The main wave of free agency has come and gone, and for the Los Angeles Chargers, it came with some shocks. While general manager Joe Hortiz was able to free up more cap space than expected, it did come with a cost. And some roster spots remain unfilled. While it’s still possible the Chargers may add another player or two before the Draft, it is still ultimately time to look ahead to the Draft – and to see what the biggest roster priorities are for the Chargers in the 2024 Draft.
Biggest 2024 Los Angeles Chargers Draft Priorities
Wide Receiver
That cost of freeing up all the cap space ended up being both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. That leaves Justin Herbert with Josh Palmer and Quentin Johnston as his top two current receivers. Given that there aren’t any high-prize free agent receivers left to acquire, the clear play has to be taking a receiver with the fifth overall pick.
There have been rumors that they may go in another direction or trade back, but frankly, it would be baffling to go into 2024 with a lineup of Palmer, Johnston, and Derius Davis as the top receivers. Even relying this much on a rookie is iffy, but fortunately, this is a strong wideout class. Marvin Harrison Jr and Malik Nabers are the top members of this class, with Rome Odunze also being a contender. Harrison Jr is the best option of that bunch, but the Arizona Cardinals are a pick ahead of the Chargers – and unless the Minnesota Vikings trade up to get a quarterback, they likely will not get the chance to have Harrison Jr.
Nabers is thus likely the pick at fifth overall. While we should keep expectations tempered, he has the skills to make an impact right away – and Palmer is good enough to pick up the rest of the slack. If they don’t select a receiver at fifth overall, they will have to be very confident in whatever receiver they do select – because passing on Harrison Jr/Nabers/Odunze would likely attract further scrutiny from the fans.
Cornerback
With Michael Davis walking in free agency, the Chargers are looking a bit shaky at cornerback right now. They have one solid starter in Asante Samuel Jr; they added a new slot corner in Kristian Fulton; and after that, it’s Ja’Sir Taylor and Deane Leonard, neither of whom are good enough to play opposite Samuel Jr. This has gotten somewhat overlooked amidst the wide receiver issues, but cornerback is a need for the Chargers right now too.
Early options would include Quinyon Mitchell and Nate Wiggins in the first round, and the likes of Max Melton and Kris Abrams-Draine on Day Two. Mike Sainristil is another possible later pick since he’s from Michigan. While it’s hard to justify going that direction in the first round over wide receiver, it’s hard to argue with the need at that position either.
Running Back
The Chargers did improve their running back situation by signing Gus Edwards, but the depth after that is still lacking. Isaiah Spiller and Elijah Dotson are next up on the depth chart, and neither of them has shown much of anything in the regular season. Thus, at some point, the Chargers will likely be picking up another halfback – if not in free agency, then the Draft.
Blake Corum does seem a somewhat likely candidate, given he is Michigan alumni and thus Jim Harbaugh is familiar with him. Other options could include Jonathon Brooks and Bucky Irving in the earlier rounds. They could afford to wait a little later if they wanted, but somewhere around the third to fourth round would be more ideal.
Center and/or Right Tackle
Corey Linsley’s retirement due to his heart condition left the Chargers with a bit of a hole at center. They did sign Bradley Bozeman, and he’s good enough to be a stopgap measure until the Chargers find somebody more permanent – like in the Draft. If they took somebody higher, they could go with Graham Barton or Zach Frazier, given that they can also play other offensive line positions – and positional flexibility is something the Chargers have been favoring as of late on the line, and Bozeman continues that trend (he can also play left guard).
Another possibility is that they try to upgrade at right tackle in the Draft. Trey Pipkins has improved over time, but his ceiling seems to have been reached – and it may not be enough for him to be the long-term starter. If they go with versatility there, the highest-ranked right tackle who can also play elsewhere would be Taliese Fuaga. JC Latham has also been viewed as a target, particularly in mocks where they trade back.
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