22 hours Ago
The NFL’s annual league meeting is over. It is April. And the calendar now turns into a sprint toward the draft, which kicks off in three weeks.
After a rather measured approach to the first wave of free agency in March, the Los Angeles Chargers must find some impact talent in the draft, especially in the early rounds. How this draft goes will play a big part in determining the Chargers’ ceiling in 2025. At this pivotal point in the offseason, let’s get to some of your most pressing Chargers questions.
Advertisement You ask. I answer. It’s the mailbag.
Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and length. Is WR a high priority early in the draft or will they add someone like Keenan Allen or Amari Cooper and pass on top WR talent? — @Jeff77188779 Yes, receiver is absolutely a priority for the Chargers early in the draft. I could see the Chargers taking a receiver as high as 22.
Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan is a fit with his size, strong hands and contested-catch ability. Texas’ Matthew Golden would provide field-stretching speed, though I do worry about how his smaller frame — 5-foot-11 — would project on the outside at the next level. What is clear is the Chargers need more talent in this room.
They need to provide Justin Herbert with weaponry. The Chargers were lacking in this area last season outside of Ladd McConkey, who was seeing a ton of coverage attention by the end of his rookie season. The Chargers missed out on a difference-making receiver in free agency, including Davante Adams, who signed with the Los Angeles Rams.
I think the Chargers would prefer to come away with a receiver on Day 1 or 2 of this draft. They will have options throughout the first three rounds. I thought the Mike Williams signing was smart, largely because of his existing chemistry with Herbert.
But Williams is entering his age 31 season and coming off a poor year in New York and Pittsburgh. Quentin Johnston has improved but is just not reliable at this stage of his career. Signing Cooper or Allen would not move the needle for me as far as the need at receiver.
They must address this position in the draft regardless. How likely is it that Zion Johnson wins the starting center job and plays at a high level? — @purocharger The Chargers are going to give Johnson every opportunity to win the starting center job. That would be their ideal outcome.
And because of that, I think it is pretty likely he begins the regular season there. But it is also early April. Chargers players have not even reported back to the facility for the start of the offseason program.
Johnson is working on his snapping. The plan is for him to work at center. It could go incredibly smoothly, and Johnson could be a long-term solution at center for the next decade.
It could be an utter disaster, and he ends up moving back to guard before the end of training camp. We just will not know until Johnson starts getting real reps, especially when the pads come on in training camp. Advertisement What I can tell you about is the thought process.
Johnson has not been consistent enough at guard in his three NFL seasons, particularly in pass protection. He has not shown the awareness to regularly identify and stop stunting rushers or blitzers. Johnson does have all the physical tools in the world.
He is also very, very intelligent. The premise is that by getting Johnson directly involved in the pre-snap process at center — including checks and slides — he will be more prepared to handle different looks post-snap. He will be getting all the information as early as possible because it will be his job to communicate the plan to the rest of the line.
I have my doubts about this. At the end of the day, the best centers have a tremendous feel and sense on stunts and twists and blitzes. The lack of this is, to me, the biggest weakness in Johnson’s game.
As a result, I do not think he is going to slide to center and play at a high level. But the Chargers do not necessarily expect that, either. I think they are asking a different question: Can Johnson be an upgrade over Bradley Bozeman? I think Johnson has a chance of clearing that threshold.
Does the depth of this DT class encourage the Chargers to look elsewhere in Round 1? — @TSO_Riccracc My sense is that the Chargers are going to be looking to add an offensive playmaker in the first round — receiver, tight end, running back. Interior defensive line is a need after losing Poona Ford in free agency, but I think the depth of this class at that position allows them to wait and find value later in the draft. The Athletic ’s draft expert Dane Brugler has 13 interior defensive linemen in his top 88 players .
As is always the case with the draft, so much depends on how the board falls. Let’s say there is a run on offensive playmakers. McMillan and Golden are gone.
Tight ends Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren are gone. Running backs Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton are gone. In a scenario like this, I would not be surprised if the Chargers took Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, for example.
The need at defensive tackle is there. But I think the Chargers will end up with a shot at an offensive playmaker in Round 1, and they can look for interior defensive line help on Day 2 or 3. The Chargers were quiet in free agency in both 2024 and 2025.
The former could be justified with a lack of cap and the latter due to a bad free-agency class. Do you think that we’ll see a similar approach in 2026 or at some point will they go “all in”? — @mibpj2 I think Chargers fans will see a very similar approach to free agency as long as Joe Hortiz is the general manager. The term that has been thrown around often over the past year-plus is “sustainable winning.
” Jim Harbaugh said something along these lines earlier this week at the league meeting: “It’s been the same approach that he talks about — methodical, build the team for long-term success, success now, success in the future.” Advertisement Hortiz learned this process during his 26 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. The draft will be the lifeblood of the Chargers during Hortiz’s tenure.
He is never going to embark on a free-agency spending splurge like the Chargers did in 2022 with J.C. Jackson and others.
If that is your definition for “all in,” then I would not bank on it. Still, there could come a time when the right player becomes available. The Ravens have spent cash in recent free agency — Odell Beckham Jr.
, Marcus Williams, Derrick Henry, Kevin Zeitler. In the end, I do not see Hortiz’s approach deviating too far from how he went about this 2025 free-agency period. Do you believe the starting LG is on the roster? — @619Shaggy I do not.
I think the Chargers will find a competitive piece in the draft, and I think that piece will be the starting left guard in Week 1. Obviously, I am fighting against the odds. The Chargers have multiple options on the roster.
But improving the interior offensive line had to be a priority after what happened in Houston in the playoffs. Adding Mekhi Becton was a step in the right direction. If the only other changes are swapping Johnson and Bozeman at left guard and center, that does not feel like anywhere close to enough investment.
Everyone seems in agreement that RB is a big need for the Chargers, but there’s been little said on Kimani Vidal. How does he figure into the plan at RB for 2025? Any hope from inside the organization that he could break out this year? — @Lausell_Jr Vidal has intriguing upside as a runner and pass catcher. But when he got his opportunity to play as a rookie, he was overmatched in pass protection.
This a cardinal rule for young backs: If you want to play, you have to be able to protect. Vidal played a season-high 35 offensive snaps against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 15. He gave up four pressures.
His head was swimming trying to process coach Todd Bowles’ blitz packages. When Vidal was in position, he did not have the physicality to handle the Tampa linebackers. Vidal only played 30 offensive snaps over the final three weeks of the regular season.
Vidal could very well improve as a pass protector in Year 2. But he did not show enough in this area to be relied upon as a No. 2 back heading into 2025.
I think the Chargers should be looking to add to this room in the draft. (Top photo of Matthew Golden: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images).
