There has been a clear ceiling established over the past two seasons with Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers. In the 2024 and 2025 campaigns, the Chargers have gone 11-6 in the regular season and have gotten embarrassed in the first round of the NFL playoffs.
Unless something major changes, and that hasn't happened yet, the franchise will endure the same fate in 2026. Sure, Herbert is a good quarterback, but he's not tapped into any sort of new level of performance when the playoffs roll around.
But to be fair to the quarterback, the Chargers front office hasn't exactly put this roster in a great position to sustain success late in seasons. The 2026 NFL Draft is the last chance before the season for this team to make those necessary changes. Let's get into a mock draft haul that has Super Bowl written all over it.
Los Angeles Chargers mock draft has Super Bowl written all over it
22. Vega Ioane, OG, Penn State
This would be about as good of a first-round pick as you could possibly ask for if you're Herbert. Oddly, the Chargers went into the 2026 offseason with a metric-ton of cap space and a huge need along the offensive line.
Well, they still have a ton of cap space and needs along the offensive line. The roster-building strategy from General Manager Joe Hortiz just does not make a lot of sense, but I guess the plan could always be to target someone like Vega Ioane.
Ioane could not be more of an NFL-caliber guard. He's got the ideal size, is tough as nails, and plays with a mean streak. He's a plug-and-play starter along the offensive line and would definitively solve one of the interior spots. If both Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater can come back healthy, and both Ioane and new center Tyler Biadasz work out, this offensive line could end up being quite good.
55. Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech
Despite signing Dalvin Tomlinson, who is an aging veteran, the Chargers should still add another defensive tackle, especially if Lee Hunter drops. Hunter is a true nose tackle, and players of his size are going to come in and be space-eaters immediately. It'd be hard for Hunter to not excel in stopping the run, and with a later pick we have coming, the run game is a clear focus.
86. Justin Joly, TE, NC State
The Chargers signed blocking tight end Charlie Kolar in free agency and do have Oronde Gadsden as well. Adding another young prospect could thrust this room to the next level. Like many tight end prospects come into the NFL, Justin Joly is a solid receiver and does have some decent blocking traits that need to be developed.
Joly being the hypothetical TE3 in this room would do wonders for his long-term development.
123. Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington
There would be absolutely no hesitation by the Chargers to add someone like Jonah Coleman into the backfield. Coleman is built like a bowling ball, standing at 5-8 and weighing 220 pounds. He's also already strong in pass protection and is obviously a tough runner who isn't going to outrun a lot of people.
Adding Coleman into a backfield that already features Omarion Hampton, another massive running back, coupled with the Ioane pick, could give the Chargers a legitimate plan on the ground in 2026 and would be able to take a ton of pressure off Herbert.
204. Tyreak Sapp, EDGE, Florida
The Chargers finish up this mock draft with some more defensive line help, snagging Tyreak Sapp from Florida. The trenches have to be a point of emphasis for Hortiz, especially when it comes to protecting Herbert and taking pressure off him, especially late in the season.