Joe Hortiz has a grade for that.
When he sees a prospect stand at the front of the line during drills. When players go full speed in practice. When the game film shows max effort during every play, no matter the score.
The Chargers general manager calls it “competes” on his scouting report. The team’s nine-player draft class passed with flying colors.
“This class, we added a lot of competitors,” Hortiz said Saturday after the NFL draft. “I truly believe that and that’s what we look for. … Tough, physical, smart players that compete.”
The rookies will jump straight into the mix to help the Chargers build on their Wild Card finish during the first year under coach Jim Harbaugh.
The Chargers used the draft to add firepower to an offense that sputtered last season. Four of the team’s first six picks were devoted to skill positions to surround quarterback Justin Herbert with playmakers. Running back Omarion Hampton, receivers Tre Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who were picked in the second and fifth rounds, respectively, and tight end Oronde Gadsden II will be tasked with helping jump-start the offense around Herbert.
Harbaugh praised Hampton, the 22nd pick, as an immediate starting-level player, matching free-agent addition Najee Harris.
But the unit that will pave the way for the Chargers’ running hopes is still in question. The offensive line that gave up four sacks and nine quarterback hits in a playoff loss to the Houston Texans drafted only one rookie prospect: sixth-rounder Branson Taylor. The 199th overall selection played right and left tackle at Pittsburgh, but the Chargers see him as a future guard. He hasn’t practiced inside since his freshman year, he said.
“You just watch him move and take up space and just stays on his feet,” Hortiz said. “He can get up field, he can climb to the second level. Watch him punch guys down.”
Taylor will join a crowded interior competition. Key free-agent signing Mekhi Becton will begin at right guard, the same position he anchored for the Philadelphia Eagles during their Super Bowl run.
Zion Johnson could move from left guard to center, which would put returning center Bradley Bozeman, right guard Trey Pipkins III and free-agent acquisition Andre James in line to compete for the left guard position.
James has never played guard in the NFL, although he is no stranger to learning a new position. The UCLA product had never played center before the Las Vegas Raiders turned the undrafted free agent into their starter. Pipkins struggled with consistency in his first year at guard after shifting from tackle. Bozeman hasn’t played guard in the NFL since 2021, although he started his NFL career at the position as a sixth-round pick in 2018.
The competition may not end with just the current roster. Hortiz left the door open to other offseason transactions. The Chargers made several late acquisitions last season who turned into key pieces, including defensive lineman Teair Tart and safety Elijah Molden.
“O-line specifically, love the guys that were already here, love that we added Branson,” Hortiz said, “and I know they’re all going to go out there and compete and we’re going to play the best five and roll.”
The Chargers quietly added an ideal fit on the defensive front with third-round defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell. While the team lost out on re-signing Poona Ford during free agency, Caldwell is a potential second coming. The 6-1, 340-pound prospect is a stout run-stopper with underrated pass-rushing ability.
Fifth-round outside linebacker Kyle Kennard was a valuable pick to help replenish an edge rushing group that is without Joey Bosa for the first time since 2015. The former SEC defensive player of the year brings in youth alongside third-year edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu, who has learned from veterans Khalil Mack and Bud Dupree. Kennard can also carve out an immediate role on special teams, where sixth-round safety RJ Mickens and seventh-rounder Trikweze Bridges will try to earn a roster spot.
The Chargers overshadowed their defensive draft moves with their focus on offense, the team’s most glaring deficiency last season. The way Ladd McConkey immediately became the go-to receiver, set rookie franchise records for receptions and receiving yards, and supplanted his more experienced teammates showed how desperate the Chargers were for more play-making.
They doubled down on receivers by picking Harris and Lambert-Smith. Harris, a 6-3, 210-pound prospect from Mississippi, fits the mold of a big-bodied threat downfield, while the 6-1, 182-pound Lambert-Smith offers more speed with a 4.37-second 40-yard dash that was tied for sixth among all receivers at the NFL combine. But Hortiz is hesitant to fit the players into confined roles.
“To me, just get talented players that can run, separate, catch the ball, score the ball and that’s what they can do,” Hortiz said. “Their versatility allows them to help us together and independently.”
At the end of seven rounds with nine draft picks on the way and a slew of undrafted free agents en route, Hortiz met reporters with a content smile. The longtime scout considers the draft to be his personal Super Bowl. Now the organization will try to make a run toward the true big game.
The post Chargers address several needs in draft, but one area of potential concern remains appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
