The NFL Combine has come and gone and it may have impacted how the LA Chargers view the 2025 NFL Draft. It certainly impacted everyone's NFL mock drafts, which is to be expected.
Los Angeles is still at the mercy of what happens in the 21 picks before the team is on the clock in late April. However, the Chargers can still land an impactful player, especially one who shined at the combine.
Using Pro Football Focus' Mock Draft simulator, we put together a three-round Chargers mock draft in which the Bolts landed the biggest standout of the entire NFL Combine.
Post-NFL Combine Chargers mock draft:
Round 1, pick 22: Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
Shemar Stewart was the biggest standout of the NFL Combine, logging a 9.99 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) in the process. Stewart showcased his immensely high ceiling as an NFL edge rusher with his combination of size, speed, and overall athleticism.
Even if Khalil Mack returns, the Chargers need to draft for the future of the edge rusher position. The long-term future of the position is murky after 2025 and Stewart would be the guy to fill in and make a huge impact in 2026.
Stewart's rookie-year numbers with the Chargers may seem disappointing as a rotational edge rusher but he would land in the perfect spot to develop him without much pressure his rookie year. With both premier tight ends off the board in this mock, it makes sense for the Bolts to go defense in the first round for the first time since 2020.
Round 2, pick 55: Cam Skattebo, RB, Arizona State
In this particular mock, the second-round guard candidates were off the board, leaving the Chargers to take the best player available. General manager Joe Hortiz operates under that mindset anyway and there is a good chance Arizona State's Cam Skattebo is the best player available.
Skattebo outproduced every running back in the country not named Ashton Jeanty last season and is a real threat in both the run game and the passing game. The Chargers would have their new version of Austin Ekeler (albeit in a different style of player) in having someone who can impact the run and pass game.
Skattebo did not participate in the 40-yard dash as his top-line speed and athleticism have long been the biggest knock against him. This actually helps the Chargers, as it keeps Skattebo from rising up the draft boards.
This very well may be a case where the Chargers do what they did in 2024 and take the best offensive player in the second round. It worked wonders for Ladd McConkey despite the questionable concerns around him as a prospect. The same could happen with Skattebo.
Round 3, pick 86: Mason Taylor, TE, LSU
There are two ways the Chargers could go here: the team could go offensive lineman or tight end. But with Zion Johnson potentially transitioning to center, it will be easier for the Chargers to find two starting-quality guards in free agency than it will be to find a tight end.
The free-agent tight end class is pretty woeful this offseason, whereas there are options on the offensive line. With that in mind, we are operating under the assumption the Chargers will have their starting offensive line figured out by draft time, making tight end the obvious choice.
If the Chargers miss out on Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren in the first round, then it makes sense to wait until the middle rounds of the draft to take a tight end. Mason Taylor may not be as finished of a product as those two, but he is a pass-catching tight end with legitimate upside as a weapon for Justin Herbert.