The Los Angeles have the 22nd pick in the NFL Draft when Round 1 begins April 24 in Green Bay. The Chargers own 10 picks total in the seven-round draft.
Chargers’ draft picks
| Round | Pick | Overall | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
22 |
22 |
|
|
2 |
23 |
55 |
|
|
3 |
22 |
86 |
|
|
4 |
23 |
125 |
|
|
5 |
20 |
158 |
|
|
6 |
5 |
181 |
From Patriots |
|
6 |
23 |
199 |
|
|
6 |
33 |
209 |
Compensatory |
|
6 |
38 |
214 |
Compensatory |
|
7 |
40 |
256 |
Compensatory |
Full draft order
Every pick in the seven-round NFL Draft.
NFL Draft details
• Round 1: April 24, 8 p.m. ET
• Rounds 2-3: April 25, 7 p.m. ET
• Rounds 4-7: April 26, noon ET
All rounds will be televised on ESPN/ABC and NFL Network and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes.
About the Chargers
• General manager: Joe Hortiz (second season with team)
• Head coach: Jim Harbaugh (second season with team)
• Last year’s record: 11-6, lost in AFC wild-card round
Harbaugh led a dramatic cultural turnaround in Year 1 with the Chargers, and that resulted in 11 wins and a playoff berth. The foundation was set. But the Chargers’ loss to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round showed where the team needs to improve to become a legitimate contender. The Chargers were armed with substantial cap space in 2025, and they used that space to build depth across every phase of the team. To round out what has been a methodical yet productive offseason thus far, the Chargers need to use their draft capital to add impact players. Can Harbaugh and Hortiz sustain the momentum from a pleasantly surprising debut season?
Scouting the decision-makers
In 2024, Harbaugh and Hortiz developed a collaborative relationship that bordered on bromance. Harbaugh is the face of the franchise, and he has the keys. Hortiz is a lifetime scout who lives and breathes the draft. This is Hortiz’s time to enter the spotlight. He built a playoff roster with limited resources last offseason and has earned the complete trust of Harbaugh when it comes to personnel.
Chargers’ key free-agent signings
• OL Mekhi Becton (free agent): Two-year, $20 million deal
• RB Najee Harris (free agent): One-year, up to $9.25 million deal
• CB Donte Jackson (free agent): Two-year, $13 million deal
• WR Mike Williams (free agent): One-year, $6 million deal
• TE Tyler Conklin (free agent): One-year, $3 million deal
• DT Da’Shawn Hand (free agent): One-year, $3.35 million deal
Chargers’ key position needs
Tight end: The Chargers signed veteran tight end Tyler Conklin in free agency, and they now have two functional pieces in him and Will Dissly. But they are lacking pass-catching juice in the room. Filling that hole should be a draft priority.
Edge rusher: The Chargers cut Joey Bosa, and he signed with the Buffalo Bills. They re-signed Khalil Mack and brought back Tuli Tuipulotu and Bud Dupree. They need to get younger at this position. They need a fourth edge rusher.
Running back: Najee Harris joins as a free agent, and he will give the Chargers a level of durability they were missing last year with the J.K. Dobbins-Gus Edwards tandem. The Chargers cut Edwards. Dobbins remains a free agent. The Chargers need to pair Harris with an explosive young back, and they will have options in what is a deep running back class this year.
Interior offensive line: Pass protection on the interior was the biggest weakness for the Chargers in 2024 and it showed up in the Houston playoff loss. They gave their biggest free-agent deal to Mekhi Becton, who will start at right guard. They should add another piece in the draft. The Chargers are going to try Zion Johnson at center. Johnson played left guard last season. If that experiment works out, the hole will be at left guard. That is the position the Chargers should target in the draft.
Receiver: Ladd McConkey had a record-breaking rookie season, but he needs some help. McConkey was facing double-teams and even triple-teams by the end of the season. The Chargers should be looking for an outside receiver who can take some attention off McConkey, who operates most often out of the slot. They signed Mike Williams in free agency, but he is a stop-gap. Williams has also battled injuries in his career, and the Chargers will need to protect against that.
Interior defensive line: The Chargers lost Poona Ford, their best defensive tackle, in free agency. He signed with the Los Angeles Rams. They will have to replace his production, and they do not have a clear difference-maker on the depth chart right now.
Chargers’ draft analysis
What we learned about the Chargers from Joe Hortiz’s pre-NFL Draft news conference
Can Chargers’ Joe Hortiz deliver draft-day trade magic again? Assessing scenarios
Chargers mailbag: How big a draft priority is WR? Will Zion Johnson be the starting C?
Chargers NFL Draft updated big board: 50 prospects who make sense in Rounds 1 and 2
Assessing the Chargers depth chart after first wave of free agency
Will the Chargers’ playoff struggles in the offensive trenches inform their offseason?
Recent mock drafts from The Athletic
April 21: Chargers mock draft 4.0
Daniel Popper goes playmaker with Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka.
April 16: Dane Brugler 7-round mock draft
Dane targets some interior DL help with Michigan DT Kenneth Grant.
April 10: Chargers mock draft 3.0
Daniel Popper targets a potential No. 1 receiver in Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan.
April 9: Nick Baumgardner mock draft
A dynamic new running back in North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton.
April 2: Bruce Feldman mock draft
Justin Herbert gets a new target in Michigan TE Colston Loveland.
(Photo of Emeka Egbuka: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)
