The Los Angeles Chargers, by all means, found success in their own way in the 2026 NFL Draft.
General manager Joe Hortiz executed a series of trade that ultimately netted the Chargers three extra selections, and he filled a number of depth needs across the roster as a result. They added a (hopefully) starting-caliber guard in Jake Slaughter, a trio of immediate defensive contributors in Akheem Mesidor, Nick Barrett, and Genesis Smith, a speedy wide receiver in Brenen Thompson, and some additional offensive-line depth in sixth-round guards Logan Taylor and Alex Harkey.
And yet, while the argument can be made that Los Angeles went against the grain with the Mesidor selection, Hortiz didn't take any wild swings in the draft. That's part of his modus operandi, and it's become, in a way, the Chargers' overall organizational outlook. Therefore, it was no surprise when they passed up controversial cornerback prospect Jermod McCoy multiple times before he was ultimately selected in the fourth round by the Las Vegas Raiders.
There were whisperings prior to the Draft that Los Angeles might be one of the teams taking a long look at McCoy in the first round. That absolutely should've been off the table.
But as McCoy appears set to start his rookie year at full health, the Chargers may come to regret having passed on him on Day 2.
Jermod McCoy could still be the top cornerback in the 2026 NFL Draft class
In 2024, McCoy established himself as one of the top cornerbacks in college, taking on major coverage duties for the University of Tennessee and excelling at every turn. Per Pro Football Focus, he posted 37 solo tackles, 11 stops, and allowed a passer rating of just 53.6 during his dominant sophomore season.
At that time, he was considered a serious contender to be a top-10 pick when he ultimately arrived in the draft.
But an ACL tear caused him to miss the entirety of his draft year, and a scare surrounding a second surgery that emerged pre-draft caused his precipitous drop. As talented as McCoy is, there were (and still are) serious questions surrounding the lengthy nature of his rehab process and his underlying medicals.
If he can stay healthy, though, McCoy may have been the steal of the draft in Round 4. Newly-minted Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak, speaking to reporters last week, said that he expects McCoy to not only be healthy but to seriously compete in training camp:
"I expect him to practice. I expect him to be on the field," Kubiak said. "It's gonna be a moving target with him, but we drafted him for a reason. We drafted him to play, so I expect him to compete in camp and get plenty of reps." Klint Kubiak
Prior to the scare about a second surgery, the Chargers were one of the teams tied to McCoy in the late first round. While that would likely have been a major mistake, Los Angeles' future outlook at the cornerback position would've made a swing on Day 2 more than worth it.
Donte Jackson will likely be gone in free agency next offseason, and both Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart will come due for extensions in 2027. Beyond that, Los Angeles doesn't truly have any cornerbacks with starting experience.
A piece like McCoy, and the massive upside he presents, could have been a seriously worthy swing for the Chargers, especially if his health concerns quickly prove to be overblown.
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