There's less than a week until the 2025 NFL Draft. It's gut-check time around the league as teams finalize their big boards. Chargers GM Joe Hortiz said as much at his final media availability before next week's festivities.
In a challenge to myself, I tried to think most realistically about what the Chargers could do at each selection (in addition to sprinkling in some of my personal draft favorites when I could). I also consulted Dane Brugler's "The Beast" and his recent seven-round mock for more accurate draft positioning.
For the sake of accurate projections, I didn't want to take players in the sixth round of the PFF mock simulator that may be gone by the end of the third round.
Full 7-round Chargers mock draft:
Round 1, Pick 22: Michigan DT Kenneth Grant
At 22, the pick is more difficult to project than when they were at five last year. Surprise falls could happen down the board. Or, perhaps more likely, a lot of Chargers' fans top prospect dreams could be gone.
Kenneth Grant being on the board here isn't a certainty for Los Angeles. But it feels like the probability has increased with Oregon's Derrick Harmon surpassing him in many mocks and consensus boards. If he is at 22, it's obviously a perfect fit. The team needs to replace Poona Ford in addition to the pass rushing pressure from both he and Morgan Fox from last season.
Grant set career highs at Michigan this year in both pressures and run stops. PFF graded his 2024 campaign as the best of his career in both total defensive grade (83.7) and run defense (87.5). To put it simply, he's an immediate floor raiser for a Chargers' DT group that is currently thin in terms of production.
Picking Michigan players for Jim Harbaugh's Chargers in a mock is kind of like the Starbucks of draft journalism. But as arguably both best player available here and best fit for team need, it was hard for me to pass up Grant. A surprise Tetairoa McMillan or Jahdae Barron fall could always change the equation. But if it's chalky first round like many in the draft industry expect, I'm expecting Grant to be a Charger on draft day.
Round 2, pick 55: Washington State WR Kyle Williams
The Chargers will attack weapons early, whether that's in the first round of the NFL Draft or on day 2. But because I took Grant in the first round, I'm attacking wideout here. One of the draft's fast risers has been Washington State WR Kyle Williams.
As a fifth-year senior, Williams exploded in his last collegiate season. He had 17.1 yards per reception and was 12th amongst all eligible receivers in yards per route run (2.71). He's an incredibly smooth route runner with great acceleration. Williams ran a 4.40 40 time at the combine in March. He was also the fastest receiver at February's Senior Bowl in speed testing. Daniel Jeremiah went as far as to say he had the best releases in his routes during the Senior Bowl.
So, OK. The speed and the separation are both great. What's the catch? Well, Williams does trend smaller. He weighs in at 5'11 and 190 pounds. While he played outside at Washington State, many GMs around the league would question whether those measurables are enough to play on the outside in the league.
If the Chargers are desperately seeking out a prototypical X, Williams may not be their guy. However, Hortiz himself has said that more factors than size alone determine whether a wideout can play outside in the NFL. Williams deals with press coverage well in addition to boasting a 62.5% contested catch rate. He also has low 6.7% and 4.7% drop rates in the last two seasons, respectively.
It's perhaps a little high for Williams here, but I think he'll go higher than many expect.
Round 3, Pick 86: Miami RB Damien Martinez
Back to back picks on weapons here, this time at running back. At his final media availability prior to the draft yesterday, Hortiz said he wants a running back that can "complement" Najee Harris while having some of his same traits.
And if the Chargers want a big, versatile runner who can play in Greg Roman's scheme at this point in the draft, Damien Martinez from Miami is the guy. In his second 1000+ yard collegiate season in 2024, Martinez averaged 6.3 yards per carry with 4.51 yards after contact per attempt. That yards after contact per attempt figure is second in the class only behind Boise State's Ashton Jeanty.
He's one of the backs in this class that's also truly great in pass protection on tape. Whether it was at Oregon State or Miami, Martinez has shown true scheme versatility.
He just turned 21 in January. In a draft class that has a lot of older running backs due to both the COVID season and rampant NIL spending, he doesn't have a lot of miles on him. Martinez can both play with Harris in LA this season and be the lead back of the future when the time comes.
Yes, I think this class is deep enough to wait on running back. But when you have both great value and great fit, don't get cute. Roman and Harbaugh would love a battering ram running back room with Harris and Martinez.
Round 4, Pick 125: LSU EDGE Sai'vion Jones
At some point in the draft, a bona fide pass-rushing EDGE feels necessary. The Chargers lost Joey Bosa to the Bills this offseason after releasing him. While they were able to retain Khalil Mack on a one year deal, it doesn't feel like they have enough juice for their outside pass rush. Tuli Tuipulotu didn't quite take the elite step forward last year that some expected. Bud Dupree is fine rotational depth, but he shouldn't be expected to be more than that for the team.
The value of Sai'vion Jones feels right here. At 6'5", Jones has great bend and length as projections for a high-production pass rusher in the league. He had a career-high 43 pressures at LSU last season after having just 18 in 2023. Jones will have to be a little bit better with the nuances of the EDGE position at the pro level, but he's a prospect who simply finds ways to easily collapse pockets.
Jones scored a 9.20 RAS and has the production profile of a pass rusher that should be effective in the NFL very quickly. As the Chargers enter the transition phase of their pass rusher room post-Bosa and in the latter years of Mack, the LSU EDGE could serve as a good glimpse into the room's future.
Round 5, Pick 158: Sacramento State G/C Jackson Slater
As Hortiz stated in his final pre-draft press conference, the name of the game on the interior offensive line is competition. Between Andre James, Zion Johnson, and Bradley Bozeman, it seems that the team is truly comfortable in letting the best men win the starting LG and C jobs.
How about we add another name into the competitive mix? I expect the Chargers to address the interior offensive line within the first five or so rounds. Jackson Slater primarily played at left guard during his career at Sacramento State, but projects to be able to have some positional flexibility further inside to center.
Slater boasts a lot of athleticism despite his average size at the position. He scored a 9.43 RAS and posted a top 5 NFL Next Gen Stats athleticism score at the combine.
Slater will face some questions about competition, but impressed many at the Senior Bowl with good reps against Walter Nolen and many other of the NFL Draft's top pass rushers. He shouldn't be expected to start from the jump in the fifth-round range.
But the Chargers would get a great pass protector to develop for the future as Johnson heads into the final year of his deal in addition to the rest of the interior offensive line playing from year to year.
Round 6, Pick 181: Syracuse TE Oronde Gadsden II
The Chargers added Tyler Conklin in free agency, but it shouldn't stop them from adding receiving talent at the tight end position in this class. Colston Loveland is the dream early, but alas the board hasn't fallen our way on some of the top guys being available.
My favorite tight end at this point in the draft is Syracuse's Oronde Gadsden II. I have him ranked as my sixth overall tight end in the class. Dane Brugler's "The Beast" placed him at #8.
Gadsden II is the son of nine year football vet Oronde Gadsden. Like his father, he boasts an incredible catch radius and the ability to snatch even poorly thrown balls out of the air for easy catches. In 2024 he had a 60.7% contested catch rate with 1.89 yards per route run. He dropped just 3.9% of his targets. Gadsden had 934 total yards in the 2024 season, but specifically created a lot of his volume in the deep parts of the field. He ranked fifth in the TE class in deep yards and was tied for second in the class in deep catches.
What really stood out with Gadsden was how smooth he was at finishing routes. While Gadsden isn't the fastest tight end, his quick feet really show on tape. It's certainly a lofty upside comp, but I see a lot of former Raiders TE Darren Waller when I watch him.
The blocking is a question mark, but to me he showed enough on tape to be functional in that respect. The receiving upside this late in the draft is too much to pass up.
Round 6, Pick 199: UTSA CB Zah Frazier
UTSA cornerback Zah Frazier was on the board here and I couldn't risk losing him before their remaining picks. He's a 6'3", toolsy, athletic cornerback that has generated some comps to Tariq Woolen in draft media. While I wouldn't go quite that far, the explosiveness pops on tape. He backed it up with a 4.36 40 time at the combine.
As a ballhawk who can be relied upon in zone coverages, Frazier came down with six interceptions last season. For a Chargers' defense that specifically values tackling and length, Frazier can be relied upon in that facet as well. For his entire college career, the UTSA product is credited with just one missed tackle. Ever.
Aggressive, instinctive, and athletic. He comes across on film as the whole package of what Jesse Minter would look for in a cornerback. Give him some time to develop and he'd absolutely be pushing for a starting role on defense next season.
Round 6, Pick 209: Cal LB Teddye Buchanan
The Chargers don't *need* to come out of this draft with a linebacker. However, they've had LBs coach NaVorro Bowman doing his due diligence. He was at the private UCLA workout of LB Carson Schwesinger. While I don't expect the Chargers to take a LB nearly that high, a special-teams pick late seems reasonable. Kain Medrano would be another UCLA LB to watch in that regard.
But I went in a slightly different direction with this pick. If the Chargers want a late day 3 stash who has the athletic potential to become an eventual starter in the NFL, Cal's Teddye Buchanan fits the bill. In his final collegiate season after transferring from UC Davis, Buchanan finished with a career high 48 run stops and a missed tackle rate of just 9.2%. He allowed a 79.0 passer rating in coverage in 2024. In his final year at UC Davis in 2023, that figure was an allowed 52.8 passer rating.
Buchanan also tested well at his pro day, posting a 9.42 RAS. Put him on special teams for a few years and let an athletic prospect work his way up the LB ladder on the depth chart.
The Chargers were able to bring back Troy Dye on an extension, but lost special-teams stalwart Nick Niemann to the Houston Texans. Buchanan would keep the linebacker depth strong as the Chargers shore up the rest of their defense with some of the earlier picks in the draft.
Round 6, Pick 214: Memphis WR Roc Taylor
Earlier in the draft, I had the Chargers taking Kyle Williams. Considering the size questions about Williams, it wouldn't be the worst to double-dip later on in the class if there is value at WR. Enter Roc Taylor, a physical 6'3" ball-tracking magnet. Taylor had 954 yards in his final collegiate season with a 60% contested catch rate and just a 5.6% drop rate.
Taylor isn't necessarily a master separator elite at beating press coverage. But the mechanics of his game and clean catch form show that he could be a quarterback's best friend with the deep ball at the next level. As he adjusts to NFL route tempo and timing, the physical strength and efficiency at the catch point are traits that will benefit Taylor at the next level.
Round 7, Pick 255: Maryland S Dante Trader Jr.
Sixth and seventh rounds are all about taking fliers on upside. How about a two-sport athlete who can line up on multiple spots on a defense? Maryland's Dante Trader Jr. played both lacrosse and football for the Terrapins. As recently as 2023, Trader was still taking up both sports until he focused solely on football in 2024.
He shows instincts on defense a robust tackler that can line up in several spots as a safety. Trader is best around the box but has shown the ability to contribute really in all variations of zone and man. At the pro level, long speed could limit Trader in his usage. But he comes in with an immediate high floor as a special-teams fit that could compete with Tony Jefferson and others for the roster's last safety spot.
LBs coach NaVorro Bowman is certainly familiar with Trader's game. The Chargers drafted Tarheeb Still with some of Bowman's institutional knowledge as a former Maryland analyst in 2023.
Trader Jr. is sticky in coverage without costing his team-just three penalties on about 1200 coverage snaps over the course of four seasons at Maryland.