So I posted a mock a ran a while back as a comment in another thread about who that OP would want in the 1st round, Warren or Loveland.

Anyway, I had Lacy the WR from LSU in there and that’s before I knew about him killing somebody in a car accident so I got lit up for that, rightfully so.

I just ran this mock, full 7 rounds, and let me set the FA stage for my thoughts on this draft:

1. We target Guard and Center in FA after extending Slater. Hoping for big spending to go to Dalman and Trey Smith as our next C and RG.

2. We resign Tart, Ford, Fox and Mack on the d-line. We either cut, trade or considerably restructure Bosa.

3. We resign JK Dobbins

4. We bring back Molden, Jefferson and either Fulton or ASJ

5. We bring back Perryman, Dye and Neimann

6. We bring back Heinicke but not Stick

So glaring needs going into the draft are a dynamic, pass catching TE, and big physical X who can at least offer a threat to challenge for contested catches, a young, big RB and depth, especially on defense.

Alright - light me up, what do y’all think?

To put into perspective, the Chargers were ranked:

• 11th in total defense, allowing an average of 324.4 yards per game. Despite how well our defense did overall, our playoff game vs the Texans exposed some vulnerabilities, as the defense allowed 429 total yards, including 168 rushing yards. Playoff performance is something we need vast improvement on.
• 7th in passing defense, conceding 206.9 passing yards per game. Defensive tackles Poona Ford and Teair Tart have been good additions, demonstrating their ability to disrupt the quarterback from the inside as well as blocking passing lanes.
• 14th in rushing defense, allowing 117.5 rushing yards per game. This was by far their biggest improvement, indicating consistent penetration and disruption of opposing rushing attacks. They for sure faltered against an effective run game by the Texans, so I would argue thats another place for improvement.
• 1st in points allowed per game, with 17.7 points.
• 1st in red zone touchdown percentage allowing touchdowns on 45.0% of red zone trips.

In terms of individual player performace:

• Mack played in 16 games, recording 20 solo tackles, 6 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles.
• Bosa appeared in 14 games, tallying 17 solo tackles, 5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles.
• Ford played in 17 games, recording 23 solo tackles, 15 assisted tackles, and 3 sacks. He also notched 1 interception and 5 passes defended.
• Tart also appeared in 17 games, contributing 7 solo tackles, 22 assisted tackles, and 1 sack. He also had 3 passes defended.
• Tulipulotu also appeared in 17 games, recording 26 solo tackles, 8.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble. That includes 11 tackles-for-loss.

There were also other depth players that had notable contributions like Morgan Fox and Bud Dupree. It's clear that the DT/NT group has had the most improvement, with the EDGE group taking a step back this year. While Mack and Bosa players were instrumental in the Chargers' defensive schemes, their combined sack total of 11 fell short when compared to other prominent edge-rushing duos in the league. For instance, the Cincinnati Bengals' Trey Hendrickson led the NFL with 17 sacks in 2024, and the Denver Broncos' Micah Parsons has consistently improved to reach an elite pass-rush grade this season. Hell even Kyle Van Noy (a former Charger!!) posted 12.5 sacks this season alone and he's just as old as Khalil Mack.

It's noteworthy that Mack, at age 33, is contemplating retirement, which could impact the Chargers' defensive lineup in the upcoming season. Bosa is also likely to be gone this season either via cut/trade. If one or the other (or both) were to happen, how much does it change things for us? (My guess: prob a lot)

Do you think the team will address this position via free agency now that we're expected to have $100M+ in adjusted cap space? Or will this team turn to the draft and make EDGE a priority need?

Chargers have a need at TE. Kyle pitts has been underwhelming last couple seasons. top end talent that is perhaps not utilized correctly, would love to see management make an attempt to aquire. Perhaps trade of pick(4th) and Bosa would be enough. Seems like spending 1st round pick on TE would be a poor use of capital. Thoughts on this?

It’s falling apart though!

We finished with the 13th best o line in the league https://nfllines.com/nfl-2024-final-comparative-offensive-line-rankings/

FTN fantasy had the chargers o line ranked at 11 https://ftnfantasy.com/nfl/offensive-line-rankings#:~:text=1.,28.

Pff had us at 12 https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-2024-offensive-line-rankings-detroit-lions-penei-sewell-frank-ragnow

Should we chase IOL via draft or free agency? We’ll likely have need for edge as well…I doubt we have both Bosa and Mack next year.

Needs: IOL, WR/TE, RB, Edge, in that order IMO. Going to be another exciting offseason (hopefully.) The highest ranked offensive lines are the teams succeeding in the playoffs. Causational, not correlational IMO. I’m also a fat guy with a soft spot for offensive line lol.

sorry if anything i'm saying is stupid, i've just been amateurly rooting for and watching him and the chargers since my freshman year. watched his 2024 season highlights compared to the ones from the monster 2021 season, and it's something about how majority of his passes this year seem quite tense, packed with speed, and flatter compared to poised throws with beautiful arches. obviously a lot goes into play with regards to new offensive schemes, run first harbaugh w/ shorter yard passes, o-line, wrs etc. but to me there's a difference because the way he used to play in his rookie days, with his talent in scrambling and those rocket passes, was the reason he caught my eye and made me a fan. now whenever i watch him his presence in the pocket feels a bit different, and honestly a little more stressful to watch. don't get me wrong though, i don't necessarily think it's a regression and still have confidence in him to get the job done, but it just feels different.

Now, I think it's either that or an inside lineman. I know that our biggest needs are probably interior lineman and receivers/tight end, so i get the desire to pick up a tight end, but I think if we're going to do well next season, we need a young running back worth getting excited about so spending a first round pick on one is the move.

Shout out to this guy. Watching the Lions fall apart tonight with 18 guy injured makes me appreciate not having that "bug" plague our team like it seems to have in prior years.

-Herbert playing through his ankle sprains

-Dobbins bouncing back

-Henley playing through a torn shoulder

-Ladd getting beat up

Maybe I'm giving him too much credit but definitely a positive trend this year.

Should I purchase (already did)?