What positions are necessary for the Chargers to address in the NFL Draft?
The Los Angeles Chargers’ season is over after losing to the New England Patriots 3-16. They have a solid foundation with Justin Herbert at the helm and Jim Harbaugh as the head coach, but need to fill out some holes in the roster. A pristine opportunity to do this is during the 2026 NFL Draft. Here are the three biggest needs the Chargers must address in April.
The Chargers don’t have a ton of draft capital, only holding five picks. Luckily for them, they have their top four round picks, one being the 22nd pick in the first round. Because of the limited number, it’s pivotal they make the most of each selection and take positions necessary to improve.
With that said, it’s time to get into the three biggest positions the Chargers must address in the NFL Draft.
Interior offensive line
The interior offensive line is the biggest issue on the roster. Herbert was constantly under attack this season as he was third in the NFL with 54 sacks taken. The Chargers need an upgrade at both guard and center this offseason. Fortunately, there are elite options at both positions.
The top center available is Auburn’s Connor Lew. Lew has outstanding tape but is coming off a torn ACL in 2025. This could impact his draft stock and make him slide down the board. It’s a risky pick, but one that could pay dividends in the future.
The top two consensus guards are Oregon’s Emmanuel Pregnon and Penn State’s Olaivavega Ioane. Each of them are likely first round picks and have been anchors on their offensive lines. They also could invest in one in a later round with Iowa’s Gennings Dunker or Georgia Tech’s Keylan Rutledge, who are each outstanding run defenders.
Defensive line
The Chargers need to improve at edge rusher and on the interior. They are led by Tuli Tuipulotu who had an impressive 13.5 sacks this season, but are lacking depth behind with Odafe Oweh following with 7.5 sacks.
This is a deep edge rusher class so they can find an option in each round. Additionally, they can choose their desired prototype, whether they want a run stopper, a designated pass rusher, or a hybrid between the two. The defensive tackles follow suit and have a full class of impactful players. It doesn’t matter who they select, but they need someone who can provide value early on the field.
Cornerback
Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still are solid options at cornerback, but the Chargers lack depth behind them. It’s key they address it this offseason and bolster what was a mediocre group. Similarly to the defensive line, the cornerbacks are a deep class that has impactful players at each round.
They could invest heavily in the first round with LSU’s Mansoor Delane or Clemson’s Aveion Terrell, which would be a smart move, or they could wait a little longer and pick Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds or Duke’s Chandler Rivers. Regardless of the player, it would be wise to select one at some point in the draft.