In his most recent mock draft for 2026, NFL Network lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has the Chargers selecting standout Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq with the No. 22 overall pick.
While the majority believe Los Angeles should address a player along the offensive or defensive line, Jeremiah believes the Bolts won’t be locked into a specific position and will take the best player available approach.
“[Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz] is going to take the best player. He’s not going to worry about what you have in certain spots,” Jeremiah said, per the team’s official website. “He’s going to sign some of their own guys in free agency and see what they can do with some of the cap space they have and solve some needs that way, but you go back to the Baltimore organization when they took Jonathan Ogden when they didn’t have a need at tackle.
“They took Todd Heap when they didn’t have a need at tight end and they Jamal Lewis when they didn’t have a need at running back. They’re not going to pass on a great player that would happen to fall in their lap,” Jeremiah added.
Jeremiah’s predictions carry significant weight, as he has accurately projected the Chargers’ first-round pick in his second annual mock drafts each of the last three years.
Despite mocking a skill player in the first round, Jeremiah expects the Chargers to address the interior offensive line later in the draft. He noted that the value for guards and centers aligns better with Day 2, where the Chargers currently hold picks No. 55 and No. 86.
“I don’t see them leaving the first three rounds without an offensive lineman. No matter what they do in free agency, they can position themselves — if they need to trade back or trade up — they’ll be able to address that,” Jeremiah said.
The Chargers have $82 million in available cap space. While internal free agents, like Odafe Oweh, will likely take priority, they will still have the resources to address the offensive and defensive line in free agency, positioning themselves to take the best player available at pick No. 22.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: What will the Chargers do with pick No. 22? Daniel Jeremiah sounds off
Reporting by Gavino Borquez, Chargers Wire / Chargers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
