The 2026 NFL Draft was a bit of a Joe Hortiz masterclass for the Los Angeles Chargers.
We can debate all day about the true upside of this class and the viability of their second-round swing on Jake Slaughter. But Hortiz took the team from six total selections to eight through a series of trades, and he filled a number of needs across the roster in the process.
Out of these pieces, perhaps only Akheem Mesidor and Slaughter come to play major roles in their rookie seasons. But on the whole, this draft class is promising, and they've shown flashes of that through the first week-and-a-half of training camp.
Now that the pads have come on, it's time to check back in on our drafted rookies.
Chargers rookies have had mixed results so far through training camp
Akheem Mesidor, EDGE
When Mesidor was drafted in the first round by Los Angeles, the intention behind the selection was clear. Mesidor was meant to replace Odafe Oweh's role as the third edge rusher alongside Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu— in terms of pressure efficiency if not pure production.
Mesidor is more than capable of taking on that mantle. Even as an older prospect, his impressive college pedigree and pure athleticism set him up well for his transition to the NFL, and teammates and coaches have raved about his professionalism and energy through the offseason program and the start of training camp.
He still has a steep hill to climb once the season begins, but there's enough reason to be confident in his progression for now, especially in Chris O'Leary's budding pass rush.
Verdict: Stock Up
Jake Slaughter, G
This ultimately depends on what standard you want to hold Slaughter to. It's perfectly reasonable to expect him to develop as a backup center with upside at the guard spots, especially if Kayode Awosika is emerging as a real starting option at left guard. But did Hortiz truly spend a second-round selection on a backup center with Tyler Biadasz signed through 2028?
Jim Harbaugh said yesterday that, while Awosika is in the lead in the battle for the left guard job, Slaughter is "way ahead of schedule". He also said that he hopes to determine the final outcome of the battle within the next 10 practices, meaning we could have an answer soon.
But most of Slaughter's reps in camp have come with the second-team offensive line, and that alone isn't a good sign.
Verdict: Stock Down
Brenen Thompson, WR
Thompson has been perhaps the biggest riser of Chargers training camp so far. He's teased his own speed with a bold self-comparison to Tyreek Hill, but both Mike McDaniel and Justin Herbert have noted his potential to be a real playmaker within this offense as well.
The bulk of opportunities for the receiving corps will go to Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and Tre' Harris. But if Thompson can carve out a speed-based, downfield-threat role out of the slot and even on the outside at times, he'll have space to operate within McDaniel's scheme. Don't expect him to compete for Offensive Rookie of the Year, but he might have a larger role upon his arrival to the NFL than many expected.
Verdict: Stock Up
Travis Burke, OT
Burke was always a developmental selection. At nearly 6'9" and 325 lbs, he's going to take time to turn into the rangy tackle the Chargers believe he can be.
But Los Angeles has also held firm to their current swing tackle, Trey Pipkins III, during training camp. He's gotten reps as the first-team left guard, and Harbaugh called him one of the team's five best offensive lineman during his press availability earlier this week. That means that, in the short-term, the Chargers are likely looking for Pipkins to play out both years of the contract he signed this offseason.
We'll need to wait until next season to truly evaluate Burke unless injuries ravage the team again in 2026.
Verdict: Trending Down
Genesis Smith, S
Coming into camp, Smith was seen as one of the biggest potential risers on the Chargers roster. He impressed during OTAs and minicamp with his instinctual ball-hawking abilities, and there's still a real chance for him to wrestle away snaps at the third safety spot from Tony Jefferson and RJ Mickens.
But he hasn't had any majorly flashy plays so far in camp, and we don't yet have a concrete idea of how the battle between those three DBs is going. Hold steady on Smith's stock, and keep a close eye on him when we enter preseason action.
Verdict: Hold Steady
Nick Barrett, DT
Just as it's difficult to evaluate offensive linemen before the pads come on, it's hard to tell anything about young defensive linemen in the early portions of training camp. Barrett has a chance to carve out a small role as a backup nose tackle behind Dalvin Tomlinson, or he can work his way into rotational defensive tackle snaps behind Justin Eboigbe and Jamaree Caldwell.
Keep a close eye on how Barrett defends the run in preseason action, as that may be the determining factor for his role when this campaign opens.
Verdict: Too Early To Tell
Logan Taylor and Alex Harkey, G
These guards were drafted within four spots of each other in the sixth round, and it feels appropriate to loop them together here. Their fates when it comes to the 53-man roster might also be intertwined, in fact.
The Chargers drafted both Taylor and Harkey to be long-term developmental pieces at the guard spot, and Taylor also has potential upside as a tackle. But Los Angeles currently has 14 offensive linemen competing for nine or 10 roster spots, and Branson Taylor's inclusion in the competition for the left guard spot does not bode well for either of these drafted rookies.
There's a lot of room for things to change between now and the start of the season, but don't go all-in on either of these players making the 53-man roster.
Verdict: Stock Down
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