The J.K. Dobbins saga last offseason was a confusing one for the Los Angeles Chargers. They slapped the rarely-utilized unrestricted free agent tender on the fourth-year running back, only to let him walk in free agency to the Denver Broncos.
This allowed him to be included in the compensatory pick formula, even though he signed in Denver after the draft.
Now, that choice has landed them a compensatory sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Dobbins, despite the season-ending foot injury he suffered in Week 10, reached the snap-count threshold for Los Angeles to receive the pick.
Now, they land a much-needed Day 3 selection in a draft where their choices in that region were already slim.
Perhaps it could be used to nab defensive lineman Zxavian Harris out of Ole Miss.
The J.K. Dobbins saga could gift the Chargers a much-needed rotational defender
At the time, letting Dobbins walk made sense, although the way the Chargers went about it was confusing. In theory, having a backfield of Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton provided much more upside due to Dobbins' injury history.
Of course, it didn't turn out that way. But that's neither here nor there.
The Chargers now have an extra swing in the draft as a result of Dobbins' departure, and it could land them their ideal late-round prospect.
Harris boasts a massive 6'7", 320 lb frame, and the production was there to back it up in 2025. Through 15 games at Ole Miss, he amassed 58 combined tackles, nine tackles for loss, and three sacks. There are lingering concerns about his character and his burst off the line of scrimmage.
But in the sixth-round, Los Angeles could hardly ask for a better prospect.
Daniel Popper at The Athletic projected the Chargers to select Harris in the sixth round in his recent mock draft. After signing Teair Tart to an extension early this offseason, the team has some questions to answer about their depth behind their alpha defensive tackle.
Justin Eboigbe and Jamaree Caldwell have each shown flashes, but throwing a player such as Harris into the mix could grant Los Angeles some much-needed depth at the position. It could also dial up the notch on the competition for those two players in training camp.
With two separate sixth-round selections, the Chargers will have two chances to grab Harris, or a similar player, on Day 3. For a team without a fifth or a seventh-round selection this year's draft, that's a major advantage.