Chargers mock draft 2024: 3-round mock that fixes 3 massive roster holes
By Jason Reed
Chargers select MarShawn Lloyd with the 76th overall pick
Running back is another position that desperately needs help in 2024 and beyond. Not only have the Chargers been the worst rushing offense in the sport since Week 2, but there is no continuity in the room heading into the 2024 season.
Both Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley are free agents after the season and neither player has done much to warrant a new deal. Bringing Kelley back on a cheap one-year contract is feasible but Ekeler is going t chase the biggest pay day he can get and that will be away from the Chargers.
That leaves the Chargers with Isaiah Spiller, who has done nothing in his two years in the league. With no other options, it is clear that the Bolts need running back help and in this mock draft the team waits until the third round to get a local prospect, USC's MarShawn Lloyd.
Lloyd has a similar build to Ekeler in that he is on the smaller side height-wise but he is built like a truck. Lloyd's athleticism pops off the screen (like Ekeler's used to) and his numbers in the USC offense speak are fantastic. The USC back is averaging an astounding 7.1 yards per carry and is a broken tackles machine.
There are other positions the Chargers could go with in the third round, such as wide receiver, safety, or even linebacker, but running back makes the most sense with how the roster is constructed.
Keenan Allen will likely get extended to lower his cap hit and the Chargers will have a WR room of him, Joshua Palmer, Quentin Johnston and Derius Davis to build off of. Alohi Gilman can be re-signed for cheap and the team has an easier time replacing Kenneth Murray in free agency than it will Ekeler.