Chargers Have a Sleeper Need In Round 1 of NFL Draft

The talk all offseason for the Los Angeles Chargers have been centered around the offense. The offensive line remains a priority, as both guard spots are in question.

They were luckily able to land Tyler Biadasz to be their new starting center. Along with Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater returning from injury, the Chargers' offensive line is shaping up to be better than last season. The other need on offense has been weapons, specifically at receiver.

Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston will return, but Keenan Allen remains a free agent for now. Tre Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith await their turns, but that could be delayed due to another addition in the draft. Or, potentially, a blockbuster trade that's been proposed all offseason.

Could there be a sneaky position of need for the Chargers on the opposite side of the ball? Alex Ballentine of Bleacher report laid out one surprising need for each NFL team. For the Bolts, safety was listed.

Chargers could make an underrated move at safety in NFL Draft

Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James — Derwin James | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

This has nothing to do with Derwin James' production, as he's still playing at an extremely high level. Ballentine rather alluded to James being on the last year of his current deal. After him, fan-favorite Tony Jefferson is back, but he's 34 years old. The Chargers also extended Elijah Molden to a 3 year deal last offseason, but injuries limited him to just 12 games in 2025.

"That could make the Chargers a sneaky home for either Emmanuel McNeil-Warren or Dillon Thieneman in the first round," Ballentine wrote. "Neither are graded as highly as Caleb Downs, but both carry first-round grades. New defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary has served as a safeties coach before so he could love the versatility that Thieneman brings to the table."

Ballentine listed three players the Chargers could target at No.22 overall:

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (Toledo)
Dillon Thieneman (Oregon)
Jalon Kilgore (South Carolina)

"He's the kind of player who could have the Chargers breaking their typical lineman-first philosophy," Ballentine said about Thieneman.

Aside from James, Jefferson and Molden, the Chargers also have RJ Mickens and Kendall Williamson as depth pieces. New defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary would benefit from another player in the defensive backfield.

It'll be interesting to see what the Chargers do in just a few weeks.