The Los Angeles Chargers made 9 new additions to their team with this year’s draft. They added major skill and depth to QB Justin Herbert’s offense. Now that the draft has settled, all eyes are on how this new team will perform on the gridiron this new season. Like all the other 31 teams, the Chargers are gunning for the finish line with everything they’ve got. And HC Jim Harbaugh has a dream and a vision for his star quarterback.
Before he came to the Chargers as a first-round pick back in 2020, Justin Herbert was already a star. He had played 4 spectacular seasons for his college and won the William V. Campbell Trophy. This guy was a leader, an academic as well as an athletic success. With the Chargers last season, Herbert became the 3rd player in NFL history to have a massive 3,000+ passing yards and 20 TD passes in each of his first five seasons. Everything about this guy screamed elite, and that totally justified his first-round pick. And now, with this year’s draft class, Jim Harbaugh has given Herbert all he could need to make a Super Bowl run.
On the Rich Eisen Show, Jim Harbaugh was all praises when talking about Justin Herbert. And he’s even made a bold declaration for Herbert after waking up in the middle of the night one day, “I just woke up the other day and said, I gotta get Justin Herbert to the Hall of Fame.” Justin Herbert, Hall of Famer. That’s the vision Harbaugh has for his QB. He further added, “That would mean winning a couple of Super Bowls – there’d be a lot of people who would benefit, you know, from that. So that’s a worthy goal. And I think it’s necessary that we get him, you know, surrounded with as many good football players to his level as possible.” And that’s exactly what they did. They surrounded Herbert with talent that he could lead to greatness. Coming from a coach who’s a former QB himself, that speaks volumes.
Jim Harbaugh has a dream and it involves the #BoltUp head coach getting his QB to the @ProFootballHOF:#NFL #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/6FbpworjF7
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) May 2, 2025
Rich Eisen further asked Harbaugh what it’s like to watch a game film with Herbert, and Harbaugh went full praise mode. He compared Herbert to a chess player who thinks 8-10 moves ahead when breaking down game plays. Harbaugh said, “Those film sessions are Shane, the other quarterbacks, and Justin. Everybody’s contributing, and Justin’s taking everything in and processing. And, you know, every question is like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s, I didn’t think of that.’ Or ‘that’s the exact right question.’ – he wants to be great, but not in a way that it’s for his self-promotion, but, you know, for his teammates. So there’s nothing but respect at the highest level.” Remember when we said everything about Herbert screams elite? This is it right here. Jim Harbaugh, along with the rest of the team, is giving it their all to bring out the best plays possible for the new season.
The Chargers are banking on Justin Herbert with everything they’ve got. They are breaking down game plays with QB coach Shane Day. They’re also constantly thinking of how best to contribute to his plays. Case in point: this year’s draft class additions, and the Chargers’ whole take on Asante Samuel Jr.. They’re not banking on Samuel to join their ranks cause of his shoulder injury last season. And Jim Harbaugh has weighed in on another player with star potential that they’ve added to their roster. First-round pick running back – Omarion Hampton.
Jim Harbaugh on Chargers’ new RB
Omarion Hampton, just like Justin Herbert, is a first-round pick for the Chargers. A two-time First Team All-American as well as All-ACC, his three college seasons culminated in him being a finalist for the Doak Walker Award. He boasts a 4.46-second 40-yard dash time. But is that all? Nope. He has a career total of 3,565 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns.
On The Rich Eisen Show, Harbaugh also talked about how he had been following Hampton’s career long before he got drafted. The coach was even surprised that Hampton was available at their 22nd pick. “So I was tracking him through the season when you turn on games, knew about him, but then before the Combine, really started digging into every single position. You start to rank the guys and immediately just fired up about him.” That was a good decision, indeed.
Talking about what he liked the most about Hampton, Jim Harbaugh further added, “The ability to be a four-down back, the way he can catch the ball out of the backfield, the way he pass protects, the way he really kind of puts the team on his shoulders, and then meeting him in person at the Combine, NFL ready back, all boxes checked.” An ‘NFL ready back’ stamp of approval from the HC himself. That’s big. Harbaugh even says everyone from Hampton’s life you talk to “has nothing but glowing things to say.” What glowing things, you ask? Harbaugh already has the answer for you: “He’s the best player I’ve ever coached. He’s the kind of young man that I would want my daughter to marry.” That’s what people say about Omarion Hampton.
Rich Eisen showed a picture featuring Harbaugh and Hampton and noted how much bigger Harbaugh looked than Hampton. Harbaugh admitted he was definitely taller than Hampton but pointed out that Hampton’s build was more impressive. Speaking about his physique, Harbaugh drew a parallel with himself: “I bet if I got on a scale right now, I’d be 220 — his 224 is chiseled out of granite.” Yep, the Chargers had a running back “chiseled out of granite.” Omarion Hampton joined the ranks of the Chargers along with eight others and became part of a franchise that was ready to go all in with weapons for their QB that season. The 2025 season couldn’t start soon enough.
The post Jim Harbaugh Takes Major Responsibility for Justin Herbert’s Career With a Clear Message on Charger’s Draft Pick appeared first on EssentiallySports.