Chargers 2025 Draft Class
Joe Hortiz’s long three days of drafting are now over. The 2025 NFL Draft has welcomed 257 new draftees into the league. The Los Angeles Chargers, on their end, selected nine players to help bolster their roster. After nailing their first draft together, Hortiz and Jim Habraugh will be hoping this draft class can hit the same.
With their first-round pick at 22, the Chargers selected running back Omarion Hampton from North Carolina. Hampton is regarded as easily the second-best back in the draft and a top 20 player. In his final year at North Carolina, he rushed for over 1,600 yards and had 15 touchdowns. He is an explosive back with the ability to block in pass protection. Hampton and Najee Harris will look to complement each other well in hopes of forming the ground-and-pound identity for the Chargers.
In the second round, the Chargers got a steal at wide receiver. Tre Harris from Ole Miss has a big body frame that will be able to play outside. Justin Hebert will now have big wideouts in Mike Williams and Harris to stretch the field. Round Three saw the Chargers add a big interior defensive lineman in Jamaree Caldwell. At 6’2” and 332 pounds, Caldwell is an excellent run stuffer who has the potential to improve into a better pass rusher from the inside. He holds a lot of good traits, and the Chargers hope to untap that potential.
On day three of the draft, the Chargers continued adding to the defensive line with edge, Kyle Kennard. He was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and will look to be a nice piece for Jesse Minter. The Chargers in the fifth round made two selections, and both were on the offensive end. Auburn wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith was selected first, and he brings great speed to the receiver room. The second selection was Oronde Gadsden II, a tight end from Syracuse, who is a great contested catch receiver. Branson Taylor from Pittsburgh heard his name selected in round six. He played primarily as a book-end tackle but has the potential to move into guard in the pros. One of the biggest value picks that the Chargers drafted in the sixth round was safety from Clemson, RJ Mickens. Regarded as a top 10 safety in the class, Mickens will look to battle for defensive snaps, as the Chargers’ safety room is loaded. For now, expect him to be a big piece on special teams with the Chargers’ seventh-round and last pick, Trikweze Bridges, the cornerback from Florida.
These are nine players that the Chargers hope to see flourish under their system. The Chargers have not announced when their rookie minicamp might be, but it is expected to be sometime in the next two weeks. Charger fans should be anxious and excited to see how their new players will contribute. For Hortiz, his focus will now shift back to free agency, as there are plenty of players who could help this team.
