The LA Chargers brought in eight new players in the NFL Draft that are going to get roster spots on the 2022 team that will end up kicking some existing players off the team. On the opposite end of the spectrum, who the Bolts ended up taking in the 2022 NFL Draft also increased the stock of existing players on the roster.
Whether it is because of the team showing trust in the player and not drafting the position in the draft or said player getting a better chance of starting because of the draft, three Chargers in particular saw their stock increase following the 2022 NFL Draft.
Punter J.K. Scott is an honorable mention with so many Chargers fans wanting the team to draft Matt Araiza, which never really made sense for the team.
3 Chargers whose stock rose following the 2022 NFL Draft:
1. Joshua Palmer
Would the Chargers have drafted a receiver at 17 if one of the big names were still there? Maybe. There is no way for certain to know if the team would have ended up taking a receiver. It was certainly speculated, though, and even after the Chargers missed out on a first-round receiver it was expected that the Bolts would take a mid or late-round speedster.
The Chargers ended up not taking a single receiver in the 2022 NFL Draft. There is no doubt that the Bolts have one of the best 1-2 punches in the league and not taking a receiver also doubled-downed that the team is high on Joshua Palmer to be a productive WR3 as well.
It is hard to blame the Chargers for being high on Palmer. They were obviously high on him last year when they drafted him in the 2021 NFL Draft and Palmer really started to come around late in the season as a viable target.
Sure, he might not be a menacing speed threat but he is a really crisp route runner with good hands and a lot of potential. There is a good chance that Palmer takes a leap in year two, proving that the Bolts were right to be high on him all along.