Wide receiver is one of the biggest needs for the LA Chargers this offseason. As great as Ladd McConkey was in his rookie season, Justin Herbert needs another top-tier pass-catcher for the Chargers to truly reach their potential as a Super Bowl contender.
There are multiple ways to add wide receiver help, including via trade. The Chargers are in a prime position to make a splashy trade this offseason with Seattle's DK Metcalf emerging as a potential trade target amid the Seahawks' potential rebuild.
Opinion is split on whether or not the Chargers should actually take the swing of trading a (likely) first-round pick for Metcalf (or any trade wideout, for that matter). As valuable as first-round picks are, there is a big difference between a top-10 pick and the 22nd pick in the draft.
This is especially true in a draft class that may be more of a crapshoot after the first 10-15 picks. According to Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy, there are several NFL teams who have a shortage of first-round grades for this year's class.
“I’m talking to teams with (only) 8, 9, 10 first-round grades right now.” — @JimNagy_SB #NFLDraft
— The Draft Network (@TheDraftNetwork) January 27, 2025
Potentially weak 2025 NFL Draft could convince Chargers to trade first-round pick
Of course, the Chargers are not going to trade their first-round pick just for the sake of trading the pick but a weaker class does open doors that may not have been open otherwise. If this was a deep first round like the 2024 draft class then it would be a completely different story.
The fact of the matter is the Chargers are in a position where they are looking to add players who can make an impact right away. The last thing the team needs is to take a first-round pick who has a higher potential long-term ceiling but is less of a surefire pick with a limited impact in year one.
Those prospects do still exist on this draft board but the overall lack of talent in the draft may keep them from ever falling to the Chargers at 22. Tight ends Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland are the first players who come to mind as rookies who could have a big impact in year one.
But in an otherwise thin class, a year after Brock Bowers broke barriers as a rookie tight end, neither Warren and Loveland may fall to the Chargers.
The Chargers won't know what the lay of the land will be until draft night and for that reason, we could see the team wait until draft night to make a trade (if it makes one at all). It truly could be an AJ Brown situation where the Chargers survey the players still on the board and make a decision then and there to swing a big trade.
Whether it is a rookie out of college or an established player who will cost a larger salary, the Chargers simply need to add talent that can raise the ceiling as soon as 2025. That is much harder to do in the draft in what might be a weak first-round class.