The Chargers made one of the more high-profile moves in the coaching carousel, landing former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as their offensive coordinator. With McDaniel charged with evolving the Los Angeles offense, the Chargers need help on the defensive side of the ball. In speaking with team sources, Los Angeles’ preference is draft a defensive lineman in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Picking at 22, Los Angeles could have a number of options available to improve their defensive front. For edge defenders, prospects that could go in that range of the draft include Auburn’s Keldric Faulk, Missouri’s Zion Young, and Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell. For interior defensive line talent, they could consider additions like Florida’s Caleb Banks and Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald.
Sources with the Chargers say that the defensive line is the strong preference for them to address. They could use some help on the inside of their offensive line, but they anticipate re-signing Zion Johnson and adding talent to the inside of the line. They will keep their options open so they don’t have to reach, but currently they prefer to take a defensive lineman and that is what I have Los Angeles doing in my latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft.
