Tag: Chargers draft pick

Chargers 2025 first-round draft pick set

With the Chargers’ season now complete, their position for the first round of the 2025 NFL draft is locked in.

The Los Angeles Chargers’ season concluded Saturday after losing to the Houston Texans.

With Wild Card Weekend now complete, their position for the first round of the 2025 NFL draft is locked in.

The Chargers own the No. 22 overall pick after the Rams beat the Vikings on Monday night. Had Minnesota defeated Los Angeles, the Bolts would’ve held the No. 23 overall selection.

The previous five players selected No. 22 overall have been corneback Quinyon Mitchell (Eagles), wide receiver Zay Flowers (Ravens), linebacker Quay Walker (Packers), cornerback Caleb Farley (Titans) and wide receiver Justin Jefferson (Vikings).

The NFL draft kicks off from Green Bay, WI, on April 24th and ends on April 26th. So we’ll spend the next three months covering potential draft prospects, with scouting reports and mock drafts.

2024 NFL draft: Chargers pick WR Cornelius Johnson with No. 253 overall selection

The Chargers added their third wide receiver in the draft with the selection of Cornelius Johnson.

The Chargers wrapped up their 2024 draft class with the selection of former Michigan wide receiver Cornelius Johnson with the No. 253 overall pick.

Johnson was the third wideout that Los Angeles took in this draft, with the other two being Ladd McConkey and Brenden Rice.

Johnson is also the second former Wolverine, joining linebacker Junior Colson in Los Angeles.

Johnson, who played for Michigan for five seasons, had career highs in receptions (47) and receiving yards (604) this past season. He finished his college career with 138 receptions for 2,030 yards and 14 touchdowns.

At 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds, Johnson is a big-bodied deep threat with raw athleticism and good playmaking ability to make contested catches. He is also physical in the run-blocking department.

2024 NFL draft: Chargers pick WR Brenden Rice with No. 225 overall selection

The Chargers added their second wide receiver in the draft with the selection of Brenden Rice.

The Chargers selected former USC wide receiver Brenden Rice with the No. 225 overall pick.

Los Angeles selected Ladd McConkey in the second round, but they seemed to be one player away from having a complete receiver room.

Brenden, the son of Hall of Fame NFL receiver Jerry Rice, caught for 791 yards and a team-leading 12 touchdowns during the 2023 regular season.

Before his two seasons with the Trojans, Rice played for Colorado. For his four-year collegiate career between the Buffalos and USC, Rice had 1,812 yards receiving and 21 touchdowns.

At 6 feet 2 inches and 208 pounds, Rice is a big-bodied and long-striding wideout with decent route-running skills. His game is predicated on physicality and his use of his strong hands to engulf passes thrown to him.

Rice also has experience returning kicks.

2024 NFL draft: Chargers pick RB Kimani Vidal with No. 181 overall selection

The Chargers added to the running back room with the selection of Kimani Vidal.

The Chargers selected former Troy running back Kimani Vidal with the No. 181 overall pick.

Los Angeles was likely to add to the backfield at some point in the draft, and they did so by getting Vidal, who should complement Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins.

Vidal was Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year and a third-team All-American in 2023 after he rushed for the second-most yards in the FBS (1,661). He left as Troy’s all-time leading rusher with 4,010 yards.

At 5-foot-8 and 215 pounds, Vidal has the explosiveness, vision, contact balance, lateral agility and passing game impact to be a key piece of the Bolts’ backfield committee early on.

2024 NFL draft: Chargers pick CB Cam Hart with No. 140 overall selection

The Chargers added to the cornerback room with the selection of Cam Hart.

The Chargers selected former Notre Dame cornerback Cam Hart with the No. 140 overall pick.

After drafting Tarheeb Still, Los Angeles double dipped at the position by adding Hart.

With over 30 starts under his belt, Hart finished his college career with 90 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 17 pass breakups and two interceptions.

At 6-foot-3 and 202 pounds, Hart is a big corner with good speed to carry receivers downfield and plus zone coverage skills to read, react and make plays on underneath routes.

Hart will have the opportunity to earn a starting job early on.

2024 NFL draft: Chargers pick CB Tarheeb Still with No. 137 overall selection

The Chargers added to the cornerback room with the selection of Tarheeb Still.

The Chargers selected former Maryland cornerback Tarheeb Still with the No. 137 overall pick.

Los Angeles added Kristian Fulton in free agency, but they still had a glaring need to upgrade the cornerback room.

Still finished the 2023 season with five interceptions, tied for fifth-most in the FBS. He was one of only two players in the FBS to have two multi-interception games. Still had 28 passes defended and six picks.

At 6 feet and 189 pounds, Still has the reactive athleticism to stay with receivers in coverage and the ball skills to create turnovers. He possesses inside-outside versatility but projects best in the slot for the Chargers.

Instant analysis of Chargers selecting DL Justin Eboigbe

Analyzing the Chargers’ selection of Alabama defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe with the 105th overall selection.

Justin Eboigbe had an incredible game against Michigan in the College Football Playoff.

It turns out Jim Harbaugh took notice.

The Chargers made Eboigbe their fourth-round selection on Saturday, drafting him with the 105th overall pick. A 6-foot-4 and 297-pounder, Eboigbe played the Jonathan Allen role in Alabama’s defense in 2023, spending the bulk of his snaps at either 5 technique or 3 technique.

Eboigbe does come with some injury concerns: he missed nine games in 2022 with a herniated disk that pushed against his spinal cord and required career-threatening surgery. The same surgeon who did Justyn Ross’ neck operation did Eboigbe’s, kicking off a seven-month recovery process.

Los Angeles must be comfortable with that risk, because if Eboigbe stays healthy, he projects as the Chargers’ starter at 3 technique next to Poona Ford at nose and Morgan Fox at 5 technique. He’s a versatile lineman who defends the run (63 tackles in 2023) and pass (30 pressures) equally well.

2024 NFL draft: Chargers pick DT Justin Eboigbe with No. 105 overall selection

The Chargers beefed up the interior part of the defensive line with the selection of Justin Eboigbe.

The Chargers selected former Alabama defensive tackle Justin Eboigbe with the No. 105 overall pick.

The Chargers signed Poona Ford in free agency, but they still need more reinforcements along the interior part of the defensive line.

Eboigbe was a key contributor for the Crimson Tide before a neck injury derailed his 2022 season. He followed it up with a breakout campaign before declaring for the draft, recording 63 tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss, 7.5 sacks, and a pass defended.

The 6-foot-5 and 292-pound Eboige is an interior defender who is tough and well-built with the strength to anchor at the point of attack and eat up double teams. While his strength is in run defense, this past season he showed the explosiveness and technicality to get after the quarterback.

2024 NFL draft: Chargers pick LB Junior Colson with No. 69 overall selection

The Chargers upgraded the linebacker room with the selection of Junior Colson.

The Chargers selected former Michigan linebacker Junior Colson with the No. 69 overall pick.

Los Angeles added Denzel Perryman and Troy Dye in free agency, but the positional room needed more playmakers and additional depth. Colson reunites with Jim Harbaugh and Jesse Minter.

Colson is a rangy and explosive linebacker whose coverage skills are high-quality NFL traits. He has the speed to stay in phase with tight ends and running backs and is also effective in the run game.

During his time at Michigan, Colson racked up 256 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions and 2.5 sacks.

2024 NFL draft: Chargers pick OT Joe Alt with No. 5 overall selection

The Chargers bolstered the offensive line with the selection of Joe Alt.

The Chargers selected former Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Jim Harbaugh talked about instilling a physical and rugged identity into the team and improving the run game, so his first pick as Los Angeles’ head coach was beefing up the offensive line with Alt.

Alt was a staple up front for the Fighting Irish over the past three seasons. He was a starter during his freshman year in 2021 and held that role throughout his college career.

A consensus All-American in 2023, Alt only allowed four sacks throughout his career and was the highest-graded offensive lineman in the country this past season, according to Pro Football Focus.

Despite playing left tackle throughout his college career, Alt projects to take over Trey Pipkins as the Bolts’ starting right tackle.