Chargers’ Dream NFL Draft Scenario Declared Unlikely, But Joe Hortiz Has Power to Make it Happen

The Chargers could land a dream draft scenario in Round 1. But will Joe Hortiz get aggressive enough to make it happen?

Joe Hortiz | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Here’s the problem with the Los Angeles Chargers going into the NFL draft: Fans and outsiders can’t trust general manager Joe Hortiz to get as aggressive as needed when it comes time to make something big happen. 

Hortiz has pulled off some shrewd moves and deserves credit. He ripped off New England when he moved up to get Ladd McConkey. He’s found some gems via trade like Odafe Oweh, too. 

But the other side of the coin is ugly. Despite being all in around Justin Herbert and Mike McDaniel, Hortiz has strictly stuck to free-agency signings that don’t hurt the NFL draft compensatory pick process. He had the top bit of cap space in the NFL entering the market and still has nearly $50 million, too. 

So, with experts declaring the Chargers’ dream NFL draft scenario isn’t going to happen, it is tough to get behind the idea that the Hortiz will use what he has available to prove those experts wrong. 

NFL draft dream scenario for Chargers requires trade

Olaivavega Ioane | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It might be a little boring to the national lens, but Chargers fans know how important this is: The team’s dream scenario is getting Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane in Round 1. 

But NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has declared that scenario nearly impossible. 

"If there's any miracle out there in the universe that Vega Ioane from Penn State is there, I don't know if you can run that card up there fast enough," Jeremiah said, according to Omar Navarro of Chargers.com. "That would be an absolute home run pick. But I don't anticipate that's going to happen.”

No kidding, on both fronts. Ioane is the best guard in the class and the 16th overall player on Pro Football Focus’ big board. 

All Hortiz has to do is trade up. 

Sounds simple enough. The Chargers only have five picks in this class thanks to past moves. But they have valuable assets like wideout Quentin Johnston and can move picks from future drafts. 

The Chargers should want to make it happen, too. Ioane is about as obvious of an instant starter as it gets. He’d slot right next to center Tyler Biadasz, a massive upgrade over Bradley Bozeman. That would leave Cole Strange as the other starter, and while he’s underwhelmed in past stops, the former first-rounder fits the profile of what McDaniel wants from his linemen. 

One would think that, after failing Herbert for multiple years with poor offensive line interiors, the Chargers would be willing to do what it takes to move up and secure a player like Ioane. 

Maybe wishful thinking, but sitting around and hoping that dream scenarios fall in their laps doesn't work for NFL teams. McDaniel’s arrival has the Chargers feeling like a team that needs to go all-in, and this would be a pretty good example of that. 

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