Cleveland Browns select Dylan Sampson in 4th round of 2025 NFL Draft

The Cleveland Browns selected Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He was picked with the No. 126 overall selection of the draft.

Sampson enjoyed a breakout season in the 2024-2025 campaign, making a name for himself in Volunteer school history. He had 258 carries for 1,491 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. Sampson reeled in an extensive amount of hardware this year, including SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors.

He led the SEC and ranked tied for fourth nationally in rushing touchdowns. Sampson not only led the SEC in rushing yards per game (114.69), but he set single-season program records for total touchdowns scored (22), rushing touchdowns (22), points scored (132), rushing yards (1,491), and consecutive games with a rushing touchdown (11).

Sampson ranked 11th nationally this season in all-purpose yards (1,638 yards). 929 of his 1,491 rushing yards came after contact. His 35 career rushing touchdowns rank him tied for second in Tennessee football history, right behind Gene McEver (37) and tied with James Stewart (35). His 2,492 career rushing yards currently ranks ninth in Volunteer program history, putting him ahead of Montario Hardesty (2,391).

Tennessee enjoyed a special season this year, finishing with a 10-3 overall record, making it all the way to the 2025 College Football Playoff. The Volunteers were ousted in the first round by the Ohio State Buckeyes, 42-17.

As a sophomore in 2023, he enjoyed a solid all-purpose season, playing in 12 games for the Volunteers. He ranked second on the team in rushing, carrying the rock 106 times for 604 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns.

Sampson averaged 5.7 yards per carry, ranking second on the team and eighth in the SEC. As a receiver, he hauled in 17 catches for 175 yards and one touchdown. He punched in four touchdowns against Virginia–the most by a Tennessee running back since John Kelly Jr. had four rushing touchdowns in their 2017 opener against Georgia Tech.

As a freshman in 2022, he flashed ability, tallying 397 yards on 58 carries with six touchdowns in his debut campaign. Sampson also averaged 6.84 yards per carry, while ranking second among SEC freshmen in rushing touchdowns. He played in 10 games, earning SEC Freshman of the Week honors in their regular-season finale. He also helped the Volunteers set a single-game record for yards per carry (11.7).

As a high school prospect coming out of Dutchtown High School in (Dutchtown, Louisiana), he shattered numerous records before he hung up his cleats. He broke Eddie Lacy’s program record of all-time rushing yards, shredding opposing defenses to the tune of 4,927 rushing yards on 521 carries.

He also shattered the single-game rushing yardage mark with 23 carries for 287 yards and four touchdowns against Ouachita (Oct. 2021). Sampson finished his senior season with 1,673 all-purpose yards, to go along with 22 touchdowns in 2021. He averaged 9.28 yards per carry his senior year, earning all-state honors. A standout on the track as well, Sampson was clocked at 10.48 seconds in the 100-meter dash, 21.16 in the 200-meter dash, and 4.32 in the 40-yard dash.

A highly coveted prospect, he had 28 scholarship offers in June of 2021. According to the On3 Industry Rankings for the 2021 cycle, he was ranked as the No. 31 running back in the country as well as a four-star recruit.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Dylan Sampson

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com had some great things to say about Dylan Sampson. In his scouting profile of the former Tennessee star, he compared him to former NFL great Brian Westbrook, one of the more exceptional all-purpose backs in league history, and a two-time Pro Bowler.

He’s very impressed with Sampson’s combination of his feel for timing, spacing, and blocking scheme. “Compact back with good instincts and run-after-contact ability that propelled him to stardom in his lone season as a starter. Sampson separates himself from other backs in the class with an impressive feel for timing, spacing and blocking scheme,” Zierlein wrote.

One of his biggest compliments he gave Sampson was that he noted he has the instincts of a seasoned veteran. “He sees lane development in real time and is disciplined to stay on the designed track, but he can flip a switch and improvise when traffic mounts. He can wiggle around tacklers or break free from their grasps. Ball security and pass protection improvement will be early priorities for his next coaching staff. Sampson plays with the instincts of a seasoned veteran and has the talent to build on what he started in 2024,” Zierlein finished.