The 2025 NFL Draft is right around the corner, and the speculation about who the Chargers might take at No. 22 continues to be a topic of heavy discussion. Given their position, they'll likely miss out on some of the best prospects of the class, especially at their most needy positions, but they could still snag a solid player to boost the offense around Justin Herbert.
Because that appears to be Jim Harbaugh's plan for the draft, even more so in the first round, there has been a lot of chatter about which position would be best to address first, with tight end and wide receiver appearing as the most dire. But there has also been talk about taking one of the more exciting running backs of the incoming class, which hasn't garnered the same positive reaction.
That has tied a player like UNC's Omarion Hampton to the Chargers at No. 22 in some mock drafts, which doesn't make a ton of sense since Najee Harris was signed in free agency. It is certainly a position that needs to be addressed at some point to build a young roster in waiting, but even draft expert Daniel Jeremiah believes the Chargers should hold off on a running back this year.
Daniel Jeremiah confirms Chargers fans' belief that a running back should not be their first-round (or early-round) pick
While speaking to Omar Navarro of Chargers.com this week, Jeremiah was asked how they should approach the draft with the offense as their presumed priority.
While he agrees that tight end and wide receiver should probably be their first-round picks, and even early-round picks in general, he doesn't agree that running back should be prioritized in that same fashion.
"I still think just adding more firepower on offense. And that can come from running back, tight end or receiver, you know, I think it.
In a perfect world, you add a little something to all three of those rooms through this draft.
"I do think you want to add somebody young to the room. But in terms of a premier guy, I'll probably put that down the road. [I would] put that behind those other two positions at this point in time."
Backing up his suggestion of holding off on a running back until a later round or even next year, he confirms this year's class is deep, so the Chargers could still get a playmaker in a mid-round, making it a bit easier to accept the idea of holding off on the position.
There's a reason Harbaugh and Co. signed Harris, and he is easily an RB1 when healthy. His presence allows them not to prioritize finding the perfect running back this year, or even waiting to select one, and instead get other game-changing offensive players for Herbert to work with.
They should have plenty of options in that regard, with tight end Colston Loveland remaining the favorite in round one, or exciting wide receiver Matthew Golden. Either player would be a phenomenal addition to the roster, so it's hard to suggest they should target a running back with that pick instead.