Chargers met with explosive, underrated RB ahead of NFL draft

The Los Angeles Chargers feel like a team that could take a running back as high as Round 1 of the 2025 NFL draft.

Many things go into such an idea. The free-agency signing of Najee Harris after losing J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards doesn’t rule it out. Much of it has to do with the depth chart behind Harris and the obvious wants of head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman.

But the Chargers will have interesting options throughout and after the draft, too. According to The Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler, they will meet with one of those in the form of former Arizona star Jacory Croskey-Merritt.

Croskey-Merritt is one of the more interesting running backs in the draft, too. He only carried the ball 13 times last year amid some eligibility issues. But the year before that, he rushed for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns on a 6.3 per-carry average and projects nicely as a rotational back in the pros.

While the draft certainly boasts bigger names, there’s certainly value here in the Chargers keeping an eye on Croskey-Merritt.

A year ago, the Chargers had high hopes for Kimani Vidal, but he appeared to struggle in pass protection. One of Dobbins or Edwards could always return at a later date, too, but the team adding a prospect with upside in this form feels inevitable, too.

Arizona RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt is in Washington today/tomorrow for a pre-draft visit with the Commanders, per source.

A standout of the pre-draft process who won Offensive MVP honors at Shrine, Croskey-Merritt will then head to Los Angeles to visit with the Chargers later…
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) April 14, 2025

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