. Sampson checks many athletic boxes but falls short of elite in almost every category. He doesn’t display ideal twitch and elusiveness in the open field, instead preferring to be a linear speedster.
Sampson played a very limited role in Tennessee’s passing attack. He ran a short route tree and never had more than 200 receiving yards in a season. His size makes it a struggle to provide reasonable play in pass protection.
The Chiefs own picks 66, 95 and 133 in the third and fourth rounds. While the deep running back class should push some borderline top 100 talents into Day 3, it seems unlikely that Sampson reaches 133. That makes pick 95 the sweet spot if he’s the top running back left on Kansas City’s board on late Day 2.
This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: 2025 NFL draft scouting report: Tennessee Volunteers RB Dylan Sampson
Continue reading...
