With the Los Angeles Chargers being on their much-needed bye week—and Jim Harbaugh was adamant about it being a genuine off-week before getting back to work to prepare for a Week 13 date with the Las Vegas Raiders—we thought it might be the right time to talk about something that's been on our mind for a while now, that being the Bolts' decision not to trade down during this past April's draft.
Yes, it's a bit of a strange topic, but with first-round running back Omarion Hampton having appeared in just five games thus far and still sitting on injured reserve with an ankle injury and second-round wideout Tre' Harris not making anywhere near the impact most thought he would, catching just 16 passes for 137 yards and one touchdown through the Chargers' first 11 games, one can't help but wonder what might have been had things gone down differently.
Now, it needs to be noted that the Chargers may have indeed attempted to trade down from the No. 22 position in the first round, as it was widely reported that they had a deal in place with the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, who wanted to move up from No. 32. Word is, however, that while an agreement was in place, it was not communicated by both teams, which is a requirement, before the Bolts had to make their selection before the clock ran out, which, of course, turned out to be Hampton, whom Los Angeles says was always its first choice.
When a team wants to move up that many slots, that franchise really wants somebody, which typically means it's willing to give up more than it probably should.
Take the Atlanta Falcons, for instance, who wanted Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. so badly that they sent their second- and seventh-round selections (46th and 242th overall), and their 2026 first-round selection to the Los Angeles Rams to move into the No. 26 position to get him, also receiving the Rams' third-round selections (101st overall).
The Rams look like absolute geniuses for this now, as the Falcons' season is in the tank right now, as they sit at 3-7, and if the draft were being held today, that first-round pick they sent away would be the No. 10 overall selection.
There's a world in which the Chargers could have been the geniuses, not the Rams
While nothing was ever confirmed, at least to our knowledge, there were rumors circulating that the Chargers were also in contact with the Falcons. Again, this is mere speculation, and that can't be stated enough, but do you think the Bolts could benefit from having a second first-round pick next spring? Yeah, probably.
Yes, it would've meant moving out of the first round. And the potential with the Eagles would have dropped them down nine slots as well. But what's interesting about the Philly scenario is that between the time the Chargers drafted Hampton and No. 22 and the time the Eagles, who did end up making a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs to bump up one spot, took Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell at No. 31, no other running back went off the board, nor did one go off at the board at No. 32, where the Chiefs took Ohio State offensive tackle Josh Simmons. So, conceivably, the Bolts could have still gotten Hampton.
But even if the Chargers had fallen further in a deal with the Falcons and not gotten Hampton, it's not as if there weren't other running backs out there. Quinshon Judkins (No. 36) and TreVeyon Henderson (No. 38) were gone by the time the Falcons' original second-round pick rolled around at No. 44, but had Hampton still been on the board at that time, maybe that changes. And even if all three were gone, there were still several solid options available, including RJ Harvey, Cam Skattebo, and Woody Marks, among others.
And if Harris wasn't there when the Chargers made their next selection, there were still plenty of quality wideouts remaining as well. Truth be told, the Bolts may have been able to take a wideout first and then gone the running back route. While Harvey may not have been there at No. 60, Skattebo didn't go off the board to the New York Giants until No. 105, and Marks was ultimately scooped up at No. 116 by the Houston Texans.
Look, Hampton showed flashes of brilliance before his injury, and for all we know, both he and Harris could end up being massive stars for the Chargers. But again, we just can't help but play the "what if" game at times, especially when the team with which the Bolts share a stadium pulled off such a steal.