The LA Chargers have many pressing needs that must be addressed in the 2024 NFL Draft, but perhaps none of those needs are as important as figuring out what the plan is at wide receiver. With Keenan Allen a Bear and Mike Williams a Jet, Quentin Johnston and Josh Palmer are the top dogs in an uninspiring group.
It seemed like a foregone conclusion that LA would end up taking one of the three top receivers in which class. If Ohio State megastar Marvin Harrison Jr. didn't end up lasting until the No. 5 pick, Jim Harbaugh would get his pick of LSU's Malik Nabers and Washington's Rome Odunze.
However, with Harbaugh and Greg Roman seemingly ready to wind the clock back to 1983 despite the mercurial Justin Herbert at the quarterback spot, the Chargers might actually decide to take an offensive tackle. In an even stranger twist, they might not stay at No. 5 overall and take Notre Dame's Joe Alt.
NFL.com insider Daniel Jeremiah is pounding the table and asserting the Chargers will trade down from the No. 5 overall pick, and adds they are interested in many of the top offensive linemen in this class. The Chargers have made their statement in age-old debate of offensive line play or receivers being more crucial to quarterback success.
Daniel Jeremiah on the chargers decision at 5. He’s adamant on them trading down and being interested in OL. 👀 pic.twitter.com/b3V5Vaqh51
— K1SinceDay1 (@KSzn2021) April 16, 2024
LA Chargers could trade down for offensive lineman in 2024 NFL Draft
If the Chargers want to move down in the order to acquire a tackle for the future, names like Penn State's Olu Fashanu, Washington's Troy Fautanu, and Oregon State's Taliese Fuaga could all be immediate starters during their rookie seasons. This draft is deep at the tackle spots.
Luckily for LA, the 2024 class has at least a dozen wide receivers that have a shot of being picked in the first round. If the Chargers prioritize wide receivers on Day 2, drafting names like Georgia's Ladd McConkey or Oregon's Troy Franklin could help boost Roman's (limited) vertical passing game while grabbing their prized tackle.
The downside, of course, is that picking multiple wide receivers later in the draft when you had the chance to draft a no-doubt starter early on could come back to bite the Chargers in the butt. Roman's Ravens offenses were plagued by poor receiver play, and he won't have Lamar Jackson's mobility to make up for it in LA.
If the Chargers don't grab a receiver like Nabers or Odunze early, Joe Hortiz better have an ironcal plan to get Herbert the help he needs.