Most teams want to come out of the NFL Draft having multiple players be starters in their rookie season, and for the Los Angeles Chargers, they might have.
With Akheem Mesidor, Jake Slaughter, and Brenen Thompson, the franchise’s top three draft choices, there is a good chance that come Week 1, all of them will be either starting or at the top of the rotation for Jim Harbaugh’s team.
That would be a good outcome for a Chargers team under pressure to deliver in 2026, but the draft class can help.
And for CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson, he’s given L.A. an A grade for their draft haul.
More: Bills gain plaudits for underrated draft selection
Chargers face defining 2026 season
It is Year 3 for Harbaugh in L.A. The Chargers have had back-to-back 11-win seasons, but Justin Herbert has yet to win a playoff game.
That has to change in 2026.
With Mike McDaniel calling the plays, this looms as Herbert’s best chance to have the sort of season and year many have expected him to have since being drafted.
Of course, time will tell, but Herbert is 0-3 in the playoffs, and time is running out for him to shift the narrative around him. The 2026 draft class could help push the Chargers into the postseason yet again, but once there, Herbert has to deliver.
Will he?
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