Round 1 Pick 22: Akheem Mesidor, Miami EDGE

Grade: B

Ahkeem Mesidor was a polarizing prospect in this years NFL Draft cycle, not for his on field production, which was beyond stellar in his 2025 Campaign for the National Championship Runner Up Miami Hurricanes, but moreso for the fact that he is currently 25 and that he has a slightly worrisome past with injuries including recurring injuries to both feet, including a season ender in 2023 and a shoulder surgery earlier in his career. With that being said, it was clear that the Chargers' medical team gave the green light on his future durability, given that they still invested their 1st round pick in the extremely productive edge rusher (5th in the nation in Pass Rush Win Rate).

The lone hang-up on the Mesidor pick for me stems from the depth of the 2026 Edge Rusher class. Can Mesidor be so much better than Zion Young, R Mason Thomas and so on that you forget he’ll be signing his 2nd NFL contract at 30?

I believe there’s a multitude of guys who went later in the draft that could fit the Bolts EDGE room in 2025 and beyond, who are not already 25 and/or did not face a multitude of injuries throughout their college career. This draft pick sends the message to the fan base that they valued a guy who screams “pro-ready,” as it is hard to get more pro-ready than Mesidor, who exhibits a strong arsenal of moves that he’s developed over his time in college, and will look to give them instant production playing alongside Tuli Tuipolotu and Khalil Mack. At the end of the day, people will forget about the age if Mesidor can fill the Odafe Oweh-sized hole in 2025, and the likely Khalil Mack-sized hole in 2026 and beyond, a tall task, but one that his production at Miami makes me hopeful he can live up to.

Round 2 Pick 63: Jake Slaughter, Florida C/G

Grade: B-

Jake Slaughter, who earned the title of General Manager Joe Hortiz’s “blue star prospect”, meaning he was Hortiz’s favorite prospect he scouted. Hortiz was not only able to get his blue star prospect, but also get some extra draft capital in a trade back in the process.

Slaughter is expected to push for the starting left guard spot even though he has never taken a single snap at the guard position in college. Slaughter is a Mike McDaniel offensive lineman through and through, with a 9.97 out of a possible 10 RAS (relative athletic score), and looks to be the long-term solution to the center position after Tyler Biadasz. Assistant General Manager Chad Alexander talked glowingly about Slaughter and his ability to be a technician on the field as well as his intelligence, which also gave the Chargers reason to believe in Slaughter’s ability to make the transition to guard and hopefully mirror the early career of current Eagles center Cam Jurgens, going from a strong starting caliber guard in the early going to fill a current hole, and then eventually succeeding a veteran center to take over for the future.

I loved the Chargers addressing the interior offensive line; the main reason the grade is as low as it is stems more from who they passed over. Emmanuel Pregnon was among the Chargers’ fans' most popular mock drafts in the second round, and was there for the taking. Pregnon was also a Mike McDaniel fit, and is also a natural guard, unlike Slaughter. While Slaughter had a handful of reps at guard at the Senior Bowl, he struggled mightily, something that cannot be said about Pregnon, who, on the surface, checked all of the boxes for something that would mirror the philosophy of the Bolts' 1st Round pick, Win Now.

Round 4 Pick 105: Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State WR

Grade: B+

In Mike McDaniel’s offense, there’s one thing you can never have too much of. Speed. Enter Brenen Thompson. Thompson ran a blazing 4.26 40 at the combine, and had Mike McDaniel so fired up he told the Draft War Room he would take his shirt off if they were able to find a way to get their hands on him.

Thompson is a track star-level burner who is very limited as a wide receiver. He’s only 5’9 and 165 lbs, and is not as much of a RAC threat as someone of his speed may insinuate. The reality is, in any other situation, I’d tell you he’s a Madden franchise superstar and probably nothing much more. But he’s in THIS situation with Mike McDaniel and Justin Herbert.

Thompson’s average length of touchdown catch was 38.9 yards, and he feasts on crossers and post routes. He is a true deep threat and a take the top off of the defense kind of guy, and in Mike McDaniel’s offense, I expect to see Thompson have a very important role that does not just show up in the box score, but opens up a whole new layer in the intermediate game as defenses must respect Thompson’s ability to stretch the field, think what Herbert and Tyron Johnson had, but on steroids!

Round 4 Pick 117: Travis Burke, Memphis OT

Grade: A-

Travis Burke is an example of the Bolts taking an extra step to bolster offensive line depth, a common theme that continued in the later rounds. Burke is a monster of a man, beating out Joe Alt as the tallest Charger on the roster now, standing at 6’9.

Burke is also an imposing force in the run game; if he can get his hands on defenders, he typically mauls them. Where he struggles is with pass protection, and “struggles” is frankly putting it mildly, but in the 4th round, there aren’t exactly any complete products playing the offensive line position.

Burke has also displayed the ability to play both the left and right sides, providing immediate value as a swing tackle. I have this as my highest graded pick up of this first batch of picks because I believe Burke is entirely capable of developing into a starter in this league, and is already an NFL-ready player in the run game. I love seeing the Chargers putting resources into avoiding the catastrophe we saw in the case of a Rashawn Slater/Joe Alt injury, especially with Slater missing 2 of 4 seasons with major injuries, and coming off of a possibly career-altering ruptured Patellar Tendon last year.