Is it ever too early to talk draft? Not for Tankathon. They just released their first 2025 two-round mock draft. In it, they have the Los Angeles Chargers selecting at pick 16 and 48.
This means that according to this website, anyway, the Chargers would have missed the playoffs to achieve the pick and would have been ranked ninth overall in the AFC and second in the AFC West.
Tankathon chooses two logical position groups for the Chargers, defensive line and tight end. Going back to back years choosing a lineman would be consistent with Jim Harbaugh‘s team-building philosophy. In addition, his offenses often feature a high-volume pass-catching tight end. His most recent version of that at Michigan, Colston Loveland comes off the board at 21 in the first round.
In the 2025 Draft, The Los Angeles Chargers Select…
16. Deone Walker, Defensive Line, Kentucky
The first thing you notice about Deone Walker is his size. He is listed at 6’6″ and 348 pounds. Right now the biggest defensive lineman on the team is Otito Ogbonnia. Walker is about 30 pounds north of him on the scale. But that hasn’t limited how Kentucky has used him. He played primarily as a tackle, but almost a third of his snaps came as an end and even played a handful at outside linebacker.
Walker tallied 55 tackles last season, including 12.5 for loss and 7.5 sacks, and 27 STOPS
The Chargers are sorely lacking talent at all three IDL positions. They added Poona Ford in free agency this year to a one-year contract and at the moment, he is the only proven commodity at the position Walker would be a great piece to pair with edge Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack.
They need a huge presence and Walker is literally that.
48. Luke Lachey, TE, Iowa
Luke Lachey hasn’t made a splash yet. But 2024 could be a breakout year for the 6’6″ 253-pound tight end. His season was cut short by an ankle injury, but in two games he caught 13 passes for 131 yards. Mind you, this is the Iowa offense, far from a dynamic unit. But a big dude like this, who can also catch is impressive.
The Hawkeyes have had an impressive track record of churning out quality pro tight ends in recent history. George Kittle, Noah Fant, TJ Hockensen, Sam Laporta, and Erik All have all been drafted since 2017. Lachey was expected to be the lead tight end last year ahead of All.
The Chargers have invested in the position this offseason, signing Hayden Hurst to a one-year deal and Will Dissly to a three-year contract. While both are good in the blocking game, neither is the dynamic pass catcher that Lachey is. And Lachey will also become a great blocker, simply because he plays for Iowa. He already has plenty of chops in that department, as is.
One of the best games of his career came in 2022 against Harbaugh and Michigan. He caught four passes for 89 yards and a touchdown.
