The first round of the 2025 NFL Draft was as unpredictable as analysts were warning it would be. When the dust settled and the LA Chargers were on the clock with the No. 22 pick, the Bolts had a clear selection to make: UNC running back Omarion Hampton.
The Chargers had limited options with the No. 22 picks thanks to the unexpected nature of the first 21 picks. However, that unexpected nature may also open the door for the Chargers to take a big swing for an established player.
The Cincinnati Bengals took edge rusher Shemar Stewart with the No. 17 pick in the first round. This pick has massive implications for edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, who has not come to terms on an extension with the Bengals and may get traded as a result.
Trading Hendrickson is more likely with Stewart on the depth chart. If the team really wanted to, the Chargers could pounce.
Trey Hendrickson trade is one step closer to reality for the Chargers
Whether or not the Chargers actively pursue Hendrickson may depend on who is available in the second round of the draft and how much the Bengals are asking for. If Cincinnati is still asking for a third-round pick for Hendrickson then the Chargers may politely pass.
However, the longer Hendrickson sits without a deal the lower his price gets on the trade market. It has also opened the door for the Chargers to trade a future draft pick for him, which would increase the likelihood of a trade.
It is much easier to trade a future third-round pick and plan around it rather than trade a third-round pick in the current NFL Draft. With the draft in full swing, and there being no suitors for Hendrickson, trading a future pick for the Bengals' edge rusher is in play.
The Chargers have the cap space to absorb Hendrickson in 2025 and they have the cap flexibility to give him an extension after this season. Hendrickson just turned 30 in December, so it is fair to assume he will have at least three more Pro Bowl-caliber seasons.
Hendrickson would replace Joey Bosa in the short term and would give the Chargers a soft landing for the eventual end of Khalil Mack's tenure. With 17.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons, the Chargers would be adding someone who has produced far more than Bosa ever did in LA.
All the first-round edge rushers getting taken before the Chargers increases the likelihood of a trade. Hendrickson was never going to make sense if the Chargers took an edge rusher in the first round. But with a running back in the first round, and potentially a different position in round two, the Chargers have a need to fill at edge rusher and can do so in a big way.
This new Chargers front office has been risk-adverse over the last 15 months, putting the team in a position to make a big swing when it makes sense. Trading for Hendrickson, depending on the price, makes a lot of sense for the Bolts.
By taking Stewart with the No. 17 pick, the Bengals have made it abundantly clear to the Chargers that Hendrickson is available and the price may be going down.