Joe Hortiz has all but crushed his first two drafts as Chargers General Manager, bringing in stars such as Joe Alt, Ladd McConkey, Omarion Hampton and a plethora of others thus far.
Hortiz has also used the draft to build out plenty of depth on the Bolts roster as he's made nine selections apiece in 2024 and 2025.
With the 2026 NFL Draft only three weeks away, the Chargers have only five picks on the docket.
But that didn't stop Eric Edholm of NFL.com from recently crafting a trade that saw the Bolts wheel and deal in the upcoming draft.
Edholm suggested a trade between the Chargers and Jets that would move the Bolts out of the first round but give them multiple second-round selections.
Edholm's projected trade had the Bolts trading three 2026 selections (Nos. 22, 55 and 123 overall) to New York along with a 2027 third-round pick.
The Chargers, meanwhile, received Nos. 33, 44 and 103 in the 2026 draft plus a second-round pick in 2027.
Edholm explained his thinking behind the trade:
The Chargers could find similar players at 33 as they would at 22. There is additional value in having a chance to restack the board, let trade offers roll in and collect an extra night's sleep before Round 2 begins. The Bolts have just five picks currently, and their biggest needs (on both sides of the line, plus at pass rusher, receiver and DB) just happen to match this draft's relative strengths.
In this scenario, the Chargers would have a pair of 2026 second-round picks and also jump 20 spots in the fourth round.
For what it's worth, the Fitzgerald-Spielberger NFL draft trade value chart on Over The Cap has the trade as a clear win for the Chargers.
According to that chart, the Bolts netted 4,189 points in the trade and sent 3,707 points to the Jets. (Of note, current draft slots were used for the 2027 picks to make it as simple as possible.)
But the Jets side of this trade was worth it in Edholm's eyes as he had New York taking Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson at No. 22 overall.
The Chargers, meanwhile, certainly won't be taking a quarterback early in the draft, not with Justin Herbert entrenched as the franchise quarterback.
But if you're looking for late-round quarterback options, Chargers.com has started rolling out our 2026 draft position previews.
The 2026 NFL Draft will take place April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.
