Chargers’ Greatest Selections in NFL Draft, Rounds 1-7

It’s a franchise that was born in 1960 and made its home in the American Football League. Like the Buffalo Bills, the Los Angeles/turned San Diego/turned Los Angeles Chargers have been drafting players for more than six decades.

Here’s a look at the franchise’s top selections in each of the first rounds dating back to 1967. That was the first year when the NFL and AFL teamed to begin the common draft era. This list includes its share of Pro Football Hall of Famers.

Round 1: RB LaDainian Tomlinson (2001)

Only Canton, Ohio teammates Jerry Rice (208) and Emmitt Smith (175) have scored more touchdowns in NFL history than the fifth overall pick 25 years ago (162) from TCU. In terms of his days with Chargers, Tomlinson racked up 16,445 yards from scrimmage, totaled 153 TDs and threw seven touchdown passes in just 141 regular-season games.

The 2006 NFL MVP ran for a league-high 1,815 yards and reached the end zone an NFL-record 31 times. It’s safe to say fellow Hall of Famers Kellen Winslow and Junior Seau got some serious consideration here as well, however…

Round 2: DE Fred Dean (1975)

Could current Chargers’ edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu (26.0 sacks in 3 seasons) eventually supplant the former Louisiana Tech defender and 2008 Pro Football Hall of Famer enshrinee down the road on this list? The former was the 54th overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

Meanwhile, Dean was the 33rd overall selection in ’75, and would spend six-plus years with the Chargers before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers during the 1981 season. During those days with the Chargers, Dean amassed 52.0 sacks, 11 fumble recoveries, and returned an interception for a touchdown.

Round 3: QB Dan Fouts (1973)

His career numbers in his 15 seasons with the franchise are now dwarfed by those of Philip Rivers. But make no mistake. The 64th overall pick in the 1973 draft from the University of Oregon was the field general of one of the most potent offenses in football history.

Fouts would finish his career with 43,040 yards through the air and 254 touchdown passes. In his final 10 NFL seasons, he threw for 35,382 yards and 220 scores. Over that span, the Hall of Fame signal-caller was named to six Pro Bowls and earned First Team All-Pro honors in 1979 and 1982. He put the air in “Air Coryell.”

Round 4: RB/KR Darren Sproles (2005)

Talk about a performer who could do a little bit of everything, and do it extremely well? The 130th overall pick from Kansas State would play a total of five seasons for the Chargers and amass 9,956 total combined yards and score 21 touchdowns as a runner (6), pass-catcher (11), as well as on punt returns (2) and kickoff returns (2).

Sproles was part of three playoff teams with the Bolts, and rolled up an impressive 1,059 total combined yards and four touchdowns in six postseason contests with the organization. Sproles would also play for the Saints and Eagles.

Round 5: Rodney Harrison (1994)

The Western Illinois standout was the 145th overall selection in the 1994 draft, and was a member of the Chargers’ lone Super Bowl team (XXIX) as a rookie. Harrison would spend nine seasons with the Bolts. In his fifth NFL campaign, he earned the first of two Pro Bowl invites, and was also a First Team All-Pro.

During his Chargers’ career, he picked off 26 passes, returning two for scores, and also returned one of his seven fumble recoveries for a TD. There were also 21.5 sacks and 11 forced fumbles with the club before joining the Patriots.

Round 6: T Billy Shields (1975)

The 6’8”, 272-pound blocker from Georgia Tech wound up playing for four different franchises in the NFL. Shields was the 136th overall selection more than 50 years ago, wound up starting 116 games for the Chargers in nine seasons with the club, and never earned a Pro Bowl invitation.

He was a fixture on an offensive line that made life easier for quarterback Dan Fouts and that explosive Don Coryell offense of the late 1970s and early ‘80s. From 1978-83, Shields started every game for the team before joining the eventual Super Bowl champion 49ers in ’84.

Round 7: RB Marion Butts (1989)

In the proud history of the Bolts, only LaDainian Tomlinson (2,880) and Melvin Gordon (1,059) amassed more rushing attempts, and only Tomlinson (12,490), Paul Lowe (4,972), and Austin Ekeler (4,355) have totaled more yards on the ground than this power runner.

Butts was the 183rd overall pick in ’89, and would finish with 1,031 carries for 4,297 yards and 31 touchdowns in five seasons with the team. In his second season, the former FSU Seminole had his best year in terms of carries (265), rushing yards (1,225) and rushing TDs (8) and was named to the first of two Pro Bowls.

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