The Los Angeles Chargers have their work cut out for them in the 2026 NFL Draft.
With just five total selections, they have needs to fill at offensive guard, defensive tackle, defensive end, cornerback, tight end, safety, and even possibly wide receiver. Of course, the offensive and defensive lines have crystallized as the positions of true need.
But the departure of Benjamin St-Juste in free agency has left them in need of another cornerback to fill out that room. Whether that hole is filled through the draft, free agency, or the trade market depends on how things break on draft day. But even if Los Angeles wants to use their first-round pick on premier talent in the trenches, the second round could be the perfect place to grab a prospect that new defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary can mold to his liking.
The top cornerbacks in the class, such as Colton Hood, Mansoor Delane, and Avieon Terrrell, will likely all be gone in Round 1. Thankfully, there's a prospect with as much upside as those players who, due to his smaller frame, will likely fall to Day 2.
Matt Bowen at ESPN recently linked Los Angeles as the ideal team fit for D'Angelo Ponds out of Indiana. If the Chargers can ultimately land him on Day 2, fans should be ecstatic.
D'Angelo Ponds has Round 1 upside, but the Chargers should be seeking him out on Day 2
Ponds was the best defensive player on the best college team in the country last season. That alone should be enough to net him some hype in the NFL Draft. But he measured in at just 5'9" with a 29 3/8" arm length at the NFL Scouting Combine. No matter the level of talent, those sort of measurements will always hurt a player's projections.
But Ponds has the skill and the physicality to overcome these deficits at the NFL level. He's not the most dominant run defender, but he's undeniably sticky in coverage. Per Pro Football Focus, Ponds finished last season with the seventh-best coverage grade among the 897 qualified players at the position.
Here's what Bowen had to say about why Ponds would be the perfect fit for the Chargers:
"Under new coordinator Chris O'Leary, the Chargers will likely play a lot of zone match coverage. That would cater to the ability of Ponds, who has the short-area speed to close on the ball and can match up well on intermediate routes. Ponds is also competitive at the catch point, finishing with two interceptions and 10 pass breakups last season. And he's a competitive run defender despite his size."- Matt Bowen
At some point, Los Angeles will need to add another young talent to their cornerback room to complement Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart. They can realistically still add a veteran piece on the open market if they want a stop-gap at the position for 2026.
But if they want a long-term solution, Ponds could be the route to go. The Chargers are all about value. If Ponds' development breaks right, they could quickly have a premier talent on their hands.