NFL Draft: Where would Chargers pick if the season ended today?
By Jason Reed
The 2021 LA Chargers are fighting tooth and nail for a spot in the AFC playoffs. The Chargers have not made the playoffs since 2018 and started the season in a great position to not only make the playoffs, but maybe even win the AFC West.
The Bolts have since dropped three of their last four and enter Week 11 with a 5-4 record. What makes it worse is the fact that one game makes a huge difference. The difference between a 6-3 record and a 5-4 record is massive for the team's playoff chances.
As it stands right now, the Chargers are the seventh seed in the AFC. However, with many teams crowded at five wins, the Bolts have plenty of work to do to secure the playoff spot. In order to do so, the team is going to have to start playing more into its strengths and lessening its weaknesses.
This team had some serious weaknesses that it is going to have to address next offseason and in the 2022 NFL Draft. Luckily, this is a young team with a second-year quarterback and first-year head coach. There is a title window here that is much longer than just the 2021 season. However, that window only exists if the Chargers make the right moves and draft picks.
Where the Bolts draft matters in that equation. Tom Telesco has done really well at drafting early in the first round but the few times he has made a pick in the late first-round it has not been great. This raises the question:
Where would the LA Chargers pick in the 2022 NFL Draft if the season ended today and who should they target?
Of course, making the playoffs and how far a team goes matters in the draft order. The team can be the seventh seed in the AFC but if they win the Super Bowl they are going to pick 32nd. That being said, based on the current playoff seeding, assuming the lower seeds all lose, the Chargers would be slated to pick 20th in the 2022 NFL Draft.
We have already broken down five potential first-round targets for the LA Chargers in the 2022 NFL Draft, so if you want a comprehensive list I would check it out in the link above. Personally, I would like to see the Bolts draft a right tackle in the first round with the absolute best-case (possible) scenario being Charles Cross.
A lot can change in the final seven weeks of the season, though, and I would much rather see the LA Chargers fall out of Cross' range than get higher in the draft order to get a better prospect.