MidValleySports.Com

By Tim Peterson

D.K. Metcalf would look good in a Chargers uniform. At least Chargers fans think so and it appears the Chargers front office thinks so as well. The Chargers can use an upgrade at wide receiver and Metcalf would be just that.

The Chargers have Ladd McConkey, who led the team in receiving last year, but at times that was all they had. The loss of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams after the 2023 season took more of a toll on the team than had been expected.

What would it take to pry Metcalf away from the Seattle Seahawks? Metcalf, 27, is coming off of a 1,000 yard season so the price could be steep. He’s signed through the ’25 campaign so the Chargers would need to trade for him and then sign him to an extension. Metcalf is familiar with Chargers receivers coach Sanjay Lal who was with the Seahawks as passing game coordinator and receivers coach in 2022 and ’23.

Chargers GM Joe Hortiz may not want to give up high draft capital so that would mean dealing a front-line player. But if it works McConkey and Metcalf would be two very nice targets for Justin Herbert.

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One player that Hortiz did hit on last season was defensive linemen Poona Ford. Ford, who was signed on the cheap after spending 2023 with Buffalo buried on the depth chart, had the best season of his career as a force on the interior run defense and as a pass rusher with three sacks and 25 total pressures. Ford was initially signed by Hortiz as a band-aid on the defensive line but he proved to be so much more.

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When it’s the Chargers turn to draft in the first round at number 22 keep an eye on Michigan tight end Colston Loveland. Coach Jim Harbaugh, obviously a Michigan man himself, loves Loveland as he’s familiar with what he can do. He was the Wolverines top receiving weapon last year despite Michigan’s subpar quarterback play. The Chargers could use help at tight end and Loveland looks like the right fit.

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The Chargers open the 2025 season at home against the Raiders and close the season in Las Vegas. Of the 17 regular season games the Chargers will have eight of them at SoFi Stadium. The Chiefs are in town Sunday September 29 with a bye the following week.

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The Chargers will likely have three extra picks in the 2025 draft due to compensatory picks. These are awarded to teams who lose significant players to free agency and are awarded to those teams the next year.

The Chargers are projected to receive a fifth-round pick for linebacker Kenneth Murray who went to the Titans, a sixth-rounder for tight end Gerald Everett (Bears), and a seventh-round selection for cornerback Michael Davis (Commanders).

The NFL will announce the finalized compensatory picks closer to the draft.

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Outside linebacker Khalil Mack has decided he will return to play in the 2025 season according to reports. Mack, a nine-time Pro Bowl selection, said that his future was uncertain after the playoff loss to the Houston Texans, but has now decided to come back. Mack, 33, who is set to become a free agent for the first time in his 11 seasons in the NFL, indicated that his best chance to win next season would be to re-sign with the Chargers.

Mack said he considered his teammates, coaching staff and what’s best for his family in making his decision according to reports.