The playoff defeat left a lot to be desired but the regular season might give the Los Angeles Chargers some hope to build upon. Let's take a look at what PFN predicts in their latest 7-Round mock.
Williams is an even greater unknown on the edge than his college teammate. However, you can’t teach 36-inch arms and the natural ability to anchor from a defensive tackle alignment against double teams at (only) 265 pounds. Williams’ lack of flexibility may hamper his ceiling as a pass rusher because he’ll never consistently win on the outside track, but winning through blockers can be even more devastating when one possesses his lateral quickness.
Jim Harbaugh saw how special Henderson was playing on the opposite sideline from him at Michigan early in Henderson’s college career. That outrageous explosiveness returned in 2024. He also might be the best pass protector in the past half-decade to come from the collegiate ranks for the position, and the Texas game proved he’s devastating with the ball in his hands as a pass catcher.
Hamilton lives in the shadow of three other highly-touted Buckeyes defenders, but all the buzz surrounding that defense suggests he should be a top-100 pick in April. He could add to a Los Angeles defense that was the best scoring defense in the league this season.
Extremely good as a run defender, versatile, and possessing immaculate football IQ make him valuable in defense schemes, but Sebastian Castro needs to refine his coverage abilities, especially in man-to-man scenarios to become truly special.
More project than finished product, Xavier Truss could become valuable for any offense, especially one protecting a flamethrower like Justin Herbert. But he will need to work on his protection in the run game, where his athleticism and length should come in handy as building blocks.
With a high motor and amazing football IQ, Thor Griffith could be valuable for the Chargers. However, he will need to develop his skillset to truly become a force at the NFL level. If his disruptive style maintains against stiffer competition, the Chargers might have a diamond on their hands.
Fluid with great instincts, Fentress Cypress would be great value addition to the Chargers secondary. Improving in man coverage as well as upping his physicality could make him an all-around defensive threat.
After Ladd McConkey, can the Chargers go two for two on exceptional wide receivers later in the Draft?
As a two-down LB, Cody Lindenberg could be immediately impactful. However, to become a true three-down threat, he will need to overcome his injuries to develop into the star he has the potential to be. His floor is extremely high thanks to his combination of size, speed, and processing ability, and could make reliable for Los Angeles.
Even though he has the experience and the body type to be a dominant pass rusher, his lack of physical attributes drop his floor significantly.
