Unpacking Matt Miller's Chargers mock draft: Does Cashius Howell and Zxavian Harris deliver, or do concerns outweigh potential? We grade every pick.
I saw that ESPN published a full 7-round mock draft from NFL Draft expert Matt Miller early on Monday morning, which is fun. I love the idea of a 7-round mock where every pick, every fake decision, creates new decisions to be made elsewhere in the draft.
Anyway, I thought it might be fun to take a look at the complete fake draft class that Matt Miller selected for the Los Angeles Chargers and grade it as if it were real and happened today.
Round 1, Pick 22 (22nd overall): Cashius Howell, Edge, Texas A&M
An interesting and controversial prospect, Howell would probably be considered a top 10 pick if he had longer arms. Everything about his game tape says that his athleticism and explosiveness should make up for it.
For the Chargers, this is a pretty simple one-for-one replacement for departing free agent Odafe Oweh. Howell gets to learn from Khalil Mack and eventually take over the starting job from him.
This picks feels riskier than you'd like when replacing a player as important as Oweh was to the Chargers defense. Nobody would be shocked if it turned out that Howell's athleticism and explosiveness have less of an impact that the NFL level, which would be disastrous for the future of the L.A. pass rush.
Grade: B
Round 2, Pick 23 (55th overall): Zxavian Harris, DT, Ole Miss
This pick is a big yikes from me. I know that the Chargers could use some extra help along the defensive line, but Harris has off-the-field concerns (picked up a DUI in 2023 and a domestic violence arrest in 2024) and has never completely lived up to the promise of his massive frame (6'8", 330 lbs.).
Matt Miller talks about Harris as a potential replacement for Da'Shawn Hand in the middle of the Chargers defensive line. Everything I have seen still has him listed as a 3rd round pick at best, and the scouting reports are not kind when discussing his technique. Like the Howell pick before it, this feels a little too risky of a selection when the team is looking for immediate production.
Grade: C
Round 3, Pick 22 (86th overall): Davison Igbinosun, CB, Ohio State
Igbinosun is a perfect 3rd round pick. He has the body and athleticism to be a starting-caliber NFL-level cornerback, he just needs to get in with the right coaching staff and dedicate himself to technique.
What would happen at Ohio State too often was Davison getting called for penalties after losing his receiver on a route. If he can become better at diagnosing routes and rid himself of the penalty bug, the ceiling is really high.
Grade: A
Round 4, Pick 23 (123rd overall): Jeremiah Wright, G, Auburn
Nothing against Jeremiah Wright, who is a flawed prospect in his own right (which is why he's not a 1st round pick), but I don't see this fit at all. Wright is a big, bruising guard that could never be described as quick or agile. His footwork is awful. He can push a defender backwards, but he struggles in pass protection or moving in any sort of planned way. He is the definition of the type of guards that the Chargers have shied away from since bringing in Mike McDaniel to run the offense.
Purely from a fit perspective, I'd be shocked if Wright ended up being picked by the Chargers.
Grade: D
Round 6, Pick 23 (204th overall): Cole Wisniewski, S, Texas Tech
HELL YES. If you watched any Texas Tech games this year, Wisniewski was impossible to miss because he was everywhere. The former LB an absolute demon at reading blocks and shutting down running plays before they get started and his (mostly zone) coverage regularly put him in position to knock down a bunch of passes. He had 8 interceptions with North Dakota State in 2024 before transferring to Texas Tech.
For a 6th round pick, you'd be hard-pressed to find another player with this level of immediate impact (run defense and special teams) and potential ceiling (starting safety?). There are some questions about if he's more of a linebacker or safety, and some questions about if his body can hold up to the rigors of the NFL, but this would be a home run final pick for the Chargers.
Grade: A
Final thoughts
Do I like this draft class for the Chargers? Not really.
There's only one player picked on the offensive side of the ball and he seems like a terrible fit for where the offense is going. The first three picks all have red flags attached to them, whether it be for physical, mental, or off-the-field reasons.
That being said, each of these players have a pretty high potential ceiling, so maybe it would all work out just fine. It just feels like a pretty big gamble for a front office and coaching staff that is already starting to feel their seat getting warm.