The Chargers have added some depth in the secondary.
Arizona safety Genesis Smith is the latest player to join the Chargers, as Los Angeles selected him with the 131st overall pick in the NFL Draft on Saturday. Smith joins Akheem Mesidor, Jake Slaughter, Brenen Thompson, and Travis Burke in Joe Hortiz’s third draft class for the Chargers.
A true center fielder at safety, Smith fell to the fourth round primarily due to his struggles as a tackler. But Chargers safeties coach Adam Fuller went to the Arizona pro day – a signal for LA’s interest in Day 3 players – and needed more of a backend presence after trading Alohi Gilman to the Ravens midway through last season for Odafe Oweh.
A former three-star recruit who drew an offer from Yale, Smith totaled 164 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 14 pass deflections, and 5 interceptions in three seasons at Arizona. He was named third-team All-Big 12 in 2025 before opting out of the bowl game and declaring for the draft.
Smith did not commit a penalty in 2025 despite his production and served as a captain for a chunk of Arizona’s games this season. Described as an “Energizer Bunny” by college head coach Brent Brennan, Smith has high-level instincts in coverage but needs to be more physical on a consistent basis and will need to get on the JUGS machine as soon as he lands in Los Angeles.
Many national analysts have drawn comparisons between Smith and Texans safety Calen Bullock, who was a second-round pick and has developed into a plus starter in Houston. He’ll compete with Tony Jefferson, RJ Mickens, and Kendall Williamson for reps next to Elijah Molden on the back end.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Why the Chargers selected S Genesis Smith
Reporting by Alex Katson, Chargers Wire / Chargers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
