The Chargers made eight total picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, six of which came on Day 3.

A pair of those half-dozen selections caught the eye of ESPN’s Field Yates, who recent posted his two favorite picks from each round in the draft.

Yates tabbed wide receiver Brenen Thompson as one of his favorite fourth-round picks, as the Chargers drafted the Mississippi State standout at No. 105 overall.

Yates wrote:

If I could have picked an offensive coordinator for Thompson to begin his career with, Mike McDaniel would have topped the list. The fastest player at the combine (4.26 seconds), Thompson is a stick of dynamite in the passing game. Los Angeles will have to be careful as he was also the lightest at the combine (164 pounds), but he changes the dimensions of an offense by forcing safeties to play way deep in coverage.

Thompson said after the draft that he couldn't wait to get started with McDaniel.

"I'm so excited, I think it's a perfect fit," Thompson said. "I think the fan base and this team got exactly what they needed and I'm excited to get in with McDaniel and get to work."

The 22-year-old Thompson is listed at 5-foot-9 and 164 pounds.

Thompson, who earned Third-Team All-SEC honors in 2025, is joining the Chargers after a monster final season with the Bulldogs where he led the SEC with 1,054 receiving yards. He also had five catches of 50-plus yards last season.

The other Chargers Day 3 draft pick that drew Yates' attention was defensive tackle Nick Barrett, the 145^th overall selection in Round 5.

Yates wrote:

When sizing up Day 3 picks, I like to look at prospects who can fill specific roles. Barrett won't register much in the sack department (just 2.0 in four seasons), but he's like a house to move for run blockers. He's massive, plays with a strong base and eats up blockers in a way that frees up linebackers to roam and hit. A tough L.A. defensive front should get tougher with Barrett.

Barrett touted his play in the trenches after getting picked by the Bolts.

"I'm more of a run stopper, push the pocket," Barrett said. "I do good with anchoring and taking on double teams and creating knockbacks. I'm very strong at the point of attack."

Barrett was a five-year player for South Carolina and is coming off a productive season in 2025 where he started 12 games and notched 2.0 sacks, 6.0 tackles for loss and 42 total tackles.

Jake Slaughter, the Bolts second-round pick, also got some love in post-draft analysis from ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr.

Kiper tabbed the Florida offensive lineman among the top overall selections in Round 2. The Chargers traded down with the Patriots in the second round before taking Slaughter at No. 63 overall.

Kiper wrote:

The Chargers didn't find their interior lineman in Round 1, but they got a powerful center on Day 2. Slaughter was on my "favorite players in the class" list at the position. He has started 33 games in the tough SEC, and he allowed just six pressures over that time. He is a big, strong pivot at 6-5, 303 pounds, and he drives defenders out of the way. But it's not all power -- he's light on his feet and reads out the play fast, showing awareness on stunts.

Justin Herbert took 54 sacks last season, third most in the NFL. Some of that falls on tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt being out with significant injuries, but the interior was rough. Slaughter is exactly what Herbert needs, even with the Tyler Biadasz signing.

Slaughter earned Second-Team All-American honors in 2025 after allowing just four total pressures at center and posting the second-best Pro Football Focus run blocking grade (80.2) among FBS centers with at least 500 snaps.

However, Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz said Friday that the Bolts envision Slaughter playing guard in the NFL.

"Do we feel like he can play guard in this scheme? The answer to that question is, 'Absolutely,'" Hortiz said.

Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh added: "Jake's been our top center through the entire process there. With the ability to play guard. At least he'll get a real good, fighting chance to compete for the starting position."