The LA Chargers have transformed in Jim Harbaugh's first season as head coach. Los Angeles is on the brink of clinching a playoff spot one year after winning just five games with Brandon Staley.
This all happened after an offseason where the Chargers lost a lot of talent and had to make cost-effective additions to bolster the depth. Not every departure ended up hurting the Chargers, though.
Former first-round pick Kenneth Murray signed a shocking deal with the Tennessee Titans that was not indicative of how he played in Los Angeles. Tennessee quickly learned its lesson with Murray continuing his old ways and turning in a particularly bad performance against his former team.
It appeared as if the Chargers got away from Murray scotch free, and if anything, benefitted from his departure by getting a compensatory pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, while the team is still going to get a pick from Murray's departure, the former first-round linebacker had to burn his team (unintentionally) one last itme.
I believe this means the Chargers will get a 6th round compensatory pick instead of a 5th for K9’s contract with the Titans. https://t.co/bK2LgGOnzL
— Steven Haglund (@StevenIHaglund) December 25, 2024
Chargers' draft stock takes a hit thanks to Kenneth Murray injury
Frequent readers of Bolt Beat knew this might be coming and unfortunately, Murray's trip to IR guarantees it will happen. With Murray missing the rest of the season the Chargers will go from getting a fifth-round compensatory pick for his departure to getting a sixth-round pick.
There are multiple factors that determine where a compensatory pick falls for a qualified free-agent departure. The player's average salary per year, any accolades they acheive, and their snap count for their new team all factor into a formula that decides where the pick falls.
Murray was projected to net the Chargers a fifth-round pick but was just barely ahead of the cut-off to avoid being a sixth-round pick. Right now, the compensatory formula ranks Murray 287th, which is the very last slot to get a fifth-round pick.
If Murray moves down just one slot then the Chargers will get a sixth-round pick instead. With the linebacker on IR, his snap count is going to reduce and may allow someone like D'Andre Swift, who is healthy and ranks 294th, to usurp him and grant the Bears a fifth-round pick.
The last compensatory fifth-round pick is 33 selections higher than the first compensatory sixth-round pick. And while that may not seem like a huge deal on day three of the draft when it is a crapshoot, it absolutely is.
Just look at the 2023 NFL Draft. Wide receiver DeMario Douglas was selected with the first compensatory pick of the sixth round. Who was the last compensatory pick of the fifth round, you might ask? Puka Nacua.
Yes, it matters. Murray has burned the Chargers one last time.