The 2025 NFL Draft looms 10 days away.
The Chargers currently hold the No. 22 overall pick and could go a handful of different routes in Round 1.
This is the third of a four-part series looking at potential options the Chargers have in the first round as we now focus on defensive tackles and edge rushers.
Why a DT or Edge makes sense
While the majority of recent Chargers Mock Drafts lean offense, there's also a scenario where the Bolts take a defensive player at No. 22.
That could mean both a defensive tackle or an edge rusher are in play for Round 1.
Up front, the Chargers current defensive tackle room features a collection of steady players such as Teair Tart, Otito Ogbonnia and Scott Matlock, plus recent additions in Da'Shawn Hand and Naquan Jones.
If the Bolts want to plug in an impact player for the foreseeable future, perhaps this is the time to address the trenches and select a potential centerpiece of the room.
As for edge rusher, the Chargers brought future Hall of Famer Khalil Mack back in free agency. He is expected to be his usual stellar self in Year 12 alongside Tuli Tuipulotu and Bud Dupree.
But the Chargers in March released Joey Bosa, who later signed with the Bills in free agency.
With the Chargers deploying four edge rushers on a usual basis, there's a spot to fill in that position room.
Who could be the pick?
We'll start with the possibility that the Chargers take a defensive tackle at No. 22 overall.
Michigan's Kenneth Grant, who played for Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh in college, has been a popular pick this spring in mock drafts.
Pro Football Focus has Grant ranked 17th overall on their Big Board. ESPN's Jordan Reid (No. 24), Dane Brugler of The Athletic (No. 25) and Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network (No. 30) have Grant in a similar range.
Grant, listed at 6-foot-4 and 331 pounds, earned Third-Team All-American honors this past season and was a two-time All-Big Ten selection at Michigan.
PFF wrote of Grant:
Grant brings a rare combination of quickness and size to the nose tackle position. He has the strength to dominate single blocks and hold up against doubles. When he's in attack mode, he is an imposing player -- I just wish we saw that aggressive mindset more consistently.
Draft experts are split on Mississippi's Walter Nolen, as the 6-4 and 300-pound linemen's rankings are scattered.
PFF tabbed Nolen as their No. 8 player while Reid slotted him at No. 11. Jeremiah (No. 28) and Brugler (No. 31) had him toward the latter part of the first round.
Nolen, a consensus All-Americans this past season, had 6.5 sacks in 2024.
Reid wrote:
I'm higher on Nolen than most, as he thrived in his only season at Ole Miss after transferring from Texas A&M. He is an explosive 3-technique with finishing ability, helping him to a career-high 6.5 sacks this past season. His get-off is consistent, allowing him to easily penetrate the first level and disrupt the timing of opposing offenses. He also maintains gap control at the point of attack. Is Nolen finally realizing the potential that made him a No. 1 overall recruit, or was this a one-year bump?
Oregon's Derrick Harmon is another defensive tackle who could be an option for the Chargers in Round 1.
Listed at 6-5 and 313 pounds, Harmon is Brugler's No. 16 overall prospect. Jeremiah (No. 23) and Reid (No. 26) ranked him similarly but PFF put him at No. 42 overall.
Harmon began his career at Michigan State but was stellar in his lone season at Oregon, leading all FBS interior defensive linemen with 55 total pressures generated, according to Pro Football Focus.
Brugler wrote of Harmon:
A player who can win in different ways, Harmon forces blockers to attack air with his lateral explosiveness or uses strong, crafty hands to swat away the reach of blockers as he bursts through gaps to close on the ball carrier.
Of course, there's always the scenario where the Bolts address their pass rush in the first round.
Marshall's Mike Green, who is 6-3 and 251 pounds, could be a name to watch. Green led the nation with 17.0 sacks in 2024 and also led the FBS in tackles for loss and tackles by an edge rusher.
Green in Brugler's No. 10 overall player while PFF (No. 13) and ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr. (No. 14) are only a spot apart in their respective rankings.
Jeremiah has Green at No. 21 overall while Reid tabbed him as his 31st overall prospect.
Kiper wrote of Green:
Green, who led the FBS in sacks this past season, is extremely explosive off the edge and shows good bend. But his game isn't all speed; he also displayed power at the Senior Bowl. Green also knows how to seal the edge against the run and pursues well laterally. But what I love most about his game is how he mixes up his pass-rush moves. Green can get to the quarterback inside or outside, using that speed-to-power to disrupt opponent pass games.
Boston College's Donovan Ezeiraku, who is 6-3 and 248 pounds, has also been projected to the Bolts in recent mock drafts.
Ezeiraku is PFF's No. 16 overall player. Kiper (No. 21), Brugler (No. 22) and Jeremiah (No. 25) all have him around the same range. Reid has Ezeiraku at No. 34 overall in his rankings.
Ezeiraku had a monster senior season as he won the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation's top defensive end. He also earned First-Team All-American honors, was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and was a First-Team All-ACC selection after racking up 16.5 sacks.
Jeremiah wrote:
Ezeiruaku is a compact edge rusher with outstanding length, burst and production. In the pass game, he has a very quick first step and gets on top of blockers in a hurry. He excels at prying open the outside shoulder and cornering toward the quarterback. He has a full array of moves to complement his speed rush.
Mykel Williams of Georgia is Reid's No. 16 prospect and is slotted 21st by Brugler. He's also ranked No. 22 by both Kiper and Jeremiah, equaling the spot where the Bolts pick.
Williams, who is listed at 6-5 and 260 pounds, was ranked 38th overall by PFF. He tallied 8.5 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks in 2024 as he earned Second-Team All-SEC honors.
Reid wrote:
Williams was my top overall player entering the 2024 season but dropped after an ankle injury sustained in the opener caused him to sit out two games and slowed him until midseason. His frame is ideal for playing the edge, but Williams is not an instinctive pass rusher, instead relying on length and manufactured pressure to win rushes. That length makes him an NFL-ready run defender, though, as it's difficult for blockers to get into his frame. Williams is a long-term developmental player as a pass rusher, but he's only 20 and similar to Danielle Hunter as a prospect.
Tennessee's James Pearce, Jr. is the final edge rusher prospect we'll look at here.
Pearce is PFF's No. 23 player while Jeremiah ranked him 26th overall. Reid (No. 35) and Brugler (No. 36) had him a spot apart in their respective rankings.
Pearce, who is 6-5 and 245 pounds, had 13.0 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in 2024. He became the first Tennessee defensive lineman to earn back-to-back First-Team All-SEC honors since 2001.
PFF wrote:
Pearce is the kind of athlete with the production and disruption scores you don't let out of the first round. His twitchy movements show difference-making NFL traits that can be situational at worst and All-Pro at best.
How would this impact 2025 and beyond?
As you can see, the Chargers could have a plethora of defensive options if they go defense in Round 1.
The Bolts recent first-round trend has been offense, as their first selection of each draft since 2019 has been an offensive player.
But that could change this year given how deep the defensive tackle and edge rusher groups appear to be.
Adding an interior player or pass rusher in Round 1 would give Chargers Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter a key building block to work with going forward.
A defensive tackle would offset recent free-agency departures while an edge rusher could learn under Mack and potentially form a formidable duo with Tulipulotu for years to come.
