Grading Chargers 2026 NFL Draft picks: Franchise hits biggest needs

PITTSBURGH — Going into the NFL draft, the Chargers’ biggest needs were depth and future hope at edge rusher, interior offensive line, and speed at wide receiver.

They managed to hit all three, in order, between Day 1 and Day 3 of the draft. Then they added two more guards on Day 3 to pump new blood, toughness and competition into an area of their team that was a major letdown last year.

And that made for a happy weekend at the club’s El Segundo headquarters.

It all started on Day 1 when they selected Miami edge rusher Akheem Mesidor in the first round. On Friday, they added Florida center Jake Slaughter, who will move to guard, where he is expected to start alongside free agent addition Cole Strange.

Finally, on Saturday, they used the first of their three fourth-round picks to select Mississippi State speedster Brenen Thompson, who posted the fifth-fastest 40 in the recorded era of the combine at 4.26 seconds.

Thompson isn’t the biggest target, standing just a shade over 5-foot-9 and weighing 164 pounds, but he put that speed to good use last year to finish with 57 catches for 1,054 yards. The Chargers believe Thompson has a chance to be a key downfield threat in an offense now being run by Mike McDaniel.

Mesidor and Slaughter, in particular, set the tone for this draft.

The Chargers are set off the defensive edge this year, with incumbents Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu the undisputed starters. But both are going into the last year of their contracts. Tuipulotu is a strong candidate to be extended, but the 35-year-old Mack will need to be replaced at some point.

Mesidor’s high energy and motor helped him lead the ACC in sacks last year with 12 ½, and he could be the long-term replacement for Mack down the line.

“I’m ready to play right now. I have the motor and relentless effort,” Mesidor said.

For now, he will immediately land in the Chargers’ defensive line rotation.

“He was on a heater all year and played some of his best ball down the stretch in the playoffs,” Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz said. “Just really fired up to get him.”

The same goes for Slaughter.

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“Smart, tough, athletic, intelligent, a three-year starter,” Hortiz said. “Durable.”

Slaughter primarily played center at Florida, but the Chargers are confident he can make the transition to guard.

“We’ve had long discussions in the process and feel like he can play guard,” Hortiz said.

He is expected to compete at left guard with veteran Trevor Penning. For now, Strange is the projected starter on the right side.

The Chargers followed those picks up by adding Memphis tackle Travis Burke and Arizona safety Genesis Smith in the fourth round, and South Carolina defensive tackle Nick Barrett in the fifth.

They wrapped up their draft by adding two more guards in the sixth round with Boston College’s Logan Taylor and Oregon’s Alex Harkey.

Grade: B

The Chargers did a solid job hitting their biggest needs, especially guard, and by being aggressive on the trade front, they were able to turn the five selections they had coming into the draft into eight. That was solid work by Hortiz.