By now, most of you have seen draft Los Angeles Chargers grades that have run the gamut between roaring success and utter failure. The Athletic’s Austin Mock has attempted to take a less subjective approach to grading team drafts by taking all variables in to consideration.
Their analysis evaluates NFL draft picks by assigning a dollar value based on rookie contract scales, comparing a drafted player’s slot to their consensus big board ranking (penalizing “reaches”), and then adjusting for positional value. Positional value is determined by analyzing the top-10 salaries for each position in the NFL free agency market, allowing for a more accurate assessment of a pick’s true worth; for instance, drafting an edge rusher at No. 3 is considered more valuable than selecting a running back at the same spot.
Los Angeles Chargers Value-Based Draft Grade: D-
With all this taken into consideration, the Chargers were one of the league’s biggest NFL Draft losers, grading the Chargers’ draft haul a D-minus.
“At first glance, the Chargers drafted five players at premium positions, which should have kept them out of the cellar,” Mock writes. “However, they paired two poor strategies together when it comes to securing long-term value in a draft. First, they picked a running back in the first round; second, they consistently “reached” for players versus the consensus. Yes, RB Omarion Hampton fits the Jim Harbaugh system, but what’s the long-term upside here? The board also saw wide receiver Tre Harris and defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell as reaches within the top 100.”
The Chargers’ seek to build on a successful first season under head coach Jim Harbaugh. In stark contrast to this grade, in 2024, the Chargers took a very measured approach to the draft, especially in the first round, taking Joe Alt. Despite trading up in the second round, Ladd McConkey’s usage would seem to justify the ‘reach’ the team took for a receiver. Most of the subsequent picks are still under scrutiny, with the exceptions of the 6th round picks of defensive backs Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart, who both saw significant playing time. While that was due to injury, the pair acquitted themselves well when on the field.
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