The LA Chargers have the 17th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. After trading the team's second-round pick in the Khalil Mack trade, there is a case to be made that the Chargers should look to trade down in the draft to pick up extra capital.
Of course, if there is someone on the board who the Chargers rank highly then the team is not going to move down. It all depends on the 16 picks before the Chargers, both in who the Chargers may be interested in as well as who other teams may be interested in.
One of those teams could be the Dallas Cowboys. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters that Dallas would be interested in trading up in the draft if someone who they rank highly is available. With the Chargers only being seven spots higher than Dallas, it is an obtainable spot to jump to for someone who they potentially really like.
Jerry Jones said the Cowboys would be interested in trading up in this month’s draft pic.twitter.com/AJbXijPJY8
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) April 13, 2022
What would a trade-down with the Cowboys look like for the Chargers?
While it is far from a fail-proof method of determining the trade value of draft picks, the Draft Pick Value Chart is a good resource and place to start when working out potential draft pick trades.
Per the value chart, the Chargers' 17th pick is worth 950 points while the Cowboys' 24th pick is worth 740 picks. Dallas needs to make up a 210-point difference and the team's third-round pick is worth 150 points. In theory, the Chargers could leverage for another pick late in the draft but it seems more likely that the team would ask for a future pick.
If the Cowboys moved up to 17 then it would likely cost pick 24, pick 88 and a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Do not be surprised if the Chargers also include one of four seventh-round picks in the deal back to Dallas as there are only so many roster spots the team can fill.
Depending on how the board shapes out, this could be a good deal for the Chargers. They could, in theory, get a similar prospect seven picks later and add another top-100 pick this year. If the Bolts really want to get aggressive, they can try and replace their second-round pick this year with Dallas's second-round pick.
If that happens, the Chargers would likely have to trade another pick back to Dallas. The value of the 17th pick and 123rd pick is 999 points. Meanwhile, the value of picks 24 and 56 is 1,080. If there is someone who Dallas really likes, then the Chargers can start a package with 17 and 123, adding some of the compensatory picks to get a second-round pick in return.
MUST-READ: Chargers' 7-round mock with the Bolts taking a corner at 17
Regardless, there is value in the LA Chargers trading down with the Dallas Cowboys in the 2022 NFL Draft.