Dylan Sampson, Tennessee: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Sampson was a three-star recruit from Dutchtown High School in Geismar, La. in the class of 2022
Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson lacks the size of a traditional every-down running back but is an explosive athlete with a history of generating big plays. He might climb into the top 100 of the 2025 NFL Draft, but this year’s deep running back class could push him into the fourth round.
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Dylan Sampson, RB Tennessee: 2025 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Junior running back from Baton Rouge, La.
Background: Sampson was a three-star recruit from Dutchtown High School in Geismar, La. in the class of 2022. He was the No. 444 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 393 for On3.com. Sampson was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 78 grade out of 100. He broke Eddie Lacy’s Dutchtown record by amassing 4,927 career rushing yards on 521 carries. As a senior, Sampson served as a team captain and earned All-State honors for totaling 22 touchdowns and 1,673 all-purpose yards, including 1,374 rushing yards. He was The Advocate’s 2020 Most Outstanding Offensive Player and made the Class 5A-4A All-Metro Team. Sampson was a finalist for the 2021 Warrick Dunn Award. As a junior, he recorded 1,327 rushing yards for 15 touchdowns in just eight games. Sampson also made a name for himself on the track. He ran a 10.48 100-meter dash, 21.16 200-meter dash, and 6.90 60-meter sprint. Sampson earned All-Metro honors in track in 2022. He was born on Sept. 14, 2004.
Injuries & Off-Field: Missed 2022 Florida game, left 2024 Mississippi State game but returned in second half, limited by hamstring injury vs. Ohio State (2024)
Awards: 2024 First Team All-SEC (RB, All-Purpose), 2024 Third Team All-American (AP), 2024 Second Team All-American (The Athletic, FWAA, Sporting News, SI, USA Today, Walter Camp), 2024 SEC Offensive Player of the Year
Pros: Age, quick processing to evade chaos in the backfield and gain positive yards, tempos run to patiently wait for blockers to open hole, slips through narrow gaps, uses blockers well in space, stop-start acceleration, springiness to each step, killer jump cut covers good ground, jump cuts make defenders miss in the hole, one-cut burst to get upfield quickly, accelerates away from crashing backside run defenders, burst to outrace linebackers to the edge, track background translates, explosive burst/second gear, erases some linebacker and safety angles, long strider in space, long speed to finish big runs, good not great contact balance, low center of gravity makes him difficult to bring down, lowers shoulder to meet and survive high tackle attempts, churns legs through contact, bounces or spins off high contact, spin move, handful of good pass pro moments
Cons: Four fumbles in 2024, beneficiary of Tennessee scheme creating light boxes, undersized frame lacks outstanding mass, not a pile mover, struggles to escape when wrapped up, lack of mass shows up on some easy tackles, lifted off the ground on tackles by several linebackers, occasionally misses cutback opportunities, not an elite angle eraser, limited twitch and elusiveness in open field, limited route tree and involvement in passing game, offers very little in pass pro, poor vision and lacks mass in pass pro
Overview: Overview: Sampson is a young, one-cut running back with impressive speed. His quick processing and light footwork help him evade chaos when defenders penetrate the backfield early in the play. He patiently waits for his blockers to establish themselves before accelerating. Sampson has an undersized frame that lacks mass. This limits his effectiveness between the tackles but makes it easier for him to slip through narrow gaps. Sampson is springy with the stop-start acceleration and explosive jump cuts to make defenders miss in tight spaces. He uses jump cuts to make defenders miss in the hole. The Louisiana native makes sharp cuts upfield and displays the immediate acceleration and burst to reach the second level. He’s fast enough to outrace linebackers to the edge and uses his second gear to erase pursuit angles from some linebackers and safeties. Sampson is a long strider who uses his blockers well in space. His long speed makes him a threat to house big runs, but he’s not immune to being caught from behind. He offers surprising contact balance because he runs with a low center of gravity. Sampson drops his shoulder to meet would-be tacklers and bounces or spins off high tackle attempts. He churns his legs through contact to pick up extra yards. The All-SEC selection benefited heavily from Tennessee’s offensive scheme spreading the field and creating light boxes. He isn’t a traditional between-the-tackles runner and struggles to escape wrap up tackles. His lack of mass shows up on some plays where he goes down easily. Sampson’s vision sometimes hides cutback lanes and leaves yards on the table. His track background translates to the field, but he isn’t an elite angle eraser. Sampson relies more on straight line speed and vertical cuts than twitch and creativity. He uses a spin move but isn’t very elusive in the open field. The junior played a limited role in Tennessee’s passing game. He runs a limited route tree and offers very little in pass protection. He had a few good moments protecting the quarterback that hint at long-term potential, but his vision and lack of mass make him unreliable in the role right now. Sampson fumbled four times in 2024.
Overall, Sampson is an undersized one-cut runner who projects as a change of pace option in a committee. He lacks the size, dynamic running style, and proven three-down skill set to be a workhorse. In a deep running back class, Sampson could be positioned for an extended slide.
Role & Scheme Fit: Change of pace back in a gap or wide zone scheme
Round Projection: Fourth Round
Size: 5'8 1/8", 200 lbs. (NFL Combine)
Submitted: 03-10-25