A fired head coach, a 60-point defensive showing, and failed expectations have the Los Angeles Chargers reeling. Here’s how they can fix it.
The Los Angeles Chargers tried to make a name for themselves and swung for the fences, falling massively short. After drafting superstar quarterback Justin Herbert in the 2020 NFL draft, they went all in to create a Super Bowl caliber roster while having the face of their franchise on his rookie contract. The Chargers mortgaged their future to win now by signing the likes of Joey Bosa, Derwin James, Keenan Allen, and Mike Williams to massive deals, and trading for future hall of famer Khalil Mack– taking on his huge salary.
Their best season following resulted in an all time meltdown in the first round of the 2022 playoffs against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Unfortunately, 2023 went even worse as they finished the season 5-12 and fired both their head coach and general manager midseason. The Chargers now face salary cap hell, and new decision makers Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz have many tough calls to make regarding the team’s aging stars.
Not all is bad in Los Angeles for the Bolts though. With their hiring of head coach Jim Harbaugh, still having loads of talent on the roster, and most importantly receiving the number 5 overall pick in this year’s draft. Having a top five pick puts the Chargers in a prime position to select an instant star who should contribute at a high level next year. The only way for this team to get out from under their cap issues and find lasting success, is to draft well and hit on this first rounder.
The Chargers have had the fifth overall pick four times in their history and have used two of them on men that are undeniably on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore. Junior Seau (1990) and LaDainian Tomlinson (2001) were both selected with the No. 5 pick and went on to be Chargers legends and first ballot hall of famers. The other two times, they selected defensive mainstay Bill Ray Smith (1983) and turnover machine Quentin Jammer (2002). They have had loads of success at this draft position and they are hoping that this continues.
The 2024 draft is absolutely loaded at the top of the draft with impactful offensive players which is perfect for the Chargers’ needs. The top four picks seem to be locked in, with three quarterbacks and number one overall prospect Marvin Harrison Jr. going in the top quad bundle. This means the draft starts with the Chargers and they can go in any given direction to help out their franchise star, Justin Herbert.
Do they beef up their protection with Notre Dame’s Joe Alt or Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu? Maybe game breaking receivers like LSU’s Malik Nabers or Washington’s Rome Odunze will fit the bill? There are plenty of disrupting pass rushers headlined by Alabama’s Dallas Turner and hometown UCLA’s Laiatu Latu. A trade back to accumulate high impact picks and STILL get one of these players that slides in the draft could entice Chargers fans.
All of these could be home run outcomes for the Chargers, but the choice should be easy for Harbaugh and Co. The number five overall pick in the 2024 draft has to be Georgia’s 3-time All American tight end Brock Bowers. Many people will say they should trade back to get him later on since the only tight end in history to go this high was Kyle Pitts at 4 in 2021. The importance of the position is undeniable though.
Look at the conference championship games from this past season and you will exclusively see teams with the top tight ends in the league. Travis Kelce for the Chiefs, Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely for the Ravens, Sam LaPorta on the Lions, and George Kittle with the 49ers. Outside of this, the Bills offense found a new level when Dalton Kincaid rose to tight end stardom. There is no way the Joe Flacco led Browns have their Cinderella run without David Njoku. Dalton Shultz was the security blanket that CJ Stroud leaned on during his Pro Bowl caliber rookie season. This goes to show that the elite NFL teams have differentiated themselves with the rest by having a stud at the tight end position.
This is the level the Chargers must get to and in order to do so they need to take the greatest prospect in the history of the position with Bowers. Just throw on a bit of his tape and you will quickly understand why he has been dubbed the best. He has elite hands and ball skills, consistently making the toughest catches look like child’s play. He snags everything that comes his way and the scariest part about that, is his ability to score anytime he touches the football. He becomes a running back after the catch with speed, explosiveness, balance, and the ability to shed tackles that forms a combination we may have never seen before at this size.
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He is the only two-time Mackey Award winner as the nation’s top collegiate tight end and he has been an integral part of the recent dynasty that Georgia has built. He is also a two-time national champion while recording a touchdown catch in three of his four College Football Playoff games. Bowers shows up when the lights get the brightest and relishes the big moment. The kid even has five rushing touchdowns in his career at Georgia and is an offensive weapon.
He does everything imaginable and would be a seamless fit for the Chargers, who are desperate to give Herbert everything possible to succeed. The team will lose Gerald Everett to free agency, and there is a high probability that Mike Williams gets cut or traded as a cap casualty. Finding an explosive playmaker on the offensive side of the ball to replace this production will be a major priority for the team.
Bowers would love to play with a star like Herbert and would be the next great Chargers tight end, following Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow and all time touchdown leader at the position Antonio Gates. This franchise has had some of the greatest teams in history and a multitude of all time great players that never reached the pinnacle of the sport, hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Bowers is a guy that will move the needle closer to this moment.
The rest of the draft should be spent plugging holes and replacing free agents with younger, cheaper options. Skill players like Keon Coleman, Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, Tez Walker, Troy Franklin, and Blake Corum should be considered in later rounds to help surround Herbert with a plethora of offensive talent. Defensive run stoppers like T’Vondre Sweat, Kris Jenkins, or Edgerrin Cooper will be options for the team to finally take some pressure off of this Chargers offense. Corner and center are also positions of need that they will hope to address during this draft.
It is a pivotal offseason for the Los Angeles Chargers as they are fighting to be relevant in the LA atmosphere that only cares about winning. It is make or break for the franchise that does not want to be the “little brother” to the Rams going forward. The Jim Harbaugh hiring was their first step to become a winning program and Brock Bowers will be the next. If the Chargers fill out the rest of their roster with winners like Harbaugh and Bowers, then Chargers fans should have a lot of fun in the coming years.
