The Los Angeles Chargers, on virtually every account, had a relatively strong showing in the 2026 NFL Draft.
After beginning the Draft with just five selections (and only two on Day 3), Joe Hortiz executed a series of trades to yield the Chargers additional capital. They ultimately made eight selections, six of which took place on Day 3.
They were able to grab one of the class's premier edge rushers in the first-round in Akheem Mesidor before trading back in the second round and nabbing the interior offensive lineman they apparently had their eyes on the whole time— Jake Slaughter out of Florida. They filled a number of positional needs with the rest of their picks, most notably adding a speedy offensive weapon in Brenen Thompson.
Although it was a successful draft for Hortiz, though, it's one that carries a number of questions. ESPN's post-draft power rankings spotlight this fact, moving the Chargers up only one spot from 15th to 14th even after their draft efforts.
Make no mistake. 2026 is the year for Los Angeles to finally elevate itself into Super Bowl contention. But ESPN's ranking of them makes one fact painfully clear— the Chargers still have a lot of questions to answer before they can rub elbows with the NFL's top teams.
There's reason to be optimistic, but the Chargers still need to prove they can put it all together in 2026
Given the injuries they faced along their offensive line, Los Angeles put up an admirable showing in 2025. They finished with 11 wins, earning the final Wild Card spot after resting their starters in their Week 18 matchup with the Denver Broncos. But that earned them a date with the New England Patriots in the Wild Card Round, and they put up an abysmal offensive performance for the second year in a row.
Things are supposed to be headed on an upward trajectory in 2026. The entirety of Los Angeles' interior offensive line has been reconstructed, and the addition of Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator should introduce an entirely new schematic outlook. The front office has spent the offseason buying in heavily to McDaniel's vision, adding pieces like Charlie Kolar, Keaton Mitchell, and Alec Ingold while largely trusting him to fill out their guard spots as he has seen fit.
But as of now, ranking teams like the Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, and Detroit Lions ahead of Los Angeles is reasonable, even if it represents a underestimation of the Bolts' ceiling.
Even if you feel confident about McDaniel's ability to identify offensive line talent, the Chargers will likely enter the start of the season with relatively unproven quantities in Slaughter and Cole Strange as their starting guards. They still lack an alpha receiver, although Ladd McConkey will certainly vie for that title in 2026. There's room for regression even on the defensive side of the ball with the departure of Jesse Minter.
As the offseason has worn on, it's become easier and easier to buy into the Chargers' plans for 2026. They have the defensive infrastructure and the offensive talent to be one of the NFL's scariest teams if everything goes right.
But ESPN's power rankings are a reminder of just how many questions they must answer before we can jump to that point.
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