Draft season is lurking, which means it is Daniel Jeremiah's time to shine.

The lead draft analyst for NFL Network held a two-plus hour conference call Thursday as he looked ahead to the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, which begins next week in Indianapolis.

Here are five takeaways from Jeremiah's call:

1. Chargers have options at No. 22

The Chargers currently have seven draft picks beginning with the 22^nd overall selection in the first round.

Jeremiah, who serves as the Chargers radio color commentator during the season, knows the Bolts well.

And he said Thursday he's excited to see how Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz and Head Coach Jim Harbaugh continue to mold the team into their liking heading into Year 2.

Jeremiah opined what his priorities would be for the Chargers as the offseason ramps up, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

"I look at the interior of the offensive line, [that] would be the top for me," Jeremiah said. "That's going to be something you can address with free agency and the draft.

"Then I think getting more weapons offensively. Ideally you get a big-time tight end to go along with some juice in the backfield at running back," Jeremiah continued. "Someone you can find with some real burst.

"Then someone to add to the receiver room who's got some explosiveness," Jeremiah added.

The Chargers prioritized offense early in last year's draft with tackle Joe Alt in the first round and wide receiver Ladd McConkey in the second.

Jeremiah believes the Bolts could follow a similar path and focus on the trenches again early. He also likened the strategy to how the Lions built their team from the inside out by getting elite linemen first and later adding explosive skill players later.

"I still think there's a little work to be done on the big side, they've got defensive tackle situation with free agency. I'd love to see them bring back Poona Ford there," Jeremiah said.

"This draft is matched up pretty well with their needs — interior defensive line, interior offensive line, tight end, running back," Jeremiah added. "I think those are all areas that can be addressed through free agency and the draft."

Jeremiah mentioned Michigan tight end Colston Loveland and North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton as possible options at No. 22.

But his ideal pick would be Alabama guard Tyler Booker.

"That would be a run the card up for me, because I just think you continue to invest in that interior offensive line," Jeremiah said. "He'd be a really good fit there with his size, physicality, character, intelligence, all that stuff. He's someone who checks every box."

Booker, who is listed at 6-foot-5 and 325 pounds, was a two-year starter and team captain at Alabama.

He played in 26 career games and was a First-Team All-American as a junior in 2024.

"Booker to me is one of the most consistent players I've watched in this class," Jeremiah said. "He's big, he's powerful. He's someone that when you talk to the folks at Alabama, they just rave about him in terms of the work ethic, the leadership."

The Chargers appear to have plenty of flexibility at No. 22 depending on what happens in free agency next month.

But no matter how it all shakes out, Jeremiah believes Hortiz and Harbaugh will be able to get a difference maker in the back half of the first round.

"I think they're going to have a really good player there for them in one of those spots," Jeremiah said. "I think it's up to them to figure out how in free agency to support and compliment what they're going to do."

2. Running back in Round 1?

Jeremiah's conference call came two days after he put out his second mock draft of the spring.

But with Booker and Loveland off the board, he tabbed Hampton as his pick at No. 22.

Hampton, who is 6-foot and 220 pounds, ran for 1,500-plus yards and 15 touchdowns in each of the past two seasons.

Hampton was one of three total running backs taken in Round 1. He also projected Pittsburgh (No. 21) and Minnesota (No. 24) to take one.

"It's hard to figure out when the run is going to go," Jeremiah said.

Jeremiah also noted that perhaps teams wait to take a running back later in the draft given the strong depth of the 2025 class.

"The interesting part is, a lot of it comes from talking to people around the league because of the depth of the class is really good," Jeremiah said. "If you have multiple needs, you maybe see a scenario where teams are going to punt on running backs early and then just know they still have options on Day 2."

The Chargers have Gus Edwards, Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal under contract in 2025 but J.K. Dobbins is a pending free agent.

3. A check in on the Wolverines

Similar to last year when Harbaugh joined the Chargers, the crop of prospects from Michigan is once again among the best in the draft.

The list is topped by defensive tackle Mason Graham, whom Jeremiah has as his No. 4 overall player in his rankings and is a player he regards highly. Cornerback Will Johnson is another player near the top at No. 12.

But there's also a number of players who have been naturally linked to the Bolts in recent mock drafts not only because of the Michigan connection, but due to the strong possible fit.

That includes tight end Colston Loveland, Jeremiah's No. 7 overall prospect, who has been a common pick amongst recent mocks.

"I think some teams are going to have him as the top tight end," Jeremiah said. "Two different styles there with him and Tyler Warren, but he's someone who can really, really run, can get in and out of breaks, fluid for a bigger guy.

"He can go get it with a huge catch radius, he's tough physical after the catch," Jeremiah added. "Then in the run game he does enough, he stays connected and shows want to. He's one of the top 10 players in the draft for me.

Loveland was a Second-Team All-American in 2024 and led the Wolverines with 56 catches this past season.

On the defensive side, another player who has been projected is defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, who is Jeremiah's No. 18 player overall.

Jeremiah talked about Grant and the aspects of his game that intrigue him, as he is a big presence on the interior of the defensive line.

"Kenneth Grant, just massive. He's a people mover," Jeremiah said. "Talking with the folks where he's been doing a lot of his training, 340 pounds should not be able to move around like that.

"You're hoping and dreaming on this Dexter Lawrence-type ascension for him once he gets to the NFL," Jeremiah added. "Hasn't put it all together, but it's all in there."

And finally, Jeremiah touched on another defensive standout in edge rusher Josaiah Stewart, who was one of his personal favorites to study.

"He's a bolt of lightning off the edge," Jeremiah said. "He's undersized, but if you don't look at the size on the paper and just watch the tape, he doesn't play small at all.

"He can really generate power as a rusher and he's someone who plays with maniacal effort and energy," Jeremiah added. "One of my favorite players to study."

4. Examining Day 2 TEs & WRs

Along with Penn State's Tyler Warren and Loveland, Jeremiah believes the 2025 draft is very deep at the tight end position.

It's especially true when you get to Day 2, where the draft analyst believes a number of difference makers will be available if a team were to miss out on the position in Round 1.

When asked about possible tight ends available in the second round, Jeremiah listed three atop his list who could be difference makers, starting with LSU's Mason Taylor.

"Mason Taylor from LSU would be a home run pick," Jeremiah said. "Just a real steady, reliable, dependable guy who jumped on scene with the game against Bama his freshman year.

"Obviously it's a football family with Jason Taylor, but he's an impressive kid who had a great Senior Bowl," Jeremiah added. "I don't know how far into the second round he'll make it, but he's in that range."

The son of Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, the LSU product finished his collegiate career with 129 receptions for 1,308 yards and six touchdowns. He was No. 35 in Jeremiah's initial top 50 rankings.

Jeremiah also mentioned Miami's Elijah Arroyo, ranked No. 49, and Bowling Green's Harold Fannin, Jr. as the other two who wowed at the Senior Bowl and could find themselves getting picked in Round 2.

"Elijah Arroyo from Miami, another one who had a great Senior Bowl and could really run," Jeremiah said. "Then Harold Fannin ... I think those would all be good guys to add."

While the wide receiver depth might not be to the same level of the tight end, Jeremiah does believe there's a number of big threats who could go around picks in the 50s.

This crop in Round 2 in particular includes a number of receivers who have size.

"I think that's around the range you're going to see this clump here with Tre Harris from Ole Miss, Jayden Higgins from Iowa State, Jack Bech from TCU," Jeremiah said. "All those guys are big.

"Tre Harris is almost 6-2, Higgins is almost 6-4, Jack Bech is 6-1 and a quarter, 214 pounds," Jeremiah added. "Those guys are all kind of in that range of the draft. Tory Horton is another one from Colorado State who's going to be around that range."

Jeremiah sees these big framed receivers going on Day 2 as intriguing options for teams looking for redzone threats.

"All those guys are big, all those guys can make plays down the field, all those guys are going to work out well in the redzone. They're going to be point producers," Jeremiah said. "That's a good clump there of wide outs that I think would make some sense."

The Combine next week will be big for these receivers after the first round, but the depth is there at receiver.

"You look at Jaylin Noel from Iowa State, who's going to put on a show at the Combine," Jeremiah said. "He's really explosive and he can play inside. I think even as an undersized player, he can play outside.

"Then Jalen Royals from Utah State, who's got a real compact 210 pounds… There's a good clump of receivers there in that second-round range," Jeremiah added.

5. An Antonio Gates comparison

When talking about Fannin and an aspect of his game, Jeremiah had quite the comparison to a Hall of Famer who will be inducted into Canton later this year.

"It's sacrilegious to say it cause he's now going into the Hall of Fame, but he's like a mini-Antonio Gates just with his movements," Jeremiah said.

Gates, of course, will now be immortalized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame after he was officially announced as a member of the Class of 2025 in early February.

The Chargers legend owns the NFL record for touchdowns by a tight end with 116 and is one of the greatest of all time at his position.

"Just how he moves around," Jeremiah said of Fannin. "It's kind of a unique movement style he has."

Jeremiah later added: "A little bit undersized, a little over 6-3, just under 240 pounds. He's got a real knack for it, a real feel for it, creating separation."

A consensus All-American, Fannin set single-season marks for receiving yards (1,555) and receptions by a tight end (117) in 2024.

While Jeremiah acknowledged he wasn't saying he was Gates, it was high praise for Fannin from the analyst relating him to one of the greatest Chargers and tight ends of all time.

"He's definitely a fun mismatch guy," Jeremiah said.