Chargers' chances of NFL draft trades revealed through Joe Hortiz's Ravens tenure

When it comes to the Los Angeles Chargers trading up or down in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, there just isn’t that much data on this new regime.

Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz and head coach Jim Harbaugh, after all, only have one draft under their collective belts so far together in Los Angeles.

What’s interesting, though, is the data points available from Hortiz’s nearly 30 years as a member of the Baltimore Ravens.

The Athletic’s Daniel Popper recently detailed the history of Hortiz with the Ravens and how that organization has traded around in the first round in recent years:

“The last time the Ravens traded up from their original first-round pick was in 2009, when they moved from No. 26 to No. 23 to take tackle Michael Oher. The Ravens gave up No. 162 in the fifth round to make that move. More often in recent history, the Ravens have moved back in the first round. They traded out of the No. 22 pick specifically twice in the past seven drafts. In 2018, they traded down from No. 16 to No. 22. They then traded down again from No. 22 to No. 25. In 2019, they traded down from No. 22 to No. 25. In 2012, they traded out of the first round from No. 29 to No. 35.”

A rough translation: Based on how Baltimore moved, don’t expect the Chargers to trade up in the order. If anything, a trade down is more likely. And as Popper goes on to note, the Ravens have been more active trading up in Round 2 – but the most recent was drastic measures to go up and get Lamar Jackson.

Not that this should come as any surprise to Chargers fans based on how Hortiz has moved already. They’ve been conservative across the board, even with the $90 million in cap space this offseason.

The lone exception? Trading up in the second round last year to get Ladd McConkey. Considering how that turned out, Chargers fans are probably just fine with this data that can help predict draft results.

Los Angeles Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz — Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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