The LA Chargers head into the 2026 NFL Draft in an interesting position, to say the least. In the 2025 season, LA finished 11-6 behind a stellar season from Justin Herbert and Jesse Minter’s defense. However, the season ended quite abruptly with a 16-3 Wild Card loss to the New England Patriots.
While Herbert did have a great season, the offensive line was clearly struggling to find answers all season long, with both of their tackles being out with injury for most of the season in Rashawn Slater and Jose Alt. Herbert, at many points during 2025, had to make plays on the run and was one of the most hit quarterbacks in the NFL.
Alt and Slater should both be back for the start of the 2026 season, which will provide a huge boost to the offensive line, especially after the addition of center Tyler Biadisz. The only questions up front are who the starting guards will be when Week 1 comes around.
Minter led a top-five defense, stopping opposing teams' passing and rushing attacks with great success. The only downside is that now Minter is the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, which has Chris O’Leary stepping into the role of defensive coordinator for LA. The Chargers also lost pass rusher Odafe Oweh to free agency, who was one of their more productive players on the edge.
When looking at what Los Angeles needs for 2026, there are several places they could use early picks on. If there is a high-level interior offensive lineman available, that is an option to replace the struggles they had and the loss of Zion Johnson.
Another possibility is taking an edge rusher to try to replace the production of Oweh and help set up a tandem of pass rushers for the future, since Khalil Mack is near retirement and Tuli Tuipulotu requires a long-term partner on the edge.
LA could also look at finding a dominant outside receiver or a receiving tight end for Herbert to rely on, with the verdict still out on whether Ladd McConkey or Quentin Johnson can consistently produce as top options in a championship offense. In addition to Keenan Allen nearing the end of his career. Tight Oronde Gadsden II also still has some development to do in order to be one of the top options for Herbert.
Los Angeles also lost cornerback Benjamin St-Juste to free agency, which caused the depth at cornerback to take a hit. This draft has plenty of corners worthy of selection, and even if there is a run on the cornerbacks throughout the draft, that position has great depth and is definitely something LA could decide to take a look at.
On the defensive side, the Chargers may want to add a dominant presence in the middle of the defense at defensive tackle. There are several great options at defensive tackle early on in the draft. The only decision that has to be made is if they want a nose tackle, a pass rusher, or a blend of both. Whichever they decide, that option exists in this draft.
So, here is the 2 Round LA Chargers 2026 NFL Mock Draft.
Round 1 Pick 22 (No. 22 Overall)
There are a variety of ways the Chargers could use their first-round pick, but based on value and need, there is one clear answer. Penn State offensive guard Olaivavega Ioane is the selection, as he appears to be one of the better interior offensive linemen in this draft.
Ioane, during his time with the Nittany Lions, was known for his physical play and consistency as a run blocker and for protecting his quarterbacks in the pass game. He should be able to use his strength and power to become one of LA’s starters pretty early on at either guard position to provide Herbert extra protection.
During his final collegiate season in the Big Ten, Ioane was very dominant as he allowed zero sacks, zero quarterback hits, and just four quarterback pressures according to PFF. The consistency to protect his quarterbacks is crucial, and with the Chargers, Ioane would be a welcome addition.
Ioane was also a great run blocker with a run block grade of 78.6, ranking 16th among all college guards for the 2025 season. Additionally, Ioane was called for just one penalty all season long, showcasing his discipline and precise hand placement.
In free agency, LA did sign a few guards, including Cole Strange and Kayode Awosika, who are decent options, but with Ioane as a younger player, his ceiling is a lot higher with an opportunity to develop and become a reliable force on the interior of the Chargers’ offensive line for the next 5-10 years.
With Mike McDaniel now the offensive coordinator, LA will have to think about how any addition in the draft could fit into McDaniel’s West Coast-type scheme with creative runs with young running back Omarion Hampton and an efficient passing game. Ioane could fit right in with his ability to add a power element to the offense, and he has great mobility to get in space on screens and make blocks in the open field.
Standing at 6 '4 and 320 pounds, Ioane has a great opportunity to provide great physicality and dominance on the interior of any NFL offensive line. Specifically with the Chargers, Ioane can provide great push in the run game and much better protection than Herbert has had in the last few years to create a very successful and productive offense in 2026.
Round 2 Pick 23 (No. 55 Overall)
With the offensive line now addressed, the Chargers can shift their focus to the defensive side of the ball, where they could do a variety of things. But in this case, LA will select defensive tackle Lee Hunter to add more strength on the interior of the defensive line.
In 2025, Hunter was a key part of one of the more dominant defenses in the nation and the Big 12 with the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Hunter was very productive, generating constant pressure and creating negative plays in the backfield.
As a Red Raider in 2025, Hunter recorded 38 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks, and one forced fumble. Hunter has the strength to be able to hold up in the run game and can be a factor as a pass rusher as well. The main concern is that at times Hunter can raise his pad level, but defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary should be able to help Hunter correct that habit.
With this selection, the Chargers add to what is already a strength on the defensive line and can help everyone across the board to make plays. Hunter excels best when he can shoot gaps and quickly shed blocks, which works perfectly next to Teair Tart, who is a solid presence in the middle, able to take on double teams.
Tart playing at nose could give Hunter the flexibility to play a blend of three techniques and nose tackle to use his explosiveness to generate the negative plays and put opposing offenses behind the sticks.
Hunter and Tart in the middle should open up constant pass rush opportunities for Mack and Tuipulotu as well, which could give the secondary a much easier job in coverage with the pressure forcing quarterbacks to get the ball out quicker than they would like.
For the Chargers, improving an already great defense on the line of scrimmage could be exactly what they need to do to become the NFL’s top defense. The only question will be how far O’Leary can lead this unit.
The physicality on the line of scrimmage is the one aspect of football that travels everywhere, and if the Chargers can make a significant improvement on both sides with the additions of Hunter and Ioane, there is no telling where the 2026 season could lead.