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Charger Report

5 Late-Round Sleepers Chargers Can't Afford to Miss in NFL Draft

The Chargers have plenty of roster spots to fill, but have only one late-round pick. Explore some awesome NFL prospects who could become stars.
Thomas Martinez|
Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Chargers

The first round of 2026 NFL draft is less than a week away. The Los Angeles Chargers, as many NFL teams do, survive by finding gems and contributors for their roster on day three in the later rounds of the draft. The Chargers have found several gems over the years in the later rounds

The Chargers have only five picks in this year's draft and only one late-round selection in the 6th round. Ideally, Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz will trade down at some point and gain a few extra picks to build roster depth.

Los Angeles' front office needs to nail the draft this year with so few bites at the apple in terms of draft capital. Let's explore some projected late-round sleepers that have more to offer the Chargers than their projections suggest.

Keagen Trost, offensive lineman, Missouri

Missouri Tigers offensive lineman Keagen Trost on the line of scrimmage against the Central Arkansas Bears
Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Chargers need offensive line depth, 2025 proved how important having capable backups was for overall success. Missouri's Keagen Trost is an older prospect but his size and demeanor could make for a valuable swing lineman.

Trost is projected to move inside to guard in the NFL but his film suggests he could play tackle if needed. He measured in at 6'4 5/8" 311lbs at the combine.

Max Llewellyn, edge rusher, Iowa

Iowa Hawkeyes edge rushers Max Llewellyn during the game against the Wisconsin Badgers
Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Chargers lost Odafe Oweh in free agency and need to add another complementary edge rusher to the room. The spin doctor himself, Iowa's Max Llewellyn, is an intriguing prospect. Llewellyn measured in at 6'5 5/8" 258lbs at the combine. He has arguably the best and smoothest spin move of this class and he sets it up well.

Llewellyn has something that sets him apart from other prospects. Llewellyn is a gamer and rises to the moment. When the Hawkeyes needed a big play or a big stop in a critical moment, Llewellyn was often the player who delivered the game-changing play.

Jordan Van Den Berg, defensive tackle, Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive lineman Jordan van den Berg
Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

A native of South Africa, Georgia Tech's Jordan Van Den Berg has been an explosive gap-penetrating menace for the Yellow Jackets. Van Den Berg explodes off the snap and Georgia Tech appeared to tell him to just cause as much chaos as possible and he thrived. If the Chargers were looking to add a different flavor of defensive tackle but not sacrifice the size, Van Den Berg, who checks in at 6'3 ", 310 lbs, is a solid say 3 option.

J Michael Sturdivant, wide receiver, Florida

Florida wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant scores against Florida State
Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Florida wide receiver J Michael Sturdivant has been on the draft radar for several years now. The 6'3, 207lb wide receiver has been versatile and has steadily improved over his college career. Sturdivant is versatile and athletic and is a down field deep threat. The Chargers are likely familiar with him given he played for neighboring UCLA in 2023 and 2024.

Sturdivant is an exciting late round receiver who could help the Chargers provide field stretching play.

Domani Jackson, cornerback, Alabama

Defensive back Domani Jackson jogs to a drill during practice at the University Alabama
Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Chargers lost Benjamin St Juste in free agency but still have a strong room. Alabama's Domani Jackson was once one of the highest-rated recruits in the country. The San Diego native developed well in his first season at Alabama in 2024. He measured in at 6'0 3/4", 194 lbs, and ran a 4.41 40-yard dash.

Inconsistency has prevented Jackson from taking the step to become elite. But, if we have learned anything from the Chargers defensive coaches is they can get the best out of players on the back end.

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Thomas Martinez
THOMAS MARTINEZ

Thomas Martinez has covered the Chargers and the NFL draft since 2022. Born and raised as a Chargers fan, experienced the improbable Super Bowl run in the 94’ season as a child, survived Ryan Leaf, the Marlon McCree fumble and Nate Kaeding in the playoffs. He graduated from UC Riverside with a degree in Political Science and The University of Redlands with an MBA.

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