You can find our final Los Angeles Chargers mock draft for all 7 rounds in the attached link.
Before diving into our Chargers mock draft, here’s a quick rundown of what picks Los Angeles has.
Los Angeles Chargers draft picks 2024
Here are the current Chargers draft picks in the 2024 NFL Draft per the Pro Football Focus simulator.
- 1st Round, 5th Overall:
- 2nd Round, 37th Overall:
- 3rd Round, 69th Overall:
- 4th Round, 105th Overall
- 4th Round, 110th Overall
- 5th Round, 140th Overall:
- 6th Round, 181st Overall:
- 7th Round, 225th Overall:
- 7th Round, 253rd Overall:
Related: Examining 4 Los Angeles Chargers trade-down scenarios in 2024 NFL Draft
Let’s dive into our Chargers mock draft for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Los Angeles Chargers mock draft: Trading down from No. 5
First Round, 11th overall: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
In this deal, the Minnesota Vikings agreed to trade the 11th overall and 23rd overall picks to Los Angeles for the 5th overall pick. From our perspective, this deal allows the Chargers to move into a more reasonable range with the depth of the offensive tackle class and the later first-round pick positions them well to snag a wide receiver to replace Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.
While Joe Alt is the consensus No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2024 class, drafting him also means a position switch to right tackle. That’s not an impossible task by any means, but there can be a difficult transition period. None of that exists if Los Angeles trades down and selects Taliese Fuaga.
For a run-oriented team, Fuaga brings the exact nastiness and strength you’d want at the position. Physicality is what Harbaugh wants and offensive line coaches love tackles who will bury their man in the ground and then look for someone else to take out. Fuaga delivers that and the combo of athleticism and technique to also hold up very well in pass protection. He can become a perennial Pro Bowl right tackle who fits perfectly in Greg Roman’s system.
First Round, 23rd overall: Brian Thomas Jr, WR, LSU
Even for a more run-oriented Chargers’ offense, of receiving corps of Joshua Palmer, Quentin Johnston and Derius Davis isn’t remotely NFL-caliber. While Harbaugh and Roman will want to run the football a lot, even they know Justin Herbert needs playmakers. Thanks to the trade down with Minnesota, Los Angeles can address two of its biggest needs.
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With Malik Nabers sitting out the NFL Combine, Brian Thomas Jr. took over the spotlight as the LSU star receiver. He recorded a 9.82 Relative Athletic Score, one of the highest marks in this class and somewhat comparable to former NFL receiver Javon Walker. While Thomas Jr. is more of a vertical threat right now, there’s room for growth as a route-runner. All of the tools are there to become a high-end No. 2 receiver in the NFL and he’s an ideal partner for Herbert’s arm strength and deep accuracy.
Second Round, 37th overall: Zach Frazier, C, West Virginia
A theme at the start of our Chargers mock draft is offensive linemen who don’t just embrace the physical part of the game, they make it part of their identity. During the NFL Combine, West Virginia center Zach Frazier made it very clear he wants to play for a coaching staff that loves to run the ball. He was also a wrestling champion in high school who posted one of the best records in the nation.
Related: Top draft prospect reveals why he’s perfect fit for Chargers, Jim Harbaugh
If not for a fractured fibula suffered in November, Frazier likely would’ve been a first-round pick. He’s made a full recovery and proved in Indianapolis that he’s ready to be a Week 1 starter. Similar to Fuaga, physicality is a calling card of Frazier’s game, but he also pairs it with above-average athleticism. Frazier can be a do-it-all center for Los Angeles, filling the void left by Corey Linsley with Nick Hardwick serving as his mentor.
3rd Round, 69th overall: T’Vondre Sweat, iDL, Texas
Standing at 6-foot-4 and 366 pounds, T’Vondre Sweat is one of the biggest players in the 2024 NFL Draft. He is by no means a great athlete, but no one should expect that from a defensive tackle weighing nearly 370 pounds. Instead, Sweat gives Los Angeles a behemoth that will eat up blocks in the middle of the line.
Last season, Sweat posted the fourth-highest PFF run-stop win rate (13.5 percent) and earned the second-highest run defense grade (92.0) among FBS defensive tackles. He’s simply a massive devourer of space, who knows how to use his frame, strength and violent hands to create problems for interior linemen. The Chargers would never experience great production on the stat sheet from Sweat, but he makes life easier for linebackers and edge rushers. That’s something Los Angeles has missed for a while.
Related: NFL defense rankings 2024
4th Round, 105th overall: Trey Benson, RB, Florida State
All the dots are going to be connected between Michigan Wolverines running back Blake Corum and the Chargers because of Jim Harbaugh, that much is obvious. It’s true that Corum offers a pro-ready skill set and Harbaugh’s strong preference for his guys may win out. However, we’re prioritizing the better running back here for Los Angeles.
Trey Benson checks a lot more boxes than Corum does. The Florida State Seminoles running back offers NFL size (6-foot, 216 pounds), has a much better track record of staying healthy and he’s a superior athlete. Whereas Corum comes in with an 8.24 Relative Athletic Score at 5-foot-7, Benson stands out with a 9.78 RAS after the NFL Combine.
Benson was also a more effective runner last season. Despite running behind a worse offensive line, he posted a 3.53 Yards after Contact average compared to Corum’s 2.42. He also posted a 106.4 Elusive Rating with a Breakaway Run rate of 53.9 percent compared to Corum’s 31.8 percent. It’s an easy choice.
Los Angeles Chargers 7-round Mock Draft 2024
Here is our full seven-round Chargers mock draft.
- 1st Round, 11th overall*: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
- 1st Round, 23rd overall*: Brian Thomas Jr, WR, LSU
- 2nd Round, 37th overall: Zach Frazier, C, West Virginia
- 3rd Round, 69th overall: T’Vondre Sweat, iDL, Texas
- 4th Round, 105th overall: Trey Benson, RB, Florida State
- 4th Round, 110th overall: Cam Hart, CB, Notre Dame
- 5th Round, 140th overall: Michael Barrett, LB, Michigan
- 6th Round, 181st overall: Anthony Gould, WR, Oregon State
- 7th Round, 225th overall: Erick All, TE, Iowa
- 7th Round, 253rd overall: Trente Jones, OT, Michigan
Feedback can be sent on Twitter to @Matt_Sportsnaut.
