Saquan

Hampton

Hampton forced an incompletion on 16.7% of his targeted passes in 2018, highest rate among B1G safeties. Hampton will try to earn a role on special teams out of training camp.

Zierlein describes Hampton (6'1/206) as a player with “good size whose college versatility could get whittled down to a more specific role.” Hampton tested well at the NFL Scouting Combine, producing a 69th percentile SPARQ athletic composite score. His medicals may be a bit of a concern to some teams as both of his shoulders had suffered serious injuries at points throughout his sophomore and junior seasons. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller is much more optimistic on Hampton’s draft stock calling him a top-60 player in March. He’ll likely be a Day 3 selection in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Hampton (6'1/206) ran a speedy 4.48 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine and played well on a “terrible defense” at Rutgers last season. Miller cites Hampton’s injuries to both shoulders during his sophomore and junior seasons as the potential “knock” that’s preventing a top-60 selection. He’s a “tough, smart, athletic safety” who Miller believes will be a Day 2 selection.

Not only did Hampton (6'1/207) pick off two passes, he also had 10 tackles in the loss against the Badgers. As Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy points out, this is not a top-heavy safety group, but there are a bunch of mid-range players at the position, and Hampton is one of them. “The attribute that showed up most in the game against the Badgers was his ball skills,” Nagy writes. “During our tape study, we liked him the most when the ball was in the air. On both his two picks last Saturday, one when he drove on an out route and another where he undercut a corner route, Hampton looked really natural playing the ball.” Nagy also notes his deep-ball skills, and that he looks comfortable playing in the middle of the field. If other teams feel the way Nagy does, there’s a good chance he’s off the board before Day 3, or not long after it starts.