The best move the LA Chargers made in the 2024 NFL Draft was moving up three spots to take Georgia wide receiver, Ladd McConkey. McConkey was one of the most productive rookie receivers in 2024 and the Chargers gave up virtually nothing to move up and draft him.
After taking Omarion Hampton over Matthew Golden in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Chargers fans are hoping history repeats itself on Friday. Wide receiver is still a need for the Bolts and there are several players on the board who would be enticing in powder blue.
There is one player who stands head and shoulders above the rest and if the board breaks the right way, this player could be the Chargers' McConkey of 2024.
Chargers could replicate Ladd McConkey trade with Jayden Higgins
Jayden Higgins is a completely different wide receiver than McConkey but the excitement would be even higher. If Higgins falls past the first few selections of the second round the Chargers will become a trade-up team to watch.
Los Angeles will have farther to move up in the second round than a year ago so the cost will be more. The Chargers aren't going to mortgage the team's third-round pick to move up to the beginning of the second round, so Golden will have to fall at least eight picks into the second round to be in striking range.
ESPN ranks Higgins as the 11th-best player remaining heading into round two, so it certainly is possible that he could fall into striking distance for the Bolts. Ideally, the Chargers could trade up for Higgins by trading a fourth, a sixth, and a future day three pick.
According to the NFL Draft pick value chart, the Chargers' fourth-round pick and earliest sixth-round pick is worth a combined 66 points. If we assume a future fourth has the same value as this year's fourth, the three picks would be worth 113 points. That is enough value to move up from the No. 55 pick to the No. 44 pick, held by the Dallas Cowboys.
Of course, Dallas could use wide receiver help as could the New York Jets, who pick two spots head of the Cowboys. If either of those teams want Higgins then any hope the Chargers had of trading up for him will be gone.
However, if the Jets go another direction and the Cowboys aren't as high on Higgins the door will be open for the Chargers to make a move. And by doing so, the Bolts would add someone with legitimate potential, as they did with McConkey a year ago.
Higgins finished last season with 87 catches for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns. It isn't every day you have the chance to add a six-four wide receiver with sub-4.5 speed who can play outside and in the slot.
If the door is open, the Chargers won't be able to pass on that opportunity.