After weeks of speculation, the LA Chargers put together a 2026 draft class that still managed to surprise many. The Chargers turned five picks into eight by trading down and used half of those eight selections on offensive linemen.
As is the case with every draft, there are winners and losers who are impacted in different ways by this class. For some, the influx of talent is a good thing. For others, it very well could cost them their job.
Let's dive into those who are impacted the most.
Winners and losers from the Chargers' 2026 draft class:
Winner: Justin Herbert
There's still a debate to be had about whether or not the Chargers should have added more established offensive line talent in free agency. To make up for that inactivity, the Chargers went all in on adding depth on the offensive line for 2026 and beyond.
Only one of the four offensive linemen the Chargers drafted has a chance to start in his rookie year (Jake Slaughter). If Slaughter doesn't start, he becomes the most overqualified backup center in the sport with a high long-term ceiling.
Do the Chargers need to go out and add one more experienced guard in free agency now that the draft is over? Probably. The plan at left guard is a tad dicey, especially if Slaughter can't make the transition from center to guard. But one thing is for certain: the Chargers won't allow offensive line injuries to derail the season.
Loser: Bud Dupree
Not only did the Chargers take one of the three best edge rushers who is ready to make an impact right away in the first round, but the Bolts also signed one of the best UDFA edge rushers who has a direct line to defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary.
Bud Dupree and Kyle Kennard are fighting for spots on the back of the depth chart and it feels pretty obvious who the Chargers should go with. Kennard has an entire career ahead of him with untapped potential, while Dupree is riding off previous production.
Kennard also has special teams upside, whereas Dupree does not in this stage of his career. With the influx of new edge-rusher talent in LA, don't be surprised if Dupree is a roster cut casualty in August.
Winner: Junior Colson
Perhaps the most surprising position the Chargers didn't address in the NFL Draft is inside linebacker. Los Angeles has a good starting duo of Denzel Perryman and Daiyan Henley, but there are question marks around the depth behind those two.
All the question marks reside with former Michigan linebacker Junior Colson. The Chargers drafted Colson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft and he is yet to put it together for the team. Injuries and poor play hurt his rookie season before he had to have season-ending surgery during training camp in 2025.
Not drafting a linebacker is a sign of faith in Colson by this front office. Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz clearly want to give the young linebacker a chance to blossom into a true rotational linebacker and have given him the runway to win the LB3 job. Hopefully, Colson pays off their faith with great returns.
Loser: Derius Davis
Derius Davis was one of the most promising returners in the league after his rookie season. Davis' efforts in the return game earned him a Second Team All-Pro nod, one that seemed like ti was foreshadowing a great career ahead.
Davis' career has gone off the rails a bit since. Injuries have kept Davis from staying on the field consistently and last season, he looked like a completely different returner. Gone was the All-Pro-caliber speedy returner and replacing him was an inconsistent option who made mistakes.
The Chargers drafted the fastest player in the draft, Brenen Thompson, in the fourth round. Not only does Thompson instantly replace Davis' minor role on offense, but he's a real threat to take the returner job if he shows out during training camp.
Winner: Mike McDaniel
For better or worse, Mike McDaniel's fingerprints were all over this draft class. That has been the case this entire offseason, as McDaniel genuinely seems to be the third-most influential person in the building behind Hortiz and Harbaugh.
The Chargers drafted an interior offensive lineman who is perfect in McDaniel's scheme even with questions around whether or not he can actually play left guard. They drafted a speed threat that can replicate what McDaniel did in Miami. They poured resources on the offensive line all in McDaniel's vision.
This extended to free agency as well. Keaton Mitchell, Charlie Kolar, Alec Ingold, and Cole Strange all had McDaniel's fingerprints all over them. The Chargers have done everything they can to give McDaniel the personnel he wants in LA.
Could this come back to bite if McDaniel leaves in a year anyway and the Chargers are left with players who no longer get the benefit of his coaching? Sure. But the Chargers have to go all in on what they have now.
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