Chargers may already have a 2027 NFL Draft crush forming ahead of offensive overhaul

With the NFL season just over a week away, it's likely time for Los Angeles Chargers fans to start focusing on the team's first matchups of the season, which will be vital in setting the stage for them to survive their brutal post-bye slate with their AFC West title hopes still intact.

But the start of the college football season also provides a welcome distraction from the anxieties surrounding this post-roster cut-down limbo that the NFL is in. If you were active as a viewer over the weekend, you saw some enticing action—with Ole Miss carrying out a narrow win over the 24th-ranked Louisville and a wild Michigan Hail Mary to take down Chris O'Leary's former squad in Western Michigan.

But per Thomas Martinez at Sports Illustrated, that's not where the Chargers' focus was this weekend. Martinez highlights three games—Colorado vs. Georgia Tech, Rutgers vs. UMass, and USC vs. Fresno State—that Chargers' scouts were present at, meaning they got a first-hand glimpse at KJ Duff's monstrous nine-reception, 196-yard performance in Rutgers' upset loss at the hands of the bottom-feeder UMass.

It wasn't an impressive game for Rutgers in the least, but Duff displayed the full range of what he's capable of as a contested-catch, downfield threat. Perhaps, with the offense finding a new complexion under Mike McDaniel, we may have the roots of an early draft crush taking shape.

KJ Duff should be on the Chargers' radar as they prepare for the 2027 NFL Draft

Of course, we won't have any idea what the Chargers' draft priorities should be until we see this season unfold.

Perhaps the inevitable retirement of Khalil Mack and uncertainties surrounding Tuli Tuipulotu's contract make outside linebacker a stark need again. Perhaps the departure of Donte Jackson in free agency next offseason leaves them in need of a top cornerback prospect. Or perhaps the emergence of Tre' Harris as a truly versatile Z/X-receiving threat erases any question of drafting a wide receiver entirely.

But with the premium McDaniel places on speed and toughness among his receiving corps, don't be suprised if the Chargers already have Duff circled on their draft board for next offseason.

Duff was one of the best receivers in the Big Ten last season, posting 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns on 60 receptions for a Rutgers team that finished the campaign with a 5-7 record. His massive 6'6", 225 lb frame and blend of size, speed, and skill at the catch point likely indicate that he can top those numbers in 2026.

Of course, Los Angeles would likely be hesitant to spend another first or second-round pick on a wide receiver after doing so on Quentin Johnston in 2023 and Ladd McConkey in 2024. But if Johnston doesn't show improvement this season as a consistent downfield threat and Los Angeles doesn't see what they are looking for out of Harris, Brenen Thompson, and KeAndre Lambert-Smith, it's a thought that will at least need to cross their minds.

(For what it's worth, Duff wasn't included on Jordan Reid's latest first-round 2027 NFL Mock Draft for ESPN.)

If they were going to spend that type of capital on an offensive weapon, though, Duff has to be a tantalizing option. While his frame may not appear to contain the speed that McDaniel seeks out, he has enough vertical burst to keep defenses accountable, and his potential fit as a complementary piece alongside McConkey in the long-term is too distinct to ignore. If McDaniel is committed to staying as the Chargers' offensive coordinator long-term before seeking out another head coaching job, expect the front office to continue to furnish him with weapons.

It's obviously far too early to tell, but it's worth keeping an eye on Duff as a potential draft fit for Los Angeles.

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