The Los Angeles Chargers cleaned house after a 4-12 finish, bringing in Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh to replace Brandon Staley as head coach and Joe Hortiz to replace Tom Telesco as general manager. Harbaugh and Hortiz have an ideal situation with a talented QB with untapped potential in Justin Herbert, despite inheriting a losing team.
Building around Herbert begins in the NFL Draft, and Los Angeles had plenty of capital to do just that. Let’s dive into a full list of the Chargers’ 2024 NFL Draft picks.
Los Angeles Chargers Picks by Round in 2024
- Round 1, Pick 5
Joe Alt, OT | Notre Dame - Round 2, Pick 34 (from NE)
Ladd McConkey, WR | Georgia - Round 3, Pick 69
Junior Colson, LB | Michigan - Round 4, Pick 105
Justin Eboigbe, DT | Alabama - Round 5, Pick 137 (from NE)
Tarheeb Still, CB | Maryland - Round 5, Pick 140
Cam Hart, CB | Notre Dame - Round 6, Pick 181
Kimani Vidal, RB | Troy - Round 7, Pick 225
Brendan Rice, WR | USC - Round 7, Pick 253 (Compensatory)
Cornelius Johnson, WR | Michigan
Who Did the Chargers Draft in 2024?
Joe Alt, OT, Round 1, Pick 5
The Chargers were among the teams many around the league believed would trade their pick — in the attempt to earn more draft capital.
But in the end, the Harbaugh era is turning to Joe Alt as their first draft selection at No. 5.
Los Angeles is luring in what PFN’s Ian Cummings believes is the OT1 for the 2024 draft class.
The #Chargers are getting ready for the Jim Harbaugh/Greg Roman ground and pound. 😤#BoltUp | #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/zaqXXXXW42
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) April 26, 2024
“Heading into the season, Alt was my OT3. But in 2023, he showcased improved play strength and hand usage, hyper-elite mobility, and recovery athleticism. That’s all I needed to see to vault him up to OT1,” Cummings said.
Cummings adds that Alt is “an extremely explosive and free-flowing athlete with unnatural foot speed and agility.”
Ladd McConkey, WR, Round 2, Pick 34
The Chargers moved up three spots to No. 34 in a deal with the New England Patriots to kickoff Day 2 of the draft. This time, the Bolts addressed wide receiver by swooping up Georgia’s Ladd McConkey.
In the trade with the Pats, the Chargers sent their 37th and 110th selections to New England. They also gain the Patriots’ 137th pick.
McConkey will add a needed speed element to a Chargers offense that’s moving on from longtime franchise leader Keenan Allen. Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings wrote how the Bulldogs star will thrive as a versatile slot and Z option at wideout.
“McConkey is a good athlete, to be sure — with superb short-area quickness, stop-and-start ability, flexibility, and enough speed and burst to threaten vertically and compound separation. And he expertly weaponizes his brand of athleticism with his route nuance,” Cummings said.
Cummings adds how McConkey is “endlessly deceptive” with outstanding control of his speed. He impressed scouts and NFL personnel with his 4.39 time in the 40-yard dash during the NFL Combine.
Junior Colson, LB, Round 3, Pick 69
The belief on Day 2 was that Harbaugh would eventually turn to one of his former Michigan players.
He helped start round three with getting Junior Colson, his outstanding linebacker from their national title run.
Colson’s arrival comes after the team parted ways with Eric Kendricks after one season.
“Athleticism and energy are two qualities at the very heart of Colson’s game. At around 6’2″, 238 pounds, pound for pound, he’s one of the best athletes in the 2024 LB group with his explosiveness, short-area quickness, range, and change of direction,” Cummings said.
Justin Eboigbe, DT, Round 4, Pick 105
Throughout his coaching career, Harbaugh has always focused on building his team through the trenches. Eboigbe is just the latest example of this. The Alabama star was one of the Crimson Tide’s best defensive players last season for a group that won the SEC title. Eboigbe may not possess the natural tools that other players in his class have, but has enough upside for the Chargers to take a flier on him.
“I don’t get to see all the players in the country play but hard pressed for me to think that there’s many guys out there that did more for their team,” former Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban said of Eboigbe after he was named a Comeback Player of the Year award finalist last season.
“Justin Eboigbe being able to come back from the injury that he had, what he had to overcome to be able to come back, the great job our medical staff did to help him be able to come back, the specialists that he went to that put them in a position to be able to come back — I mean, it speaks volumes of the character that he has.”
Tarheeb Still, CB, Round 5, Pick 137
Still is a project cornerback to kick off the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Still has the versatility to play both inside and outside and was among the best cornerbacks in the Big Ten last season. Still may not have the speed many teams are looking for, but has a great motor with plenty of experience against Harbaugh in college.
Cam Hart, CB, Round 5, Pick 140
Hart was one of the risers during the final day of the 2024 Senior Bowl and projects as another depth piece for the Chargers next season. In a division with Patrick Mahomes, and young quarterbacks, getting coverage corners who can play special teams will be key for Harbaugh in Los Angeles. Hart has the size and overall athleticism to project as a steal in the fifth round with proper coaching.
Kimani Vidal, RB, Round 6, Pick 181
Following the loss of Austin Ekeler, the Chargers ended up taking a running back prospect from Troy when it comes to Vidal. Vidal was a productive four-year player, but could offer immediate assistance for a Chargers offense that has gone through many changes with Harbaugh now at the helm.
“His inconsistent vision, high mileage, and lower level of competition could be factors in why his draft stock feels like it falls in the Day 3 range, but his well-rounded skill set and effectiveness as a ball carrier certainly give him a great chance to make an NFL roster,” Cummings explained.
Brenden Rice, WR, Round 7, Pick 225
As legacy receivers go, this is much later than most people expected Brendan Rice to go. The son of the greatest receiver of all time, Rice is a big-play receiver who is excellent going up and getting the football on big catches. He will be an interesting fit for Justin Herbert and this offense.
“Rice’s 2024 NFL Draft evaluation requires more projection than most. Even in the vertical plane — his most natural realm — his ball tracking and hand technique can be more consistent as well,” Cummings wrote on the USC star. “But Rice has enough functional utility to be a dynamic and durable rotational piece early on, and he could grow to be a solid starter at the X-receiver spot.”
Cornelius Johnson, WR, Round 7, Pick 253
The Michigan connection is strong here as Harbaugh drafts his third receiver of the class. Johnson is a speed demon who can help provide some depth behind Quentin Johnson, but will be a project overall to this point.
“Johnson has the size, speed, and ball-tracking ability to be a valuable deep threat right away, and there are elements of his profile that suggest potential beyond that,” Cummings wrote on the Michigan threat.
