Chargers 7-Round Mock Draft: Jim Harbaugh leans into Big Ten bias with 5 out of 9 picks

In our first 7-round mock draft of the offeason, we have Jim Harbaugh letting his Big Ten bias show by filling his first draft with familiar faces.

The 2024 NFL Draft is just two days away and it wouldn’t be a normal draft season unless I got out at least one seven-mock draft for you all to criticize ahead of Thursday night.

As we know, the Chargers are reportedly on the fence in regards to taking a wide receiver or offensive tackle with their first-round pick on Thursday night. Some reporters are stressing how much Jim Harbaugh has said he wants to run the football which leads them to believe offensive tackle is the pick. However, Joe Hortiz has stressed that they’re going to focus on a “best player available” strategy and it’s hard to believe a tackle is deemed the better player over one of the class’ top pass-catchers.

Either way, we’ll finally have all of our answers when Thursday night rolls around.

With that said, have at it.

Round 1, Pick #5: LSU WR Malik Nabers

Heading into Thursday, I’m not allowing myself to fall for the potential scenario in which the Chargers can draft Marvin Harrison Jr. I believe the Cardinals will stick-and-pick someone they feel could have the biggest impact on winning more games in the immediate future.

If Harrison goes at No. 4, I just can’t imagine the Chargers choosing an offensive tackle over Nabers. Like the Cardinals, the Chargers need to win as many games as fast as possible under Jim Harbaugh. No one wants to wait multiple years to be a legit contender again. Nabers will raise the floor of the passing offense significantly and I just don’t think an offensive tackle will have the same effect.

Round 2, Pick #37: Michigan DT Kris Jenkins

The Chargers are almost certainly going to leave this week’s draft with a former MIchigan player and my bets are either Jenkins here or cornerback Mike Sainristil. In this draft, I chose to go with Jenkins here because I believe the quickest way to turn this defense around is to finally get some bullies up front. Jenkins isn’t a polished pass-rusher but he’s stout at the point of attack and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter would love to have one of his former top players at Michigan join him in LA.

Round 3, Pick #69: Florida State RB Trey Benson

Benson is my favorite running back in this class and he’s also the only running back I’d be comfortable with taking this early. There have been too many mocks with Blake Corum being the pick here and I just can’t see the value being there. He was productive at Michigan, but I don’t see his game transitioning nearly as well as some of the other top backs.

The 6’1, 223-pounder had just under 1,900 yards and 23 touchdowns over the last two seasons while breaking a whole bunch of tackles. In 2022, he broke PFF’s record for the most forced missed tackles recorded in a single season. He also averaged over six yards per carry and 11 yards per reception. He’s the total package for me and I’d jump at the chance to get him in the third.

Round 4, Pick #105: Penn State TE Theo Johnson

I’m really not sure if Johnson will be available for the Chargers in the fourth as I thought he was one of the biggest risers amongst his position following a stellar performance at the NFL Combine.

Johnson offers prototypical size for a tight end at 6’6 and hovering around 260 pounds. He posted a very nice 4.57 in the 40 with a 39-inch vertical. His seven touchdowns in 2023 were tied for the team as he started all 13 games in his final year with the Nittany Lions.

I’d like to see Johnson develop more as a run blocker as he most certainly has the size to work with, but his ability to soar up high and snag passes with his massive 10 1/4” hands could prove useful for a team needing some youth injected into their tight end room.

Round 4, Pick #110: Wisconsin C Tanor Bortolini

Wisconsin has always been a consistent offensive line pipeline to the NFL and the next up on the docket is Bortolini who also showed up and showed out at the NFL Combine. At 6’4 and 303 pounds, “Bort” ran sub-5.0 and jumped 32.5 inches in the vertical. His best mark may have been his 7.16 in the three-cone drill which was one of the best ever posted by a center prospect.

Despite just 21 reps on the bench press, Bortolini shows a stout enough anchor in pass protection with the elite level of lateral movement you’d expect after seeing his athletic testing. He’s tries to be the aggressor off the line of scrimmage and it showed when playing against some of the best competition in the Big Ten.

Round 5, Pick #140: Auburn CB Nehemiah Pritchett

The 6’0, 190-pound Pritchett was a two-year starter for the Tigers who led the team with eight pass breakups during the 2022 campaign. He offers ideal size and speed (4.36 40 time) with a well-rounded skillset to play just about every coverage. I like his resume of playing in the SEC but he’ll have to find a way to toughen up as a run supporter. He looks to have a quick trigger went left untouched but his tendency to stick on blocks will be something to keep an eye on.

He ended his career at Auburn with 16 pass breakups and three interceptions.

Round 6, Pick #181: Ohio State Tommy Eichenberg

The Chargers need to add more bodies to the linebacker room but I couldn’t find myself pulling the trigger on one earlier than here given other positions that need support.

Eichenberg started 27 games for the Buckeyes and finished his career with 258 total tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, two interceptions, and six pass breakups. As a senior in 2023, he earned the Big Ten Conference’s Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year award while also being named a first-team all-conference pick.

The 6’2, 233-pounder did not run the 40 at the combine or his pro day which leads me to believe he doesn’t have the ideal speed for the position in the modern NFL. He’s a bit of a throwback player with a good work ethic but he’ll likely take some time to acclimate to the pros. But at the end of the day, he’s got a good combination of pedigree and experience that should convince a team to use a dart throw on him in the later rounds.

Round 7, Pick #226: Iowa DT Logan Lee

Lee has quietly been one of the key players on Iowa’s elite defenses over the past three seasons. He rattled off 40 consecutive starts and earned his way into a Shrine Bowl invite where he impressed scouts with his ability to rush the passer. The Hawkeyes have also been one of the best units at defending the run so it’s easy to surmise that Lee is equally effective there, as well.

At 6’5 and 281 pounds, he’s a bit of a ‘tweener along the interior who may have to put on another 10-15 pounds to handle the bullies amongst the interior in the NFL. Harbaugh and Minter both coached against the Hawkeyes in two of the last three Big Ten title games so I wouldn’t be surprised to see them use a late-round flier on a guy who knows what it’s like to be a part of a dominant defensive front.

Round 7, Pick #253: Oregon S Evan Williams

Williams spent one season with the Ducks after transferring in from Fresno State. He hit the ground running by leading the team with 82 tackles to go with 4.5 sacks and five tackles for loss.

At 5’11 and 200 pounds, scouts say Williams looks more like a small linebacker as opposed to a traditional safety. He certainly plays like one, however, with good stopping power and a knack for knowing when to click-and-close. His speed is “fine” with a 4.60 in the 40 but he showed excellent explosiveness with a 40-inch vertical at the combine.

Williams will likely spend most of his early career playing mainly on special teams but his production on a good football team and some notable athletic traits will make sure a team scoops him up before the end of the day on Saturday.