The Chargers sit less than three months away from the 2024 NFL draft in Detroit. After hiring new head coach Jim Harbaugh, attention will turn to the staff he’s going to build out. But following the college showcases like the Shrine and Senior Bowls along with NFL Free Agency, the calendar will eventually turn to April.
It’s still too early for definitive projections, but we’ll see how PFF’s mock draft simulator adjusts to stock changes throughout the season. For this exercise, I’ve limited it to five rounds for the time being given uncertainty about later round prospects’ draft stocks.
With the fifth pick, the Los Angeles Chargers select:
LSU WR Malik Nabers (1.5)
As ESPN insider Field Yates said on the Guilty as Charged Podcast YouTube channel a few days ago, the current belief is that the draft starts at five with the Chargers. Three quarterbacks seem to be likely to fly off the board in the first three slots with Chicago, Washington, and New England. Ultimately, I believe Arizona takes Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. at No. 4.
So that gives the Chargers options. Brock Bowers is a fan favorite as a dynamic pass-catching tight end who can wreak havoc in the open field. Building out the trenches with Joe Alt or Olu Fashanu is also an option here. Trey Pipkins has just one year on his deal prior to become a cut candidate in 2025. Wide receiver Rome Odunze’s draft stock has skyrocketed following a stellar season at Washington.
As we sit here in January, my pick would be Nabers. He would add an element of explosiveness that the Chargers have lacked in recent years. Currently, there isn’t much clarity on what the team decides to do with Keenan Allen or Mike Williams given their contractual situations. But even if both returned in theory, Nabers’ speed, ability to force missed tackles, and explosive separation provides a skillset that no Chargers receiver has.
The argument against taking a receiver this high may be that it’s too early to give up on Quentin Johnston. But Nabers represents a level of wide receiver prospect that isn’t going to fall into the Chargers’ laps anytime soon if they’re to improve as quickly as they should under Harbaugh. Also, the LSU wide receivers’ ability to line up at all receiver spots on the field including X, Z, and slot is something that could take stress off of Johnston.
He would be the first receiver off the board in any draft that didn’t include Harrison Jr., and the Chargers should take full advantage of that as they head into a rebuild.
With the 37th pick, the Los Angeles Chargers select:
Iowa State CB T.J. Tampa (2.37)
The Chargers come into this draft with a severe need to stabilize their secondary, particularly the cornerback position. Michael Davis is a free agent after a down year. J.C. Jackson was traded to the Patriots midseason and will account for a portion of the teams’ dead cap.
It’s obviously a little early to see how they manage any of these mock drafted positions prior to free agency, but cornerback requires premium capital investment as it stands. Asante Samuel Jr., Ja Taylor, and Deane Leonard are the only corners with starting or contributing roles on the team right now.
Tampa is a potential solution to a lot of the issues at outside corner. As the first addition to future defensive coordinator Jesse Minter’s defense in this mock, Tampa is a big 6’2″, 200 pounds on the outside. Yet despite his size, he’s shown scheme flexibility in multiple sorts of coverages. He’s also a dynamic enough athlete for his size that should still test well. Obviously, his frame also helps him in defending the run.
I think pick five is a little too high to take a Kool-Aid McKinstry or Nate Wiggins level prospect barring a trade back in round one. But the Chargers can pounce on a cornerback in round two with the selection of Tampa. Should he manage to slip out of the first round, LA grabs a corner with great awareness and athletic traits here.
With the 69th pick, the Los Angeles Chargers select:
Michigan LB Junior Colson (3.69)
With Harbaugh and Minter both coming to LA, most Chargers fans started rightfully discussing some of the great Michigan defensive prospects that will be in the 2024 draft class. Kris Jenkins could be a guy to watch in round two on the defensive line while Mike Sainristil is an awesome slot corner prospect in round three.
After selecting Tampa in round two though, Colson is the addition that makes the most sense to me as the Chargers continue to build out their defense here. Eric Kendricks and Kenneth Murray seem unlikely to return to LA considering their contractual situations as well as their respective 2023 performances. After drafting Daiyan Henley last year, in the same round, the Chargers get another linebacker here with good skills in pass coverage. The Michigan prospect recorded an 83.4 PFF coverage grade this year with run defense grades near 80 in each of the last two seasons.
The biggest issue the Chargers have right now is their pass coverage in the middle of the field and Colson would rectify that on day one. Also, bringing in someone with good familiarity with Minter’s scheme could make him a potential green dot signal caller candidate with LA.
With the 105th pick, the Los Angeles Chargers select:
Georgia C Sedrick Van Pran
Center is a position in need of some addressing too. The loss of Corey Linsley to likely retirement will loom large as the Chargers construct their offensive line for 2024.
There’s an argument to take a center even earlier with a prospect like Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson available. But for me, the Chargers have to address defense with their day two picks if they’re taking a top five offensive player on day one. Sedrick Van Pran was the best center on the board here.
At 6’4″ and 310, Van Pran is a physical center that packs an incredible initial punch off of the line. If we’re talking about ways to improve the Chargers’ run game, Van Pran would be a start to getting the interior of this offensive line where it needs to be.
There is a little bit of a lateral side to side agility issue with Van Pran’s game where it is now, but it’s not a concern to me with how high his floor is as a prospect generally. Considering the run game that Harbaugh (and maybe Greg Roman) will want to go for, he can anchor it.
With the 142nd pick, the Los Angeles Chargers select:
Troy RB Kimani Vidal
Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley are most likely gone. Right now, the only Charger running back under a yearly contract is Isaiah Spiller. Elijah Dotson is on a futures deal for 2024.
The Chargers most likely will need to sign a cheaper running back in free agency given their financial situation in addition to drafting a younger guy who can contribute to a running back by committee structure. In the fifth round, I have them taking Vidal to help their rushing attack.
Despite his small 5’8″ stature, Vidal is one of the most athletic running backs in the class with both great lateral quickness and breakaway speed. For his size, he’s also a better than average blocker. Vidal holds the Troy school rushing record.
In 2023, Vidal averaged 5.6 yards per carry with nearly 20 carries of 15+ yards. He grades out amongst the top running backs in this class in any elusiveness statistic as well.
He runs like a bowling ball that was shot out of a tank.
