Inside NFL Draft-Day drama: Did Chargers play hardball with Eagles over Omarion Hampton?

In a league where smokescreens and last-second moves define legacies, the 2025 NFL Draft nearly saw a trade that could’ve shifted two franchises’ futures. Behind closed doors and blurred audio clips, a near-agreement between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Chargers fell apart leaving fans and insiders wondering: Did the Chargers overplay their hand, or did the Eagles blink first?


Draft nights are notorious for chaos, but this year, a particularly intriguing moment unfolded at pick No. 22. As the Los Angeles Chargers sat on the clock, phone lines buzzed with urgency. On the other end? Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles, reportedly eager to move up. According to NFL insiders like Ian Rapoport and Mike Florio, both teams were deep in discussions before the Chargers opted to select North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton.
Leaked audio from the Eagles' "Unscripted" series peeled back the curtain. “Do his deal or no deal,” Roseman relayed, quoting Chargers GM Joe Hortiz. That deal at a minimum, the No. 64 pick and possibly more. Just moments later, Roseman redirected his focus to the Packers and then struck a trade with the Chiefs at 23, selecting Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell.
What complicates matters is Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh’s post-draft comments. Speaking to The Rich Eisen Show, Harbaugh said multiple teams including Philly were aggressively trying to move up. “For this player, it’s going to have to be something that blows us away,” Harbaugh said, suggesting the Chargers knew Hampton was their guy and weren’t bluffing.
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But was that confidence or hubris? Draft boards across the league reportedly had Hampton pegged as a mid-second-rounder. To some, the Chargers reaching at No. 22 and refusing to move back, reeks of inflexibility. Others argue it’s a bold swing for a potential star in a thinning talent pool. Ironically, the two teams did eventually make a minor trade in the fifth round, with the Chargers sending picks No. 181 and 209 to Philly for No. 165. But the magnitude of what could have been at No. 22 still overshadows that later deal.