We are officially in Mock Draft season, and for the Los Angeles Chargers, the first-round selections have been all over the place.
The consensus home run pick seems to be tight end Colston Loveland, but many believe that he is unlikely to be around still when the Chargers pick.
There is also the Will Johnson connection, another Michigan man, and while the Chargers are fairly deep at CB, they don’t have a true Number 1.
They also still have a desperate need for a playmaking wide receiver. If Tetairoa McMillan or Emeka Egbuka is available, either would make a lot of sense.
However, a new Mock Draft has emerged and has the Chargers going in none of these directions.
Steve Palazzolo, formerly of Pro Football Focus and now with The 33rd Team, just dropped his first mock, and I don’t think Bolt fans are going to be very happy.
Los Angeles Chargers Take Another First-Round Offensive Lineman
To his credit, Palazzolo’s mock is one of the more creative and different ones that I have seen. That being said, the Chargers’ selection would make little to no sense.
At pick 22, the Bolts select Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr…
Teddy Palazzolo Mock Draft 1.0 pic.twitter.com/docUPJuaqf
— Steve Palazzolo (@StevePalazzolo_) March 26, 2025
This is nothing against Banks Jr., who is a very good player and a potential cornerstone tackle in the NFL, but the Chargers already have two starting tackles and drafted both of them in the first round.
Joe Alt was selected with the 5th overall pick just last year. He had a fantastic rookie season and is under contract for the next four seasons, as long as the Chargers pick up is 5th-year option.
Rashawn Slater was drafted in 2021 and is currently in his 5th-year option. Now, we have to assume that this is what Palazzolo is getting at with this pick.
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Slater has been very good when healthy, but he has dealt with injuries during his time in LA. Perhaps the franchise does not feel great about giving him a lucrative contract extension when they could reset with another rookie and have a cost controlled contract for the next five years.
There is something to that logic, but starting left tackles do not just grow on trees. When you have one, it is typically best to lock them in, especially when you have other glaring needs that should be addressed in the first round.
Ultimately, these mock drafts do not mean anything and are what make this time of year a lot of fun, seeing differing perspectives from all the different analysts. But if this were to play out, it would certainly be a gut punch for Chargers fans.
Thoughts, Bolt Fam?