Chargers NFL draft preview: Will GM Joe Hortiz trade for more picks?

Two years ago, during the current Chargers regime's first NFL draft together, it all seemed so simple. They had the fifth overall selection, and they were almost certain they would get their man, Notre Dame tackle Joe Alt. It seemed like a mortal lock, and so it was, as Alt was theirs for the taking.

This time, the third draft together for general manager Joe Hortiz, assistant GM Chad Alexander and coach Jim Harbaugh, it's different.

The Chargers will pick 22nd in the first round Thursday night for the second consecutive draft and the uncertainty over who might be available has made for a more complex preparation. Various scenarios had to be played out on their draft board in the second-floor offices of their El Segundo headquarters.

Last year, North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton was available when the Chargers picked 22nd, so they nabbed him without second-guessing themselves. Hampton went on to rush for 545 yards and four touchdowns despite playing only nine games because of injuries.

This year, almost everyone in the known football universe expects the Chargers to take an offensive lineman as Hortiz continues his offseason project to provide quarterback Justin Herbert with far better protection than he received during the 2025 season.

But will he? Hortiz and company have plenty of options.

Hortiz can pick a player who can fill a void at left guard.

Or he can opt to take a skilled wide receiver. Or he could decide to select a standout cornerback or pass rusher.

Plus, there is the possibility that he could trade down in the draft and pick up an extra selection or two. Last year, Hortiz had nine selections in the draft. This year, he has only five, after flipping picks in trades that netted outside linebacker Odafe Oweh in 2025 and safety Elijah Molden in 2024.

"I'll tell you when it was easier to move down was when we were picking five (in the ’24 draft), which we didn't," Hortiz said during a pre-draft conversation last week. "We had some phone calls and some interest, but I'd much rather be picking 22. Truthfully, I wish we were picking later."

Picking later would have meant avoiding a second consecutive one-and-done playoff appearance, losing Jan. 11 in an AFC wild-card game to the New England Patriots one season after a wild-card loss to the Houston Texans. Each game exposed their lack of protection for Herbert.

Penn State left guard Vega Ioane is projected to be long gone by the time the Chargers pick 22nd, perhaps as high as 14th when the Baltimore Ravens have their first pick. It also might be a stretch to imagine Texas A&M guard Chase Bisontis going as high as 22, which means what exactly?

Well, it could mean the Chargers try to trade down to pick Bisontis.

"You don't know," Hortiz said of the likelihood that he can pull off a trade. "It takes two to tango, right? It takes two to dance. You know, some years over the drafts I have been a part of, you think there's no way we're going to get calls and then the phone rings.

"Last year, our phone rang a couple of times and we just loved Omarion and we took him. But this year, you could say somebody is going to be there that somebody likes. So, you never anticipate, ‘Oh, the phone's going to ring.' You have to be ready to draft, and that's what we'll do.

"You certainly have to look at every possibility. But to say this will be an easy trade-back year, it's hard to say. It really depends on who's there and the team's behind us."

In fact, in the hours leading up to the draft, the only certainty was uncertainty.

"When we were picking five (in ’24), we had a strong belief Joe would be there, like, a 99.9% belief," Hortiz said. "At 22, you don't know. You've just got to approach it like in the second or third rounds. These are the guys who are going to be in our window. Any of the players above them, we would take them without question.

"Now, let's get this group sorted. What's our order? But to be to predict? It's so hard because you know, obviously, there's certain positions that do go higher than others in the draft. You think to yourself, ‘Hey, there could be a run on this (position), there could be a run on that.' But you can't anticipate it. You can't say, ‘Oh, they're not going to be there, so we don't have to worry about considering them.' You've got to factor them all in and just be prepared."

Chargers’ 2026 draft picks

1st round (No. 22 overall)

2nd round (No. 55 overall)

3rd round (No. 86 overall)

4th round (No. 123 overall)

6th round (No. 204 overall)

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