Compared to his first NFL draft as a general manager when he owned the fifth overall pick, Joe Hortiz’s phone has been eerily silent this draft season. That’s how the Chargers general manager knows his strategy is working.
“We’re going to try to pick as late as we can every year,” Hortiz said.
The 22nd overall pick in Thursday’s NFL draft has attracted fewer trade propositions than last year’s selection, Hortiz admitted, but he’s happy to keep picking later in the first round if it means the Chargers can build on their 11-win season last year. Hortiz set the table for his successful debut season as an NFL general manager by acing his first draft and hopes to follow up with an equally impressive encore this week.
The three-day NFL draft brings a rarely seen sparkle to the former Baltimore Ravens scout’s eye. This is, as Hortiz called it, “the scout Super Bowl.”
With 10 picks in the draft, Hortiz’s plan for his big game is determined by the team’s first wave of free agency that brought in 12 players. While the transactions didn’t make major national headlines, it gave the Chargers a solid foundation entering the draft, where they could add talent at offensive and defensive line, receiver, running back, edge rusher or tight end.
“You gotta make smart decisions, calculated decisions, trying to build your roster as deep as you can going into the draft,” Hortiz said, “so you can sit there, kind of let the draft come to you and pick the best player available.”
The Chargers addressed questions at interior offensive line by signing right guard Mekhi Becton and former Raiders starting center Andre James. By re-signing returning center Bradley Bozeman, Hortiz hopes to have a competitive offseason to strengthen an offensive line that gave up four sacks in a playoff loss to the Houston Texans.
The defensive line that lost Poona Ford and Morgan Fox, who signed with the Rams and the Atlanta Falcons, respectively, reloaded with Naquan Jones and Da’Shawn Hand. But just because Hortiz signed proven veterans in free agency doesn’t mean he won’t stockpile more talent at the same positions through the draft.
“Maybe it’s not a need. Two weeks later, it can be a need,” Hortiz said. “So you just take the best player available and he’s going to be here for four or five years or even longer and he’s going to help win games.”
Instead of having to hunt for position-specific help in the unpredictable draft, Hortiz and assistant general manager Chad Alexander learned to focus their draft strategy on the best prospects while working for the Ravens. It worked flawlessly last year when the Chargers raised eyebrows by picking two cornerbacks in the fifth round.
Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart proved themselves to be worthy starters when injuries decimated the secondary.
After signing former Pittsburgh Steelers star Najee Harris in free agency, the Chargers could add another running back in a draft that’s especially deep at the position. Besides Harris, the team’s only running backs are special teams stalwart Hassan Haskins, former sixth-round pick Kimani Vidal and practice squad member Jaret Patterson.
For the third consecutive year, the Chargers could take another wide receiver in the first two days of the draft with hopes to give quarterback Justin Herbert more weapons. Last year’s second-round pick Ladd McConkey set rookie franchise records for receptions and receiving yards while 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston showed marked improvement in all statistical categories in his second season, but still struggled with consistency in big games.
Receivers Tetairoa McMillan and Matthew Golden were among the reported prospects who visited with the Chargers ahead of the draft. McMillan, a towering 6-foot-4, 219-pound prospect, is a Servite alumnus who caught 84 passes for 1,319 yards receiving at Arizona last season. The 5-11, 191-pound Golden clocked 4.29 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, the fastest among receivers at the event.
Although the Chargers zeroed in on the receivers among their 30 in-person visits allowed by the NFL, it’s no sure indication of Hortiz’s plans for draft day. The Chargers didn’t host Joe Alt before they chose the right tackle with the No. 5 overall pick last year.
They’re still beaming about the decision.