What we learned about the Chargers from Joe Hortiz’s pre-NFL Draft news conference

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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Los Angeles Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz held his annual pre-draft news conference Thursday at the team facility.

Hortiz had not spoken publicly since the combine in February. The Chargers were active during the first wave of free agency in March, and so there was plenty to discuss, from the roster construction so far this offseason to what lies ahead when the draft kicks off in exactly one week.

Here are my takeaways:

1. Despite entering free agency with considerable cap space, the Chargers took a pretty measured approach to the 2025 window. They had the room to shop at the top of the market at positions of need. But they instead opted to take more swings. The Chargers either re-signed or added at least one player in every position group.

Hortiz explained his rationale and approach on Thursday.

“You got to make smart decisions, calculated decisions and try to build your roster as deep as you can going into the draft so you can sit there and let the draft come to you and take the best player available,” Hortiz said. “I think we were able to accomplish that.”

When it comes to free agency, splashy does not always mean successful. Hortiz was adamant that the Chargers “made competitive plays towards a lot of players.” Some of those worked out, like with running back Najee Harris and guard Mekhi Becton. Some did not, most notably with receiver Davante Adams and defensive lineman Poona Ford, who both signed with the Los Angeles Rams.

The “pivot,” as Hortiz called it, amounted to moves that have set the Chargers up for maximum flexibility in the draft. These moves did not make the morning talk shows. The Chargers were not declared the winners of the offseason. But a big part of drafting well is creating options. The Chargers are not pigeonholed to any position in any round, and that is a healthy team-building process.

“You don’t feel the pressure, so to speak, that, oh, we got to address this player, we have to take this position,” Hortiz said. “I just don’t feel that way because of the way we have spread ourselves out in free agency and adding to the roster and really completing the roster.”

2. The process was sound outside of one mistake: Not re-signing Ford. He signed with the Rams on a three-year deal averaging a little more than $9 million in annual value. Ford was deserving of this contract value based on how he played in 2024.

“We were active in free agency on a number of players, Poona being one of them,” Hortiz said. “In the end, it’s the player’s decision where he’s going to go, and he made his decision to go to the Rams. I felt like we were competitive in our offers and in our pursuit of Poona, and it just didn’t work out for us.”

I have no doubts that the Chargers were eventually competitive in their offer to Ford. What I question is whether they were competitive in their offers in the earlier stages of the offseason. The Chargers were technically the only team that could negotiate with Ford from the end of the season until the start of the negotiating period on March 10. I think the Chargers initially misjudged his market, and by the time they came to terms with the realities of that market, it was too late.

The Chargers have bodies on the interior of the defensive line. They brought back Teair Tart. They have Otito Ogbonnia and Justin Eboigbe returning. They signed Da’Shawn Hand and Naquon Jones in free agency. They also have Scott Matlock on the roster, though he played more offensive snaps than defensive snaps last season.

Who is the impact player in this room? Ford was at that level for the Chargers last season. Morgan Fox had the second-most pressures among Chargers interior defensive linemen in 2024, behind Ford. Fox signed with the Atlanta Falcons. Hortiz said he feels “good” about the room in its current form. And defensive line coach Mike Elston proved last year that he can get a lot out of lesser talent. Still, I think the Chargers need to invest in this group early in the draft. And I think they will.

3. The Chargers also have more work to do in the offensive trenches. The interior offensive line was a glaring weakness last season, particularly in pass protection. And it is no coincidence the biggest external free agent contract the Chargers gave out was to Mekhi Becton, who is in line to start at right guard in 2025 and should be an upgrade if he can stay on the field.

Hortiz has built out options at center so far this offseason. The Chargers are going to try Zion Johnson at center. Johnson was the Chargers’ starting left guard in 2024. They re-signed Bradley Bozeman, who played over 1,000 snaps at center in 2024. They also signed center Andre James to a cheap deal.

“We still have the draft ahead of us,” Hortiz said, “but we got better.”

The hole is at left guard. Hortiz mentioned three names when he was asked who is in the mix to fill that spot: Bozeman, James and Trey Pipkins III. Pipkins was the Chargers’ starting right guard in 2024. Bozeman last played guard in a regular-season game in 2020. James and Pipkins have never played left guard in regular-season NFL action.

Improving the interior of the offensive line had to be a priority for Hortiz this offseason. He took a step toward that with the Becton signing. But rolling out a starting interior of Bozeman at left guard, Johnson at center and Becton at right guard just does not feel like anywhere close to enough.

“I thought we were pretty good last season,” Hortiz said. “Eleven wins, right?”

Right. And then a physical beatdown courtesy of the Houston Texans defensive front in the first round of the playoffs.

Hortiz stated his goal as “multiple championships” at his introductory news conference in February 2024. That is the standard. The interior offensive line has to be better to achieve that, plain and simple.

I think the Chargers need to add a competitive piece at left guard in the draft as a result.

4. Though the roster is in a solid spot, one thing is abundantly clear: quarterback Justin Herbert needs more weapons in the passing game. I think the Chargers have to come away from this draft with an outside receiver who can take some of the attention away from star slot Ladd McConkey. They did sign Mike Williams in free agency, but I do not think they can rely on him solely given his age and injury history.

Will the Chargers be able to find this skill set in the first round at No. 22? Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan is an ideal fit, but he might not make it that far. Texas receiver Matthew Golden has blazing speed and played primarily outside in college, but he is 5-foot-11 and 191 pounds. Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka is a polished route runner with outside experience in college. But as our draft expert Dane Brugler noted in his scouting report, “physical press can slow him early in route and diminish vertical capabilities.”

Hortiz was asked about how he projects whether a college receiver can play outside in the NFL.

“He may not be big, but can he separate and work the outside stem, the vertical stem?” he said. “Can he track the football? When you’re talking about outside receivers, yeah, he gives up some size, but he can run by people, so he still has value outside.”

Hortiz added that “there were plenty of slots that came into this league and have done well outside.”

“There’s one that’s probably one of the highest-paid players in the league that everyone questioned whether he could play outside,” Hortiz said. “He’s done all right. Won’t mention names.”

The Chargers could find better fits on Day 2. Two prospects to watch are Iowa State’s Jayden Higgins and Colorado State’s Tory Horton.

“It’s a good class,” Hortiz said of the receivers. “If I showed you our board, you would say, ‘Wow, they got a lot of options.’ Again, like every receiver class, there’s different sizes and profiles of each guy. But I think there’s a lot of guys that can help us.”

5. Hortiz was asked if the Chargers will be looking for specific skills at running back to pair with Harris.

“Certainly you want to build a complete backfield with some versatility,” Hortiz replied, “But you don’t want to discount a player who is similar to Najee because, again, it may not be a need (now) but it could be a need (down the road).”

My read on this: The Chargers will be looking for a running back with some home-run juice to pair with Harris.

6. As I wrote in my draft trade scenarios piece earlier this week, the Baltimore Ravens traded out of the No. 22 pick in back-to-back drafts in 2018 and 2019. Hortiz was in the Ravens front office for both of these drafts.

“Being in those positions, watching the way we’ve done it in Baltimore, will help me and gives me a good baseline of what to follow,” Hortiz said.

In both of those drafts, the Ravens traded from No. 22 to No. 25. And in both trades, the Ravens swapped a sixth-round pick for a fourth-round pick. That is your baseline. Something to keep in mind if the Chargers do trade down in the first round next Thursday.

(Photo: Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)

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