The LA Chargers have the fifth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and general manager Joe Hortiz has already committed to taking the best player available with that selection. Who that player is will depend on the Chargers' draft board and who is left when the team is on the clock, but it is clear that the Bolts are drafting talent over roster need.
That can lead the Chargers down several different routes and actually hurts the draft stock of a prominent draft target. Tight end Brock Bowers may not be selected just because he is a tight end and who knows, he may prefer that as he has his eyes set on another team.
The latest intel from draft analyst Mike Farrell seems to indicate that the Chargers are circling another prospect over Bowers, anyways. According to Farrell, there are whispers that the Chargers are targeting LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers with the fifth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Heard tonight that the #Chargers 💯 want Nabers but take it for what it’s worth. #NFLDraft #lyingseason
— Mike Farrell (@mfarrellsports) February 29, 2024
Chargers tied to Malik Nabers in 2024 NFL Draft by reputable source
Anybody nowadays can hop on X, pay for a blue checkmark, grow a follower count and post some "insider" information. Just because someone with a checkmark posted about rumblings does not mean that it is inherently true.
All that being said, Farrell has had a really good track record when he posts about things related to the NFL Draft. It is clear that Farrell doesn't just throw information around and when he does post about something he is hearing, oftentimes it is true.
Let's go back to the 2022 NFL Draft, shall we. While everyone in the world was expecting the Chargers to draft a defensive lineman in the first round, Farrell used his intel to predict a different path: interior offensive line. The Chargers, of course, selected Boston College guard Zion Johnson.
I hear from a source #Chargers might not go DT at No. 17 🤷🏻♂️ — It’s biggest need but interior OL might win the day if the right guy is there. #NFLDraft
— Mike Farrell (@mfarrellsports) March 13, 2022
Farrell hasn't just been right about the Chargers, either. In that same year, Farrell posted before the draft that he was hearing Travon Walker would go first overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Aidan Hutchinson was the favorite to go first overall, and Farrell was once again on the right side of history.
So what does this mean for the Chargers? It means that Farrell is hearing reputable information that the team wants Nabers. That does not mean that the Chargers are guaranteed to take Nabers, and it doesn't rule out a trade-down if a team comes in and blows the Bolts away with an offer.
But if it comes down to it, and Nabers is still on the board when the Chargers are on the clock, then fans can feel pretty confident knowing Farrell's track record that Nabers will be drafted to Los Angeles.