Late NFL Draft Grades Throw Shockingly High Marks at Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers had a pretty well-reviewed NFL draft class this year.

Those Chargers traded around the draft board and ended up with eight selections. They picked four offensive linemen with half of those, which given how battered and bruised Justin Herbert has been over the years, made perfect sense.

In the first round, the Chargers went and got pass-rusher Akheem Mesidor for the defense, which as we broke down, has received some criticism.

Ditto, especially for the controversial Jake Slaughter pick in the second round. Counteracting that a bit is the hype for the wide receiver the Chargers picked for new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.

Opinions vary, but most everyone seems to agree that the Chargers didn’t land on a top 10 draft class.

Until now, anyway.

NFL draft grades for Chargers surprise

Mississippi State wideout Brenen Thompson — Brenen Thompson | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

At first glance, the Chargers’ draft class didn’t scream top 10 material, let alone pushing top five.

But CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson just threw out a late grades entry into the discussion and slotted the Chargers at No. 6 overall.

Of note, Wilson loved the Brenen Thompson pick. And who doesn’t? As our deep dive broke down, the Chargers basically got McDaniel and Herbert a DeSean Jackson-like weapon.

Wilson, like most, was scared about the Slaughter pick because he didn’t play guard at all, yet will be expected to now. But he loves the Travis Burke pick out of Memphis in Round 4 as the best value.

“Pete – and teams I spoke with – liked Burke more than I did, and he's a long, physically imposing offensive tackle (he played RT in '25, LT prior to that) who gives the Chargers what they need most: depth along the offensive line,” Wilson wrote. “Credit to L.A. for spending a lot of draft capital on the O-line.”

The Chargers certainly hope Wilson is right. And there’s something to be said for having a problem as big as the line, and Herbert’s health over the years, and attacking it so early and often throughout the course of a draft.

Given that emphasis, it could be the defining draft of the Jim Harbaugh era, for better or worse.

Chargers 2026 NFL draft picks

Round 1 (22): Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami

Round 2 (63): Jake Slaughter, C, Florida

Round 4 (105): Brenen Thompson, WR, Mississippi State

Round 4 (117): Travis Burke, OL, Memphis

Round 4 (131): Genesis Smith, S, Arizona

Round 5 (145): Nick Barrett, DT, South Carolina

Round 6 (202): Logan Taylor, G, Boston College

Round 6 (206): Alex Harkey, G, Oregon

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