Culver City Observer -

The 2024 NFL draft will begin in about three weeks on April 25, and for the Los Angeles Chargers and their roster construction, it will be a key draft for new head coach Jim Harbaugh that will help to determine the success of the 2024 regular season.

All drafted players are given four-year contracts to begin their careers and the rookie contracts help with the salary cap. It would not be surprising to see the Chargers trade down multiple times to pick up more draft picks. The Chargers were limited in free agency due to salary cap issues and they need more draft picks.

The Chargers own the 5th pick in the first round, by virtue of their disappointing 5-12 season in 2023. This mock draft will assume that the first four picks will be quarterbacks, with the Arizona Cardinals trading out of the 4th position to add more draft picks, with the likely trading partner being the Minnesota Vikings.

Round 1 – Marvin Harrison, Jr. Wide Receiver Ohio State. With the 5th overall pick, the Chargers select Marvin Harrison, Jr., the top-rated wide receiver in the 2024 NFL draft. Harrison is a 6-foot-3, 209-pound wide receiver. He won the Biletnikoff Aware as the top receiver in college football in 2023.

He is the son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison Sr., who spent 13 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. With the loss of starting wide receivers Mike Williams and Keenan Allen in the offseason due to salary cap issues, drafting Harrison with the 5th pick is a no-brainer selection. He is a Day 1 starter.

Round 2 – Kris Jenkins Jr., Defensive Tackle, Michigan. With the 37th overall pick, the Chargers select Jenkins, a 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive tackle off of the national championship team coached by Harbaugh. Jenkins was a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2023 and a second team AP All-American selection.

He is the son of former NFL player Kris Jenkins, a three-time All-Pro selection at defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers and New York Jets. This is not a strong draft for interior defensive lineman and if the Chargers want Jenkins, they will likely need to draft him in the second round. Jenkins will eventually start.

Round 3 – Khyree Jackson, Cornerback, Oregon. With the 69th overall pick in the first round, the Chargers select the 6-foot-4, 194-pound cornerback from Oregon. Jackson ran a 1.50 in the 10-yard split and 4.50 in the forty-yard dash. He was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection at cornerback for Oregon in 2023. Jackson spent the 2021 & 2022 seasons playing cornerback at Alabama.

Round 4 – Sataoa Laumea, Offensive Tackle, Utah. With the 105th overall pick, the Chargers select the 6-foot-4, 320-pound offensive tackle from Utah. Laumea was a Pac-12 first team All-Conference pick at right tackle in 2022 and a second-team All-Conference selection in 2023.

Laumea has played both right tackle and right guard at Utah and his ability to play both should fit in well with the Chargers. He was a second team All-Conference selection at right guard for Utah in 2020. Mel Kiper of ESPN has Laumea rated the 7th best offensive guard in the draft, while Pro Football Focus (PFF) has Laumea rated the 17th best offensive tackle in the 2024 draft. He would add depth at tackle and guard.

Round 4 – D.J. James, Cornerback, Auburn. With the 110th overall pick of the NFL draft, the Chargers select James, a 6-foot-0, 175-pound cornerback with 4.42 speed in the forty and who ran an impressive 1.50 in the ten-yard split. James played three seasons at Oregon and two seasons at Auburn. He was a second-team All-SEC selection in 2022.

The drafting of James in the 4th round and Jackson in the third round is necessary to add talent and depth at cornerback. The Chargers lost starting cornerback Michael Davis in free agency and the free agent signing of J.C. Jackson in 2022 turned out to be a disaster and he was waived in 2023.

Round 5 – Luke McCaffrey, Wide Receiver, Rice. McCaffrey is the brother of running back Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers and son of former NFL wide receiver Ed McCaffrey. He played quarterback at Nebraska and at Rice, starting two games at Nebraska and three at Rice. He was offered a scholarship by Harbaugh at Michigan. McCaffrey made the transition to wide receiver in 2022.

In the 2023 season, McCaffrey had 71 receptions for 992 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also rushed 15 times for 117 yards, for a total of 1,109 yards from scrimmage. He was a first-team All-Conference selection in the American Athletic Conference. The 6-foot-2, 198-pound receiver has the speed to play on the outside but is more likely a slot receiver in the NFL.

Round 6 – Kimani Vidal, Running Back, Troy. Vidal was the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year and the second leading rusher in the nation with 1,661 yards. At the NFL Combine, Vidal measured in at 5-foot-8, 213 pounds and ran a 4.46 forty. He rushed for over 4,000 yards in his career and caught 92 passes. He is a downhill runner with speed. In the Sun Belt Conference Championship game, Vidal rushed for 233 yards and five touchdowns.

Round 7 – Jack Westover, Tight End, Washington. Westover is a prospect at both tight end and fullback. He is 6-foot-3, 248 pounds. Kiper has him listed as the 2nd best fullback prospect in the 2024 NFL draft. Westover had 46 receptions in 2023 for the Huskies, including three touchdown receptions against Michigan State. In the playoffs, Westover had six receptions for 59 yards in the win over Texas and he had five receptions for 42 yards in the loss against Harbaugh's Michigan Wolverines team.

Round 7 – Jackson Sirmon, Linebacker, California. With the 253rd overall pick in the draft, the Chargers draft Sirmon, a 2022 first team All-Pac-12 selection at linebacker for the Cal Bears. Sirmon's father, Peter, played seven season with the Tennessee Titans and has been a college coach with various college teams, including his current job as a defensive coordinator with the Cal Bears. Sirmon is smart and aggressive and will add depth to the Chargers at linebacker and can help on special teams. Sirmon was a back-up long snapper with Cal, which could help with the Chargers.