Nick Hampton NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Los Angeles Rams' Edge
HEIGHT: 6'2"
WEIGHT: 236
HAND: 9 1/2"
ARM: 33 5/8"
WINGSPAN: TBD
40-YARD DASH: 4.58
3-CONE: TBD
SHUTTLE: TBD
VERTICAL: 35.5"
BROAD: 10"
POSITIVES
– Accelerates off the line of scrimmage really well to put pressure on offensive tackles vertically.
– Can win with pure speed around the edge as a pass rusher, and he is solid at changing speeds and winning with a burst to throw off the tackle's aiming point.
– Sets up his pass rush moves well by getting square and giving himself a two-way go.
– Sells the bull rush well and has the quickness, change of direction and use of hands to pivot to the outside and win. Also uses this to win with an inside stick move as a counter to the speed rush.
– Has a wide array of outside moves he can win around the edge with, like a cross chop, hand swipe and rip.
– Decent at turning speed to power, he has good leverage and keeps his feet moving through contact to take advantage of tackles with a weaker base.
– Very bendy to turn tight corners at the top of a rush and takes good angles as a pass-rusher to take an efficient path to the quarterback. He's shown the ability to corner and get a sack against a five-yard drop.
– Recognizes when he reaches the point of no return and has good hand placement under the tackle's armpit to use their momentum against them when working back inside.
– Against the run, he's physical at the point of attack and has enough strength to get extension against and shed tight ends.
– Snap-to-whistle type of player who will make plays down the field.
NEGATIVES
– Lacks size and strength to hold up against NFL offensive linemen in the run game, he needs to add 15-20 pounds.
– Gets kicked out as the force player in run fits against pullers.
– Has to give up ground to get off blocks from linemen, widening the hole.
– Not much of a factor against the run in college, he was taken out on a lot of run downs.
– Struggles to get extension on his bull rush against tackles. He has a limited ability to win with power overall, meaning he can take advantage of a weakness like a shaky base but won't win in a "strength on strength" battle.
– Poor eye discipline when dropping in zone coverage, gets caught staring in the backfield too long.
– Not a good enough athlete to be comfortable dropping in coverage regularly.
NOTES
– DOB: April 5, 2000
– A 2-Star recruit in the 2018 class, No. 2,387 overall, 104 SDE, per 274Sports' composite rankings
– No. 84 on Bruce Feldman's list of exceptional athletes; incline presses 365 pounds, sumo deadlifts 600 pounds, 10'6" broad jump, 39" vertical, hit 21 mph on GPS, 1.20-second 10-yard sprint
– Injuries: 2021 (Undisclosed, missed 3 games)
– 29 career starts
– Career stats (five seasons): 175 total tackles (91 solo), 40 TFL, 26.5 sacks, 4 PD, 6 FFs
– 2022 Honors: First-Team All-Sun Belt (coaches), Team Captain
– 2021 Honors: First-Team All-Sun Belt (PFF), Third-Team All-Sun Belt (coaches)
– 2020 Honors: Honorable mention All-Sun Belt (PFF)
OVERALL
Group of six prospects are always a tough evaluation, but Appalachian State's Nick Hampton has a lot of traits that will transfer over to the NFL. He's lightning quick off the ball to win with speed around the edge and has several outside pass-rush moves at his disposal, too.
Also, he has flexible ankles and the bend to turn tight corners at the top of the rush, to go along with a good inside stick move to keep offensive tackles honest. Ultimately, he's a twitched-up and really athletic pass rusher who can get to the quarterback in a handful of ways.
Hampton's biggest issue is his size. Listed at just 235 pounds, he's simply not big and strong enough to play on running downs at the next level. Appalachian State would often take him out in a lot of running situations.
However, he's got plenty of athleticism to spare and has room for growth on his frame, so if he can put on some weight in an NFL training program, he could develop into an every-down player later on. That will also help him be more effective when turning speed to power, adding to his pass-rush arsenal.
Schematically, the Mountaineer would be best as a standup outside linebacker for a team that uses a lot of odd fronts.
GRADE: 6.2 (High-Level Developmental Prospect/Round 5)
OVERALL RANK: 156
POSITION RANK: EDGE19
PRO COMPARISON: Samson Ebukam
