Chargers avoid disaster after Broncos trade in fresh mock draft

The Los Angeles Chargers could be one of those teams that make a trade in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.

Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz and head coach Jim Harbaugh, after all, struck up a pretty notable trade one year ago in Round 2 to move up and get Ladd McConkey. This time, they’re in the middle of the opening round and could easily choose to make an aggressive move up or acquire more picks while moving down.

In a new mock draft from Newsweek’s Bryce Lazenby, though, the Chargers stay put at No. 22 and do the obvious by taking Michigan tight end Colston Loveland:

“This pick just makes too much sense to not happen. Colston Loveland played under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, making this a match made in heaven. The Chargers need a talented tight end like Loveland who can creat space and catches everything.”

What’s far more interesting is what happens with trades around that pick, though. The most notable is the heated AFC West rival Denver Broncos jumping all the way up the board to No. 13 overall to take Penn State tight end Tyler Warren.

Then, at No. 20, the spot originally belonging to those Broncos, the Miami Dolphins swipe Alabama guard Tyler Booker off the board—a prospect who could easily top Harbaugh’s big board as they look to upgrade the other guard spot opposite Mekhi Becton.

Rest assured that if the Broncos make a big move up for a tight end on draft night, Chargers fans and perhaps the team’s draft room itself will start sweating in a big way.

And if the ultimate result is what happens here with the often-mocked Loveland pick anyway, the Chargers can leave Round 1 pretty happy.

Michigan tight end Colston Loveland — Tanner Pearson-Imagn Images

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