By the time the dust settled and the LA Chargers were on the clock with the No. 22 pick, the choice was clear. UNC running back Omarion Hampton was clearly the best player available and a trade-up attempt from the Eagles was not going to stop the Chargers from taking him.
Many fans expected the Chargers to pursue a running back on day two of the 2025 NFL Draft, leaving a lot of unanswered questions about what the Bolts may look to do on Friday. There are a myriad of directions the Chargers can go now that running back is definitively crossed off the list.
While there are several prospects who Chargers fans are hoping fall to the team at No. 55, in reality, there is one prospect in the Chargers range that is clearly the favorite to be selected.
Chargers drafting JT Tuimoloau is the most obvious move after drafting Omarion Hampton
Ohio State edge rusher JT Tuimoloau should be considered the favorite to go at No. 55 to the Chargers. This won't satisfy the fans who want the team to draft a pass-catcher but it checks a necessary box for the Chargers.
Los Angeles needs to add another edge rusher, specifically one with multiple years of team control. Khalil Mack and Bud Dupree's futures are not guaranteed after this season and Tuli Tuipulotu only has one more year under contract after the two veterans.
The Chargers would benefit from adding someone who could have an impact as part of the rotation right away while also having three-down upside. Tuimoloau would provide that, and is projected to go right in the range where the Chargers are picking.
Tuimoloau will instantly be a stout run defender who can help dispel the veteran edge rushers on the roster on early downs. This will get Tuimoloau on the field in important spots as he develops his pass-rush moveset alongside one of the greatest edge rushers of this generation.
So why not wide receiver or tight end? Wide receiver can be pushed off with Keenan Allen's homecoming seeming like a foregone conclusion at this point. If a big name, such as Jayden Higgins, were to fall it would be one thing. However, that is unlikely and the other late-second-round receiver options are not as exciting.
Meanwhile, tight end is so deep that the Chargers can land an impact player later in the draft. There is no need to reach for any tight ends who are not the best player available at pick No. 55 if they are going to be there in the third round.
Of course, a big part of the NFL Draft is variance and there is a chance Tuimoloau won't even be on the board when the Chargers are on the clock. But if he is, and it is more likely that he will be, it will be hard to see the Chargers going a different direction.