The Los Angeles Chargers drew heavy criticism with their lack of activity early this offseason.
In some sense, that criticism was warranted. The Chargers entered the offseason with the most cap space in the NFL. They not only were out of the sweepstakes for Tyler Linderbaum, but they clearly did not entertain interest in many of the top guards on the market. Their focus, as always, was on building sustainably through the Draft and the compensatory pick formula.
But Joe Hortiz showed his mastery yet again on draft day. He traded back multiple times in order to gain a plethora of Day 3 capital, filling out the depth of the roster and even grabbing a pair of likely contributors in Akheem Mesidor and Jake Slaughter. It's not the highest-upside draft class, but it's one that serves an immediate purpose for Los Angeles.
If things come together this year, it will be a testament to Hortiz's slow-burn approach. But even if they don't (at least to the level that many expect them to), it's important to recognize what the Chargers have built. Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox recently ranked Los Angeles as having the sixth-best young core in the entire NFL— six spots higher than their nearest AFC rival. Here's what Knox had to say regarding his ranking:
"Los Angeles opened last season as the seventh-youngest team in the NFL. They experienced multiple injuries along the offensive line, and yet, they still finished with their second straight playoff berth. Simply put, the Chargers have done an excellent job of identifying, drafting, and developing talent. Hopefully, that trend will continue with rookies like Akheem Mesidor and Jake Slaughter." Kristopher Knox, Bleacher Report
Chargers are best positioned for long-term success against their AFC West rivals
Under the new regime, the Chargers have been excellent at identifying and developing talent on the defensive side of the ball. Although Jesse Minter's departure leaves room for regression, the infrastructure is in place to avoid disrupting that trend. With Mike McDaniel and Butch Barry on the staff, hopefully that ability will extend to the offensive line.
When you consider that Mesidor, Slaughter, Johnston, McConkey, R.J. Mickens, Brenen Thompson, and Omarion Hampton are also in the fold, this team is set up for the long haul.
Compared to the rest of the AFC West, it's clear Los Angeles has the edge— although most might not consider it that way at first glance.
Of course, the Kansas City Chiefs' roster struggles have been well-publicized. Patrick Mahomes has now reached the age of 30 and is recovering from a torn ACL. Apart from Mansoor Delane, on whom Kansas City spent a trio of draft picks to trade up and get, there's no real prospect to hang your hat on among their current roster. They'll need to spend the next few seasons consistently getting younger to re-open their Super Bowl window. Knox has them ranked at 26.
The Denver Broncos, for their part, are slightly better off. Bo Nix is just 26, and they have a number of young pieces on either side of the ball who have been impactful contributors for them. But, as Knox mentions, they had the seventh-oldest roster at the start of last season, and a lot of their dominance is based on the veteran experience across their defense. Knox has them ranked at 17.
The Raiders are the only team where you can truly make a case for them against the Chargers. They just selected Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick, and they have enviable offensive weapons in Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty. But there are still so many questions there, and so many deficits across a defense that was completely reshaped in free agency this offseason, that it's difficult to rank them highly. Knox had them at 12.
It's clear that Hortiz's master plan has paid off at least in terms of roster construction. If the Chargers find playoff success with this core in 2026, this outlook would quickly become even better.
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