The Chargers injected explosive speed and potent offensive line talent into their roster. Did Joe Hortiz strike gold or gamble too much?
The 2026 NFL Draft is over and done with. Even most of the undrafted free agents have reportedly signed at this point. Let's hand out some grades for the selections made by Joe Hortiz and the Los Angeles Chargers front office...
Round 1, No. 22 overall: Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami
This is fine but I have my issues with it. The Chargers, who have plenty of cap space at the moment, could've accomplished the same thing by simply re-signing Odafe Oweh.
At the very least, the team picked a player that should be fully prepared to slide into Oweh's role and responsibilities without missing a beat. Considering how important he was to this defense and pass rush last season, I'm glad Hortiz prioritized replacing him with the team's 1st Round pick.
Grade: B
Round 2, No. 63 overall: Jake Slaughter, C, Florida
I like it. I like Slaughter as a prospect and think he's a good fit for what the Chargers are looking for from an interior lineman. The transition from center to guard should be seamless.
The team announced him as a guard when they announced the selection, erasing any doubts at all about whether he would get a chance to win a starting job as a rookie.
This pick originally belonged to the Patriots, who paid the cost of 4th and 6th Round picks to move up eight spots. The Chargers had likely targeted Slaughter by then and knew he'd be there eight spots later, making the whole selection feel like an even bigger win.
Grade: A
Round 4, No. 105 overall: Brenen Thompson, WR, Mississippi State
I had my concerns when this pick was first announced. Thompson is quite small for an NFL WR, and the Chargers are already a team that has to plan around Ladd McConkey's lack of size. That being said, I have been converted by Mike McDaniel.
That's Mike McDaniel begging the front office to draft Brenen Thompson, saying that he would take his shirt off in celebration if they're able to pull it off.
Whatever I think I know about NFL offense, Mike McDaniel knows about a billion times more. If he is begging for Brenen Thompson, it's because he knows how he's going to build an offense to tap into the young man's speed.
The only reason I'm not giving this an A grade (McDaniel is very convincing!) is because size isn't all about winning the battle for the ball. Smaller guys getting hit by bigger guys usually leads to more injuries than the inverse. It's not that there aren't a lot of guys Thompson's size with similar speed, it's that they usually can't stay healthy.
Grade: B
Round 4, No. 117 overall: Travis Burke, OT, Memphis
Yeah, I'm fine with it. This feels like a value play.
The Chargers picked up this 4th Round pick from the Patriots and used it on Burke, who has the size and strength of a prototypical starting NFL tackle. Burke is now a developmental project that could one day be revered as a scouting success for the Chargers. He could also simply be forgotten.
Grade: C
Round 4, No. 131 overall: Genesis Smith, S, Arizona
These 4th Round picks are the potential of this draft class. All three players fell this far for real reasons. Thompson is maybe too small. Burke is maybe too slow. And Genesis Smith is half of a great player, one of the better ball-ball hawking safeties in the class with a real tackling issue.
When Smith gets on the field, opposing offenses are going to run at him. They're going to keep running at him until he proves that's a bad idea. If he can get to that point, he might legitimately be a good starting safety in the NFL. That's not nothing in the 4th Round!
It also means that he can see the field right now in obvious passing downs, which is helpful.
Grade: B
Round 5, No. 145 overall: Nick Barrett, DT, South Carolina
People have been telling me that the Chargers need to add a defensive tackle to replace Da'Shawn Hand and I keep wondering if everyone forgot that the team signed Dalvin Tomlinson, but I don't mind this at all.
Barrett, like Genesis Smith, is a good-but-incomplete player. He can probably help by stopping the run right now, and can potentially develop some pass rush moves in the future.
This fills a need, and that's pretty good when you're picking this late.
Grade: B
Round 6, No. 202 overall: Logan Taylor, OG, Boston College
The third offensive lineman taken in this draft. Taylor fell this far because he probably will never be a starter in the NFL and because he's only a fit for zone-blocking schemes. Luckily for the Chargers, they drafted him to be a backup in a zone-blocking scheme.
I wish the team had gone with a player with higher upside here, but I see the vision.
Grade: C
Round 6, No. 206 overall: Alex Harkey, OG, Oregon
Like Taylor, Harkey is unlikely to turn into a starter in the league. I have my doubts that Taylor, Harkey and Slaughter all end up making the roster, but they'll certainly all get a chance to make it.
This draft was the Chargers sending a message, loud and clear, that fixing the offensive line and replacing Odafe Oweh were their highest priorities. They did a good job, otherwise, of betting on coaching and development.
Grade: C