4 bold predictions for Chargers' first offseason under Jim Harbaugh
By Jason Reed
2. The Chargers (finally) trade back in the 2024 NFL Draft
One thing that Tom Telesco never did as the general manager of the Chargers was trade down in the NFL Draft. Telesco traded up several times but he was never able to trade down in the draft to get more assets to build out the roster.
Trading back is something that fans have wanted the team to do for several years and now the team is in a great spot. With the fifth overall pick in the draft, the Chargers can get a real haul from a QB-hungry team that wants to jump other QB-hungry teams.
As long as Marvin Harrison Jr. doesn't shockingly fall to the fifth overall pick (he shouldn't), then the Chargers should be looking to move down. In the perfect scenario, the Chargers would be able to pick up extra picks for moving down 5-7 spots and still draft tight end Brock Bowers in the first round.
There are several roster holes that need to be filled in Los Angeles and getting an extra top-50 pick along with other capital is the best way to address these holes. If the Chargers manage to get the same pick later that they would have just taken at five then it is icing on the cake.
Hortiz is coming from an organization that traded back a lot in the NFL Draft and it helped the Ravens a ton in previous years.
This should be the only time that the Chargers actually have a premium draft pick in the Harbaugh era, so you know that the team is going to take full advantage of all the doors it opens.