3 2023 Chargers draft guarantees that you can take to the bank
By Jason Reed
3. The Chargers are guaranteed to utilize free agency after the draft like in 2022
This is technically cheating as this is not something the Chargers are doing on draft day itself. That being said, this is something that the front office will absolutely be keeping in the back of its mind when it is making draft-day decisions this year.
There were several needs that the Chargers did not fill in the 2022 NFL Draft. Knowing that the team had more needs than viable draft picks to fill those needs, the Bolts gave themselves more flexibility to respond to the draft board and then shore up the pieces later in free agency.
That resulted in the Chargers signing Kyle Van Noy, Morgan Fox and Bryce Callahan all after the draft. That trio of veterans all filled various needs for the Bolts will all three playing really well for the team down the stretch.
That will be the same mindset this year and there are several positions that fans can pinpoint as potential free-agent signings if the position is not addressed in the draft. Safety (and John Johnson) is perhaps the most obvious position but the team could also add a receiver, edge rusher, and on the interior defensive line. It all depends on what happens in the draft itself.
Los Angeles does not have a massive bankroll to spend but the team has left itself some money to make a few savvy signings. Expect multiple new faces on the roster even after the 2023 NFL Draft.