Chargers Mock Draft 3.0: A perfect fit at receiver, then a turn to the trenches

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“The Beast” has been unleashed.

Our draft expert Dane Brugler released his 2025 draft guide, nicknamed “The Beast”, this week. It is quite simply the most comprehensive and valuable draft resource that exists in our industry. “The Beast” is a treasure trove of draft nuggets, with testing data, exhaustive background information and detailed scouting reports on hundreds of players. I look forward to combing through it every year.

That is why Mock 3.0 is my favorite mock draft of every offseason. I publish each of my four Los Angeles Chargers mock drafts around key points in the draft buildup. Mock 1.0 comes out around the combine. Mock 2.0 resets the draft approach after the first wave of free agency. Mock 3.0 means one thing: “The Beast” is here. It is a tentpole day in the NFL calendar.

So let’s dive in.

Round 1, Pick 22: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona

McMillan is Brugler’s top-ranked receiver and the No. 12 overall player on his big board. But there will likely be teams that are not as high on McMillan because of his testing speed. After not running at the combine, McMillan ran a 4.53 40-yard dash at his pro day. That could be a non-starter for organizations prioritizing certain metrics, and maybe McMillan falls into the Chargers’ range as a result.

If McMillan is there, I think he is the no-brainer pick. He is the type of big body — over 6-foot-4, 213 pounds — the Chargers need on the outside to complement slot receiver Ladd McConkey. The Chargers signed Mike Williams in free agency, but I think they need to invest further in this type of skill set, given Williams’ age and injury history. Though he is not an elite separator, McMillan is still highly effective because of his strong and reliable hands. Brugler put it best: “Exceptional ball skills and consistently stabs away from his body with large hands.” I think he has enough long speed to challenge defenses vertically. Brugler noted McMillan’s “galloping route strides help him reach top speed quickly.” He is at his best in contested-catch situations. It is very easy to visualize him winning on third downs at the next level with his ability to use his “massive catch radius,” as Brugler put it, to snare the ball on slant routes.

Round 2, Pick 55: Darius Alexander, IDL, Toledo

Interior defensive line is a fascinating positional need for the Chargers. I could see them taking one anywhere from No. 22 overall to the seventh round. In my first two mock drafts, I waited until Day 3 to take an interior defensive lineman. The Chargers could find a depth piece in that range. But I think this room lacks a potential difference-maker, particularly in the pass-rushing department.

The Chargers lost their two top interior pass rushers — Morgan Fox (29 pressures in 2024, according to TruMedia) and Poona Ford (23 pressures) — in free agency. Who is going to replace that production? Perhaps they are expecting more output from Teair Tart with increased playing time. Perhaps they expect a huge jump from 2024 fourth-round pick Justin Eboigbe heading into Year 2. I think they need more juice in this room that can impact the quarterback.

Alexander has ideal size — an “NFL-ready frame,” as Brugler put it. His power and athleticism jump off the film, including against better competition like Mississippi State this past season. You would love more production from a non-Power 5 player, especially one with the tools Alexander has. I still think he has tremendous upside in the NFL.

“His blend of power, length and athletic body control give him the makings of a three-down, scheme-versatile NFL starter,” Brugler writes. “He projects best in an attacking role, where he’d be able to maximize his disruptive traits. His peak plays are reminiscent of Leonard Williams.”

Round 3, Pick 86: Miles Frazier, G, LSU

With Zion Johnson making a move to center, I think the Chargers should be looking for more competition at left guard heading into the spring and summer. When asked last month about which players are in the mix for the starting left guard spot, coach Jim Harbaugh threw out a bunch of names: Trey Pipkins III, Jamaree Salyer, Bradley Bozeman, Andre James.

I am not moved by any of those options, especially considering how much of a liability the interior of the offensive line was throughout last season. The Chargers signed Mekhi Becton as their starting right guard. That was a step forward. One additional piece is not enough. I think Frazier would be an upgrade over any of the options Harbaugh laid out. Frazier is capable in pass protection, and his experience shines when identifying stunts on the interior. I think he can be a bona fide weapon as a run blocker, with the ability to climb to the second level and clear rushing lanes. As Brugler writes, Frazier is “efficient on short pulls and combos to find and occupy moving targets.” And Brugler notes Frazier has a “mean play personality.”

He fits how Harbaugh and GM Joe Hortiz want to play. Frazier spent the past two seasons at right guard but played nearly 600 snaps at left guard in 2022.

Round 4, Pick 125: Mitchell Evans, TE, Notre Dame

Tight end is another one of those tricky positions for the Chargers. They could take one at No. 22 if the board falls a certain way. I mocked Michigan tight end Colston Loveland to the Chargers in Mock 2.0, for instance. There are also intriguing options in the second and third rounds, from LSU’s Mason Taylor to Miami’s Elijah Arroyo to Oregon’s Terrance Ferguson. In the end, I think the Chargers can still find a contributing piece in the fourth round.

The Chargers signed Tyler Conklin late in the first wave of free agency. That signing gives them some flexibility to wait in the draft if necessary. They have Will Dissly as an elite blocker and Conklin as a reliable, proven pass-catching option. What is missing is an explosive element to attack vertically, particularly down the seams. That, to me, is one of the best parts of Evans’ game. He is not particularly sudden as a route runner, but he can accelerate down the field to get past defenders, including defensive backs. As Brugler writes, the 6-foot-5, 258-pound Evans is a “functional athlete for his size and can attack vertically.” I also think he brings enough as a blocker to provide value in that phase.

Round 5, Pick 158: Jaydon Blue, RB, Texas

I think the Chargers need to add an explosive element to their running back room to pair with free-agent acquisition Najee Harris. Blue can provide that. He had three plays of 45 yards or more in 2024, according to Brugler. Brugler adds that Blue is an “explosive athlete” who “hits another gear once he sees green grass.” Blue had 42 catches for 368 yards and is “dangerous in screen/wheel receiving game,” according to Brugler. If Harris is going to be the bruising workhorse, the Chargers should be looking for a complement to that skill set. “Blue is a threat to make a house call at any point, especially as a receiving weapon out of the backfield,” Brugler writes.

Round 6, Pick 181 (via NE): Antwaun Powell-Ryland, edge, Virginia Tech

Powell-Ryland is very undersized for the edge rusher position in the NFL. He is 6-foot-2, 258 pounds with 31.25-inch arms. And he might have difficulty setting the edge in the run game at the next level. At the same time, he is just extremely hard to block as a pass rusher. Some guys have that innate ability to get after the quarterback. I see that in Powell-Ryland, who led FBS in sacks over the past two seasons with 25 1/2. He has a diverse toolbox. Most importantly, he can win with speed off the edge, something that is missing to a degree in the Chargers’ edge room with Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu and Bud Dupree.

Powell-Ryland would be battling for the fourth edge rusher spot on the 53-man roster. If he can be a rotational pass rusher and play consistently on special teams, this would be a solid pick. The special teams component is a bit of a projection, as Powell-Ryland only played 53 snaps on core-four units during his five seasons at Florida and Virginia Tech.

“Powell-Ryland posted eye-popping pass-rush production with active hands to slip blocks,” Brugler writes, “but he doesn’t offer ideal traits by NFL standards and inconsistent run-game reps leave his NFL role in question.”

Round 6, Pick 199: Zah Frazier, CB, UTSA

The Chargers hunted traits at corner in the fifth round last year when they drafted the 6-foot-3 Cam Hart. Hart went on to have an impressive rookie season, showing far more consistency in coverage than he did on film in college. Why not hunt again? Frazier is raw, with only one year of starting experience. But he is almost 6-foot-3 with sub-4.4 speed. “There isn’t much mystery why a team might feel he is worth the gamble on Day 3 of the draft,” Brugler writes.

Round 6, Pick 209: Sebastian Castro, S, Iowa

The Chargers re-signed Tony Jefferson, and they could end up relying on him as their fourth safety behind Derwin James Jr., Elijah Molden and Alohi Gilman. But I like the idea of taking a safety on Day 3 who can push Jefferson for a roster spot and provide potential depth in the future. Gilman is on the final year of his deal.

Castro “is an instinctive zone defender,” according to Brugler. And that is a fit for coordinator Jesse Minter’s unit. No defense played more zone than the Chargers last season, according to TruMedia. Harbaugh will also be familiar with Castro, who had a particularly good game against Harbaugh’s Michigan in 2023.

Washington LB Carson Bruener could be a late-round option for the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2025 NFL Draft. (Stacy Revere / Getty Images)

Round 6, Pick 214: Carson Bruener, LB, Washington

It would be smart for the Chargers to come away from this draft with an additional special teams coverage weapon for coordinator Ryan Ficken. The Chargers lost Nick Niemann, one of their best special teams players, in free agency. According to Brugler, Bruener played on all four core special team units — punt, punt return, kick and kick return. He led Washington with 23 special teams tackles in his career and was named the team’s special teams MVP in 2023.

Round 7, Pick 256: Thomas Perry, C, Middlebury

And this is why we love “The Beast”. A former state-champion wrestler in Connecticut, Perry is on the draft radar after spending four seasons in Division III. He played primarily left guard in college, but Brugler is projecting a move to center — primarily because he is undersized at 6-foot-2. Perry’s nickname is “Thomas The Tank.” He had a 3.92 GPA as a molecular biology and biochemistry major. Until the Johnson experiment at center is successful, the Chargers should be turning over every rock fore a possible long-term solution. This is a fun one to consider. “Perry is undersized and will require development time as he transitions to center (and faces better competition),” Brugler writes. “But he is wired the right way with the intelligence, athleticism and power worth the investment.”

(Top photo of Tetairoa McMillan: Christopher Hook / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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