La Canfora wagered +600 that the Chargers’ first pick under Jim Harbaugh will again be an offensive lineman. He reasons the tight end L.A. covets will be off the board and the defensive‑line pool could be thinned out, but several top‑tier interior blockers should still be available. Harbaugh’s 2024 draft began with tackle Joe Alt and the coach remains adamant about bludgeoning teams in the trenches after the interior OL ‘stunk’ last season, torpedoing both pass protection and the inside run game. Given that philosophical commitment, La Canfora believes OL is the most probable and still mis‑priced outcome.

John Daigle locked in Michigan DT Kenneth Grant to the Chargers at pick 22, noting Jim Harbaugh’s public preference for ‘his guys’ and the franchise’s league‑worst 5.4 yards per carry allowed. Grant’s 350‑lb frame produced a 4.97 forty and 1.65 ten‑yard split—numbers on par with Vita Vea—while his 11.6% pressure rate topped every interior defender in the Big Ten. Daigle said the Chargers had only two defensive players visit on top‑30s: Grant and Colts‑bound Colston Loveland, underscoring the connection. Betting angles: Grant under 29.5 and ‘first interior DL after Mason Graham’ at +300. Dynasty managers should upgrade LA’s DST and consider Justin Herbert stacks safer with more potential short‑field opportunities.

Jonathan Jones said the Chargers are zeroed in on Texas A&M edge Shamar Stewart at pick 22. Stewart is 6‑6/280 with 34.5‑inch arms, an 82‑inch wingspan, a 1.62 ten‑yard split and a 35‑inch vert—prototype numbers for Jim Harbaugh’s first draft in L.A. The concern is production: he never logged more than two sacks in a season, yet his 13 % pressure rate and consistent pocket collapse pop on tape. With Joey Bosa released and Khalil Mack turning 33, Los Angeles finished 27th in pressure rate over the final eight games of 2024; Jones believes DC Jesse Minter will bet on finishing moves developing quickly. He likened the swing to the 49ers’ Aldon Smith pick in 2011 and advised bettors to play Stewart Under 26.5 draft slot since the Chargers have him as EDGE2 and do not plan to wait until Round 2.

Thor Nystrom slotted Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon to the Chargers at No. 22 and called any Harmon draft‑slot Under numbers north of 30.5 a buy while books still price him as a fringe Day‑2 pick. With Kenneth Grant and Colston Loveland off the board, Nystrom expects Jim Harbaugh to pivot to a familiar Big Ten foe: Harmon spent three years at Michigan State, was recruited by Harbaugh’s Wolverines, then slimmed from 330 to 310 after transferring to Oregon and promptly led the nation in hurries among interior defenders. Thor highlighted Harmon’s 34‑inch arms, ability to line up from 0‑tech to 5‑tech, and Detroit roots that Harbaugh tracked closely on the recruiting trail. Los Angeles ranked 29th in interior pressure rate last season; pairing Harmon with Tuli Tuipulotu would finally give them collapse up the middle. Nystrom recommended firing on ‘Chargers first pick – DL’ (+160) and any exact‑match Chargers‑Harmon props before the market reacts to the coaching connection.

Jason Moore said Ladd McConkey is the quintessential "quarterback’s best friend" and almost impossible to knock out of the weekly top‑15. McConkey’s rookie year efficiency jumps off the page: 10th‑best catch rate among wideouts, fourth in broken tackles, and a 95‑catch/1,400‑yard pace after the Chargers’ Week‑5 bye. Moore believes Justin Herbert will lean on the second‑year slot star the same way he once trusted Keenan Allen on money downs, projecting a realistic 100‑125 catches, 1,250‑plus yards and 7‑8 TDs. The only real downside he sees is if Los Angeles spends Day‑1 or Day‑2 draft capital on another wideout or a “tier‑one” tight end, but even then Moore expects McConkey to function as a high‑volume chain mover. He urged drafters to treat McConkey as a locked‑in WR2 with WR1 weeks in both season‑long and best‑ball formats at his current WR13 ADP.