The 2026 NFL draft is months away, but it’s never too early to talk about the future of the Chargers and what they could do to build their roster.
In his first mock draft, ESPN’s Matt Miller sent Oregon defensive tackle A’Mauri Washington to Los Angeles with the No. 22 overall pick.
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The Bolts’ top priority in the offseason will be shoring up the interior part of the offensive line. But as Miller states, the top interior offensive lineman, Penn State’s Olaivavega Ioane, goes six spots earlier to the Texans. So with him off the board, he shifts to the other side of the trenches and takes Washington.
The Chargers’ defense has been solid this season, but the one area where they’ve been uneven is against the run. Washington would play alongside his former college teammate and 2025 third-rounder, Jamaree Caldwell, to boost that department with their hulking presences over 330 pounds.
Furthermore, Teair Tart, Da’Shawn Hand, Naquan Jones, and Otito Ogbonnia are set to be free agents after this season, so the defensive line will be a position of need come next spring.
This season, Washington has 23 tackles, five passes defended, three tackles for loss and a sack.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Chargers go defensive tackle in ESPN’s latest mock draft