2026 Draft Superthread And Draft Prospect Discussion

[powderblueboy]

I don't know many outlets that see TJ Parker as a 2nd round pick. He is consistently ranked higher than Lee Hunter.

PFF has TJ Parker @#23. So how about we draft the #23 prospect with the #22 pick...?

CBS has Parker @#17
Daniel Jeremiah has Mesidor @#18
ESPN has Mesidor @#18

Jacas is a different story... most have him in the early/mid 2nd round.

Huh! i just saw TJ Parker well into the 30s for someone's top 50 list.
Woods, Banks, ....? easily comparable or superior in terms of Chaincrushers consensus crowd.

2nd round picks as in 2nd round evaluation grades .... but, if you want to argue based on the consensus ... sure, lets go with Woods or Banks, most draftniks having them go higher

[Steve]

A lot of the big guys will start to drop in mock drafts this week. Happens every year.

The bigger guys look really good and get a chance to shine in the senior bowl and shrine game. You see the one on one drills and start to see the athletic ability or lack thereof. Now with the underwear olympics starting this week, the "skill" guys get the big jump as they look fast and athletic and the big guys will look slower and less athletic by comparison.

Then, as we get closer to the draft, the big guys rebound a bit and the "skill" guys drop a bit.

A lot of the big time mock draft people will spend a lot of time talking to scouts and football people, and that will influence them. But remember that if a team can convince mock draft people to sour on a player, they have a chance to fall a bit, and maybe someone can drop to the team. AJ Smith used to call this the start of liars month, and even though it is more than a month, it still holds true.

[powderblueboy]

You know what, since names have been thrown at DT prospects, to disparage them: Louis Nix, Kenneth Grant come to mind.

Let me introduce a guy who fits the edge at 22 crowd: Myles Murphy.

He was a possible Chargers selection, chosen a few picks later to the Bengals. Very good size, 6'5``, 275, a strong edge setter, still trying to find himself rushing the passer ... not a bad draft pick ... took him time to be a productive starter.
Not spectacular by any sense.

Again, i wouldn't hate it ... but someone will get that type, late day 2 or on day 3, who is as good.

[Steve]

Kenneth Grant actually played reasonably well the 2nd half of the season. We just tend to want to see the immediate success, no matter how unfair it is to the players.

But Justin Eboiugbe and Vidal both looked like complete busts with almost nothing to show for their rookie seasons. Eboigbe got 6 sacks last year and Vidal lead the team in rushing. Point is that players get better. the best players are usually the hardest workers and that takes time to pay off.

Again the Hortiz/Harbaugh way is to try and fill some gaps with FA and then use the draft to build the roster. The roster building is going fine. Slower than we want it, but the roster is in much better shape than it was.

2024 Draft
Alt
McConkey
Colson
Eboigbe
Still
Hart
Vidal
Rice - on Raiders roster
Johnson - on Ravens roster

2025 Draft
Hampton
Harris
Caldwell
Kennard
KLS
OG
Taylor
Mickens
Bridges - got 250 snaps as a dime DB for the Cowboys

We have had 18 picks since Hortiz/Harbaugh took over. 15 are still on the roster. Colson and Taylor are the only ones who remain who really haven't done much and I haven't given up hope for either.

[electricgold]

You know what, since names have been thrown at DT prospects, to disparage them: Louis Nix, Kenneth Grant come to mind.

Let me introduce a guy who fits the edge at 22 crowd: Myles Murphy.

He was a possible Chargers selection, chosen a few picks later to the Bengals. Very good size, 6'5``, 275, a strong edge setter, still trying to find himself rushing the passer ... not a bad draft pick ... took him time to be a productive starter.
Not spectacular by any sense.

Again, i wouldn't hate it ... but someone will get that type, late day 2 or on day 3, who is as good.

There's some talk that the Jets may be releasing Mazi Smith? Maybe the Chargers could take a chance with him and get his weight back up because he seems like he could do something similar in the right system to what Pona Ford did when we took a chance on him and when Smith was 330 he was a monster under Harbaugh.

[powderblueboy]

There's some talk that the Jets may be releasing Mazi Smith? Maybe the Chargers could take a chance with him and get his weight back up because he seems like he could do something similar in the right system to what Pona Ford did when we took a chance on him and when Smith was 330 he was a monster under Harbaugh.

Could be, but Harbaugh likely knows some things about him as to why he is a bust, all the DCs asking him to do stuff he wasn't good at aside.

[electricgold]

Could be, but Harbaugh likely knows some things about him as to why he is a bust, all the DCs asking him to do stuff he wasn't good at aside.

Yep it all comes down to what Harbaugh thinks and knows about him. The one thing I see tho, is turning him into a sub-300 NT? What was the thinking in that?

[dmac_bolt]

Kenneth Grant actually played reasonably well the 2nd half of the season. We just tend to want to see the immediate success, no matter how unfair it is to the players.

But Justin Eboiugbe and Vidal both looked like complete busts with almost nothing to show for their rookie seasons. Eboigbe got 6 sacks last year and Vidal lead the team in rushing. Point is that players get better. the best players are usually the hardest workers and that takes time to pay off.

Again the Hortiz/Harbaugh way is to try and fill some gaps with FA and then use the draft to build the roster. The roster building is going fine. Slower than we want it, but the roster is in much better shape than it was.

2024 Draft
Alt
McConkey
Colson
Eboigbe
Still
Hart
Vidal
Rice - on Raiders roster
Johnson - on Ravens roster

2025 Draft
Hampton
Harris
Caldwell
Kennard
KLS
OG
Taylor
Mickens
Bridges - got 250 snaps as a dime DB for the Cowboys

We have had 18 picks since Hortiz/Harbaugh took over. 15 are still on the roster. Colson and Taylor are the only ones who remain who really haven't done much and I haven't given up hope for either.

And Kennard. If Colson and Kennard both emerge as good rotational or plus players this year - his drafts go from good to great. I’m not expecting much from day 3 Taylor, he can surprise me but it won’t affect Joe’s grade.

I knew Bridges wasn’t gonna cut it here just by watching his college highlight tape. Cowboys can have him. Rice and Johnson will never emerge as receiving threats, wasted picks and that’s ok for Rd7 but both should have been cut before the 2024 season, no reason to carry Rice all year. I don’t worry about R7 picks, I DO care about Rd3 and Rd4 though.

[Fleet 1]

[YAC]

I want to share an updated needs graph, and request critique of any kind. I'm sure not the master guru here!

I refined two things in particular.

• Distinguished NT and DT...stacking Calwell behind Tart. Those two are true nose. This makes it clearer the profile of interior defensive players we might be looking for. Ideally we'd want DTs in that spot who can run stop but also press the pocket. Don't need the mass of a NT. Maybe Ebiogbe has shown enough to be slotted second in the DT rotation?
• I delineated the types of LB, making it more explicit that we either need Colson to step up and be a useful Mike LB (his natural role), or we find a true run defending Backer in the middle.

UpdatedDef.png

[YAC]

If Colson and Kennard both emerge as good rotational or plus players this year - his drafts go from good to great.

From 'Great' to "Other-Worldly" I'd say.

[powderblueboy]

I want to share an updated needs graph, and request critique of any kind. I'm sure not the master guru here!

I refined two things in particular.

• Distinguished NT and DT...stacking Calwell behind Tart. Those two are true nose. This makes it clearer the profile of interior defensive players we might be looking for. Ideally we'd want DTs in that spot who can run stop but also press the pocket. Don't need the mass of a NT. Maybe Ebiogbe has shown enough to be slotted second in the DT rotation?
• I delineated the types of LB, making it more explicit that we either need Colson to step up and be a useful Mike LB (his natural role), or we find a true run defending Backer in the middle.C

UpdatedDef.png

Chargers are lacking a 5th round pick, not a 3rd round pick, in the upcoming draft.