A-
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers won the weekend at the trade table. Grade: A-.
by Boltzy55 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 14 picks
· 4 steals
· 5 reaches
The real work happened on the phones. The Chargers fleeced their trade partners, turning their picks into a noticeably bigger pile than they started with.
If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through edge rusher. Getting Wilson where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class.
The kind of weekend a front office frames and hangs on the wall.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 9 they get a No. 1 receiver. The biggest hole, addressed.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Cooper DeJean at No. 38. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
The board had Braden Fiske higher than Round 3, Pick 5, and the interior defensive lineman fell to them anyway. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Payton Wilson in the Round 3 slot. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Nice patience on MarShawn Lloyd, who had no business lasting to pick No. 105. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
By-the-book stuff, Zak Zinter at slot 106 squarely in line with his ranking. It fills a real need, too.
The board had cheaper options than Blake Fisher at the 107th overall pick, and it noticed. The roster fit checks out.
Maason Smith at the 110th pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They jumped the gun on Jarrian Jones, taking him earlier than his grade liked. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They paid a round early for Luke McCaffrey in No. 140, more than the board wanted. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Tanor Bortolini in Round 6, Pick 7 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Michael Barrett at the 225th overall pick is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
They paid up for LaDarius Henderson at pick 241 when waiting would have done the job. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Josh Wallace at pick No. 253 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the cornerback. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.