Culver City Observer -

The 2024 NFL draft will begin in one week 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. They have several needs on their roster, with wide receiver, cornerback, and upgrading the running attack being priorities.

The Chargers own the 5th pick in the first round, by virtue of their disappointing 5-12 season in 2023. This mock draft will have the Minnesota Vikings trading with up with the Chargers to the 5th pick in the draft, with the Vikings trading their 11th pick and their 23rd pick in this draft to the Chargers. The Chargers would also get a 2nd or 3rd round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The trade would give the Chargers a total of ten draft picks.

Round 1 – Quinyon Mitchell, Cornerback, Toledo. With the 11th overall pick, the Chargers select Quinyon Mitchell, the top-rated cornerback on many draft boards. Mitchell had some of the best advanced coverage metrics ever recorded by Pro Football Focus (PFF) for a two-year period. The 6-foot-0, 195-pound corner was the best defensive player at the Senior Bowl and ran a 4.33 forty, with a 38" vertical at the NFL combine. The Chargers need help at corner and Mitchell can be a lock-down corner in the NFL.

Round 1 – Xavier Worthy, Wide Receiver, Texas. With the 23rd pick in the first round, the Chargers select the fastest player in the 2024 NFL Draft. Worthy ran a 4.21 forty, the fastest time in the forty-yard dash ever recorded at the NFL Combine. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound wide receiver played his high school football at Central East high school in Fresno.

Worthy was a three-time All-Big-12 selection in his three seasons at Texas, a first team selection in 2021 & 2023. He was Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2021 and an AP All-American in 2023. Worthy's speed combined with quarterback Justin Herbert's ability to throw deep could become a potent combination, particularly if the Chargers are running the ball well enough to force the defense to bring a safety up.

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 – Blake Corum, Running Back, Michigan. With the 69th overall pick in the first round, the Chargers select the Michigan star to add depth to their running back room. The 5-foot-8, 205 pound running back was a three-year starter, All-Big Ten for three years and All-American the past two seasons.

He is a tough inside runner who can catch the ball out of the backfield. A player with a high motor that is tough to bring down. He will be the perfect replacement for running back Austin Ekeler, who departed via free agency to the Washington Commanders in the offseason.

Round 4 – Mason McCormick, Offensive Guard, South Dakota State. With the 105th overall, the Chargers select the 6-foot-4, 309-pound offensive guard from South Dakota State. McCormick played left guard in college, started all four seasons and was a four-time All-Conference selection in the Missouri Valley Conference. He tested very well at the NFL Combine and at his pro day. Many teams see him moving to center in the NFL.

Round 4 – Khyree Jackson, Cornerback, Oregon. With the 110th overall pick 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 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. McCaffrey ran a 4.46 forty at the NFL combine.

Round 6 – Frank Crum, Offensive Tackle, Wyoming. The Chargers add some offensive line depth with the selection of Crum. The 6-foot-8, 314-pound offensive tackle was a four-year starter at Wyoming, at both right and left tackle. He was a first-team All-Conference selection in the Mountain West Conference in 2023. He is athletic with a wide frame.

ERIC LAMBKINS II

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, seen here holding a jersey from his playing days with the Chargers, poses for a photo with team owner Dean Spanos to his left and team President John Spanos to his right.

Round 7 – 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. Mel 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.