Mock drafts are tricky this time of year, as it's difficult to know exactly what a team's biggest needs will be when the actual draft rolls around due to the fact that the free agency signing period opens roughly six weeks earlier. If certain holes are filled in free agency, the draft needs can obviously change significantly.
Nevertheless, that doesn't stop fans and pundits alike from scouring over as many mocks as they can handle. And let's be honest; they're just flat-out entertaining, and it's always enjoyable to look back after the draft to see which ones got things right.
The Los Angeles Chargers, of course, have already had an entertaining offseason, what with having to bring in new coordinators on both sides of the ball and all, and the player portion of this offseason should be quite entertaining as well, as the Bolts have nearly 30 players set to enter some sort of free agency, a list that includes several starters from this past season, which is why they're currently projected to have more than $80 million in salary cap space. So, again, what happens in free agency will undoubtedly determine how the Chargers handle the draft.
For now, though, a recent two-round mock from The Athletic has Los Angeles addressing two of the team's most pressing needs, both of which are in the trenches.
The Athletic has the Chargers addressing the interior on both sides of the ball
No. 22: Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman of The Athletic recently constructed a two-round mock draft, and they've got the Bolts using their first-round selection at No. 22 overall on Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods.
"Is this too low for Woods? His stock ultimately could depend on testing and interviews, as his final year at Clemson was not on the level of his first two (though most of the team struggled in 2025). The Chargers would be getting a player with serious potential here."
While the Chargers took care of some free agency business early by locking in Teair Tart to a new three-year deal, improving the rest of the interior defensive line should still be a priority, as it was arguably the weakest part of Jesse Minter's unit during the 2025 season.
As the mock mentions, Woods did take a bit of a dip this past year at Clemson, as he tallied fewer solo tackles, fewer tackles for loss, and fewer sacks than he did in 2024. But like they said, the potential is there, as the 6-foot-3, 315-pounder was the ninth-ranked interior defender in the country during the '24 campaign with an overall PFF grade of 87.2.
His first step is as explosive as any defensive player in this draft, and his athleticism is off the charts. If Woods does indeed fall this far, the Bolts shouldn't hesitate to take him off the board.
No. 55: Trey Zuhn III, OL, Texas A&M
In Round 2 at No. 55 overall, the mock has Los Angeles selecting Texas A&M offensive lineman Trey Zuhn.
Now, this is an interesting selection, as Zuhn spent the vast majority of his time with the Aggies at tackle, which seemingly won't be a big need, as Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt are both expected to be healthy heading into training camp.
The bigger concern, of course, is on the interior, as none of the trio of guards Zion Johnson and Mekhi Becton and center Bradley Bozeman had particularly good seasons. And all three may be gone soon, as Johnson is a free agent, and Becton and Bozeman are prime cut candidates.
How Zuhn fits into the plan to improve the interior is that it's widely expected that he'll transition to either guard or center in the NFL due to his lack of arm length. The 6-foot-7, 320-pounder did play some center for Texas A&M, so it's not as if he'd be completely unfamiliar with moving to the inside.
Zuhn's 96.8 pass-blocking grade in 2025 was the highest of any offensive lineman in the country, so it's safe to assume that Justin Herbert, who took 60 sacks this past year, the third-most of any quarterback, would sign off on this selection.