DantheScout'S MOCK DRAFT
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DantheScout'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JUL 22, 2025

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Mock drafts from DantheScout

2026 Mock NFL Draft

  • DantheScout DRAFTING FOR THE
    Chargers
Draft Selections
Caleb Banks Head Shot
PICK: 23 RND: 1 (LAC)
Caleb Banks
DE-EDGE Florida
Carnell Tate Head Shot
PICK: 55 RND: 2 (LAC)
Carnell Tate
WR Ohio State
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 87 RND: 3 (LAC)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
Braylan Shelby Head Shot
PICK: 123 RND: 4 (LAC)
Braylan Shelby
DE-EDGE USC
James Smith Head Shot
PICK: 162 RND: 5 (LAC)
James Smith
DL Alabama
Robert Spears-Jennings Head Shot
PICK: 201 RND: 6 (LAC)
Robert Spears-Jennings
S Oklahoma
Avery Johnson Head Shot
PICK: 236 RND: 7 (LAC)
Avery Johnson
QB Kansas State
Riley Mahlman Head Shot
PICK: 256 RND: 7 (LAC)
Riley Mahlman
OT Wisconsin
Draft Grade — Chargers
Overall B-
ValueC+ NeedB+ TradesB- FutureB-
A sensible, unshowy class lands the Chargers a B-.

There is conviction, and then there is this. The Chargers took Braylan Shelby a full 44 picks ahead of where the board had him, an overdraft steep enough that it colors the whole weekend. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B-.

That Mahlman pick is the receipt they will wave around later. That cornerback hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. Edge rusher was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job.

The trenches got the money picks, top to bottom.

In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.

Pick Analysis
Pick23 Rnd1 Caleb Banks
In pick No. 23 they get a quarterback's worst nightmare, though the board says they badly overpaid. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Pick55 Rnd2 Carnell Tate
Carnell Tate in No. 55 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick87 Rnd3 Sonny Styles
Nothing to complain about; Sonny Styles went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Pick123 Rnd4 Braylan Shelby
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Braylan Shelby. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick162 Rnd5 James Smith
James Smith at the 162nd overall pick is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick201 Rnd6 Robert Spears-Jennings
Robert Spears-Jennings in the Round 6 slot is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Pick236 Rnd7 Avery Johnson
A top-tier quarterback at a bargain, Avery Johnson in Round 7, Pick 20, plain and simple. The roster fit checks out.
Pick256 Rnd7 Riley Mahlman
They will replay Riley Mahlman at slot 256 for years; that is how good the value is. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.