NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – NOVEMBER 30: Dylan Sampson #6 of the Tennessee Volunteers runs the ball … More
In a loaded running back class, Dylan Sampson is one of the more interesting names for 2025 dynasty rookie rankings. Sampson shows elite speed on his film and his recent 40-yard dash time backs that up.
While Sampson isn’t the most complete back in the class, he certainly has a few traits that really make him stand out. Below, we’ll be breaking down Sampson’s profile and putting him in my 2025 rookie rankings.
Dylan Sampson: Prospect Profile
At Miami’s pro day, Sampson showed off his speed, running a 4.42, 40-yard dash. Sampson has great burst and he’s able to make big plays happen with ease. He also shows off good vision, which can be an uncommon trait for these faster backs.
One of the main knocks against Sampson is his size. At 5’ 8’’ and 200 lbs, Sampson doesn’t fit the modern prototype of a three-down back. Even though we saw Sampson handle 258 carries in 2024, it’s unlikely that he’ll carry that kind of workload in the NFL.
On top of that, Sampson isn’t a great receiver and he’s had fumble issues in the past. In just 2024, Sampson had four fumbles on the year.
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE – NOVEMBER 09: Dylan Sampson #6 of the Tennessee Volunteers runs with the ball … More
Projected NFL Draft Capital
When you consider how deep this running back group is, Sampson is a late-day-two talent for me. It seems like the NFL Mock Draft Database community slightly disagrees, ranking him at 97th overall (fourth round).
Going in the third vs fourth round would be a huge plus for Sampson. This study shows that running backs drafted in round three vs round four have a 5% higher chance of becoming an RB1 and a 9% chance of becoming an RB2.
Steve Bradshaw’s Rookie Rankings
After looking at Sampson’s profile, he’s officially RB10 in my 2025 dynasty rookie rankings. Sampson has a high ceiling, but he’s rough around the edges. With a lower floor than most running backs in this class, he has to drop down the rankings.
In a Superflex league, Sampson is my 31st overall ranked prospect and in a 1QB format, he jumps to 30th overall.
If Sampson does end up going in the third round, he’ll automatically rise up slightly higher than this.
