The Chargers addressed their need for a third edge rusher by selecting Miami’s Akheem Mesidor with the 22nd pick. Now that they’ve found their guy on defense, they most certainly need to address the interior offensive line on day two. Whether that’s in round two or three remains to be seen, but they simply cannot come away from Friday without finding a new blocker for Justin Herbert.
Heading into the second day of the draft, here are some of the best players available for the Chargers to target.
Bisontis is the top guard left on the board and he’d be the best-case scenario for the Chargers in the second round. However, after the Texans traded up to grab Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge in the first round, that may cause an earlier run on the best remaining guards earlier on day two. If that’s the case, the Chargers may be forced to trade up to grab Bisontis as him making it all the way to 55 doesn’t seem to be all that likely now.
McCoy would have been the draft’s top cornerback if it wasn’t for a torn ACL that took away his entire 2025 season. He was healthy to perform at a pro day in front of scouts and managed to run an impressive 4.37 in the 40. Cornerback is not as pressing of a need as offensive guard, but being able to draft a player like McCoy at No. 55 would be an insane value for the Chargers who are still looking for a bonafide CB1 to step up and lead that group.
If Bisontis goes ahead of the Chargers, Pregnon is another popular name that’s been paired with the Chargers in a number of mock drafts leading up to this weekend. Pregnon has been a fast riser in his college career, starting at Wyoming and working his way from USC to Oregon over the past five years. He’s a well-rounded player who offers the athleticism needed to succeed in Mike McDaniel’s wide zone system and brings a ton 0f starting experience that will nicely in between both Rashawn Slater and Tyler Biadasz.
McDonald was expected to be a first-round pick but ultimately fell out of day one despite being one of the players invited to attend the draft in Pittsburgh. He’s the best run defender at his position in this class but it’s likely his shortcomings as an interior pass rusher that hurt his value enough to see him fall to day two. The Chargers could use his skillset up front in Chris O’Leary’s system, but they must go guard first if there’s one available. Otherwise, McDonald would be excellent value should he fall to No. 55.
Branch would be a target for the Chargers in the third round should the board fall well for them in the second. The former Bulldog has elite separation ability and breakaway speed which would bode well in McDaniel’s offense as someone who could help stretch the field both vertically and horizontally. He also offers versatility as a return man which would be a great addition as current returner Derius Davis has underwhelmed over the last two seasons.
Golday is an interesting name in this linebacker class as a lengthy 6’5, 240-pound former defensive end that could be one of the steals around the middle rounds this year. His game is well-rounded as a run-and-chase defender who can be more than effective both in coverage and as a blitzer. If O’Leary plans to run the same defensive scheme as Minter, it’s likely he’ll continue using his off-ball linebackers in various pressure packages. This was something Minter leaned more into during the latter half of the 2025 season and it led to a very strong finish to the year for the defense.