The NFL Draft is here, and the formerly dominant Kansas City Chiefs made a move that should have some bearing on which direction the LA Chargers look to go after the first round.
Kansas City moved up from pick No. 9 to pick No. 6 to take LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, strengthening a defensive back room that lost multiple players over the offseason.
For the Chargers, the holes are obvious. The offensive line will be addressed (we hope) after drafting edge rusher Akheem Mesidor in the first round. But there's another roster need that may have just jumped to the top of the list thanks to the Chiefs' swing at Delane.
The Chargers must address the receiving corps on Day 2 of the NFL Draft
Before Day 2 of the draft is over, the Chargers must add to the receiver room. Is it solid? Sure. Ladd McConkey, Tre' Harris, and Quentin Johnston are serviceable receivers who can get the job done fairly consistently.
However, as has been seen time and time again, the Chargers just don’t have the weapons to get it done week in and week out.
Maybe it truly is an offensive line issue. Maybe it was purely the scheme that led to regression from the group as a whole. But whatever it is, the Chiefs are adding to their defensive back room, and the AFC West is consistently getting better. The Denver Broncos have already addressed their wide receiver room with the addition of Jaylen Waddle.
Whether it is a true wide receiver the Chargers look to take, or another pass-catching tight end to bring competition and depth, they cannot just trot out the same receiver room as 2025 and expect a better result. Will the offense as a whole be better with Mike McDaniel giving Herbert some easier answers compared to Greg Roman’s offense? Fans can only hope so.
Regardless, Johnston is nearing the end of his deal, and the expectation is that the Chargers will move on unless there is a major improvement in his play.
With a big enough improvement, could Joe Hortiz look to move on from the fourth-year receiver anyway in favor of younger, cheaper talent? Given his tendencies through three offseasons as the Chargers’ general manager, saving money seems to be a priority, even when dealing with productive players.
The draft has been his strongest area since taking over. Joe Hortiz needs to recognize the improvements within the division and strengthen the Chargers’ receiver room early instead of being comfortable with what they already have. If the Chargers don’t address their pass catchers, they could be in for another lackluster season in 2026.
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