There's no question the Chargers had one of the NFL's most impactful rookie classes in 2024.
And it was one of the key reasons the team was able to have the success they did in Jim Harbaugh's first season.
The Bolts had to rely on a number of their rookie draft picks, but none more than first-round pick Joe Alt, second-round pick Ladd McConkey and fifth-round cornerbacks Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart, all of whom became key starters throughout the season.
Nonetheless, Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz’s first draft class was as impactful as he could have hoped in all facets.
"I thought they did outstanding," Hortiz said. "I'm really proud of all of them. I'd say we had more than four guys who were significant contributors.
"Certainly four guys got the attention, deservedly so, but I'm really proud of the effort and the work ethic and the approach they've all taken," Hortiz added.
The Chargers rookie draft class combined for 3,403 total offensive and defensive snaps this season, with Alt — the No. 5 overall pick — leading the way.
Alt finished his first season leading all rookie tackles in offense (77.6), pass blocking (79.4) and run blocking grade (71.6) according to Pro Football Focus. He also allowed just 20 pressures in 16 regular season games, which were the fewest among rookie tackles with at least 400 snaps.
He did it all while manning a right tackle position that he was unfamiliar with coming into the year after spending his collegiate career on the left side.
But his stellar play in Year 1 is no surprise to Hortiz, who recalled a story about Alt and the work he put in from the jump.
"It was funny with Joe. When we drafted him, his agent called me and said, 'Right tackle?' And I said, 'Yep,'" Hortiz said. "He was like, 'Ok, he wants to know if he should start getting the reps.' Joe was out there the two weeks before he came in for rookie minicamp working on right tackle sets and stance.
"That's the type of guy he is. It's like wow because you know what he's doing right after he's drafted," Hortiz added. "Now he's going to have a whole offseason to build and grow."
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
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Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
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Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
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Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
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Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
Take a look back at the Chargers Wild Card matchup with the Texans in monochrome!
A full year to grow at the position has the Bolts excited about what he can continue to be.
"Him and I have talked and he's talked with Coach. He's talked with the assistants, Greg [Roman] and [Mike] Devlin and he's got a plan already," Hortiz said. "The sky is the limit for him, and I can't wait to see what he comes back as."
Of course, the Chargers second-round pick also turned some heads with his debut season.
McConkey was historically good for the Bolts, setting franchise records in catches (82) and yards (1,149) during his rookie season. He finished with the 10th across the NFL in receiving yards.
The rookie out of Georgia also had a record-setting performance in the playoff game with nine receptions for 197 yards, the most by a first-year player in NFL history and the third-most in a playoff debut ever.
Whatever way you look at it, McConkey's first season is root for excitement about what he could bring to the Bolts as his career progresses.
"He was a beast. Incredible player, tough as they come," Harbaugh said about McConkey after the game.
Harbaugh added on Wednesday about the offensive weapons: "So much really good to build on. Much excitement. That's certainly a big piece of my excitement going forward. Playmakers, welcome, along with competitors."
Same could be said about the pair of rookie corners in Still and Hart, who also established themselves as key members of the secondary.
Both rookies played in 14 games in 2024 and became revelations once injuries hit the group.
Still finished the year with four interceptions, which tied for the second-most among rookies. He also tallied the third-highest PFF defense grade (73.7) among rookie corners with at least 500 snaps.
Hart, meanwhile, stepped in and immediately became a physical presence, having the second-highest tackling grade (77.0) while starting six games.
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Check out the best shots from the Chargers Wild Card matchup against the Texans!
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The Bolts rookie class was massive in the outcome of the season, and that's without mentioning players like third-rounder Junior Colson, fourth-rounder Justin Eboigbe, sixth-rounder Kimani Vidal and seventh-rounder Brenden Rice, who each saw the field and stepped in at various points throughout the season.
Now, they get a chance to have a full offseason without any pre-draft obligations.
"Excited for first year players, rookie plays here, now they're going through everything they did a second time," Harbaugh said. "Everything they're going to do throughout the offseason, throughout the year will be done for a second time.
"In my opinion, that's when a player can make his biggest jump, from Year 1 to Year 2," Harbaugh added. "All those good things, want to build off them. It wasn't the ultimate success, but there was success. There was success from this season and we want to build on it."
With one year down, the team is fired up about what leaps the rookie class can make in Year 2.
"I expect more next year from all of them," Hortiz said. "If you think about the draft, a player ends his season in December or January. He goes right to training or rehab, but he's getting himself ready for the Combine.
Hortiz later added: "Now they have to focus on their bodies and football and develop themselves from a football standpoint. I expect big jumps from all of them and I'm looking forward to it."
