Although the NFL season continues on, the Los Angeles Chargers have already entered the full swing of the offseason. They are still in search of both an offensive and a defensive coordinator, though the Mike McDaniel hiring seems more likely by the day.
Soon, they will need to turn their attention towards free agency, where they have just over $80 million to play with.
Yet the 2026 NFL Draft is also looming in the distance. With the East-West Shrine Bowl and the Senior Bowl approaching, the team will get to take a peek at a number of prospects who could be joining them next season.
One of these prospects, Wake Forest running back Demond Claiborne, is an intriguing offensive piece who is projected to go on Day 3. Los Angeles, along with a host of other teams, has already shown interest in him, and a strong performance in the Bowl could put him firmly on their radar.
Demond Claiborne could be an intriguing option in the later rounds for the Chargers
As reported by Ryan Fowler yesterday, the Chargers are among the teams to show early interest in Claiborne:
Along with heavy attention from both the Chiefs and Commanders, the following teams met formally with Wake Forest RB Demond Claiborne at Shrine, per source:
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) January 25, 2026
• Packers
• Chargers
• Saints
• Dolphins
After missing the final two days of work, I’m told the explosive RB is just…
Claiborne is more than deserving of this attention. In his Senior season at Wake Forest, he rushed for 907 yards and 10 touchdowns on 179 attempts, averaging 75.6 rushing yards per game. He added to that with 140 receiving yards on 28 receptions.
Although his size is a concern, Claiborne has shown high-level twitchiness and explosiveness at the college level. He also has extensive experience as a kick returner, tallying 22 returns throughout his time at Wake Forest.
He will play in the East-West Shrine Bowl on Tuesday, allowing teams a peek at his skills in whatever action he sees. He is among six running backs who were invited to participate in the game on the West roster.
Los Angeles has their lead back of the future already set with Omarion Hampton, who they spent a first-round pick on last year. Kimani Vidal will likely take on duties in the backfield as well going forward.
Yet their depth beyond that is lacking. They also are in need of a new kick returner, considering Derius Davis's sub-par performance last season. They finished with the seventh-fewest yards per return in the NFL.
Claiborne is not a premier draft prospect, and the Chargers are missing their fifth and seventh-round picks this season. If he is still available in the sixth round, however, he is someone Los Angeles should have on their radar.