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The Pittsburgh Steelers have so many draft picks -- a dozen – they might lose track of a couple during the NFL draft starting Thursday, April 23. The Los Angeles Chargers, by contrast, won't have that problem.
The Chargers are entering the 2026 NFL draft with five draft picks. Only the Seattle Seahawks have fewer, with four.
Barring any wild developments, the Chargers will be in no rush in the first round with the No. 22 overall pick for the second year in a row.
They'll have ammunition on Day 2 with a second-round pick (No. 55) and a third-round pick (No. 86). They can continue strengthen their roster on Day 3 with a fourth-round pick (No. 123) and a sixth-round pick (No. 204).
The Chargers sent their fifth-round pick to the Ravens last year in a deal brought them outside linebacker Odafe Oweh. They sent their seventh-round pick to the Tennessee Titans in 2024 for safety Elijah Molden.
Chargers' full list of picks, in order
Round 1: No. 22
Round 2: No. 55
Round 3: No. 86
Round 4: No. 123
Round 6: No. 204
Picks by day
- Day 1 (Thursday night): No. 22 overall
- Day 2 (Friday night): No. 55 overall, No. 86 overall
- Day 3 (Saturday): No. 123 overall and No. 204 overall
The 2026 NFL draft, starting from the Most Relevant (likely Fernando Mendoza) to Mr. Irrelevant (your guess is as good as ours) will feature 257 total picks across seven rounds.
According to Tankathon, the Chargers rank No. 25 in draft pick capital.
The Chargers have five picks to use during the three-day, seven-round draft that will start with the Most Relevant (Likely to be quarterback Fernando Mendoza) to Mr. Irrelevant (Your guess is as good as ours.)
More relevance is needed by the Chargers after they finished 11-6 in each of Jim Harbaugh’s two seasons as head coach but both years lost wild card playoff games.
The Packers are one of six NFL teams entering the draft without a first-round pick, joining the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars and Denver Broncos. Only the Jaguars (No. 56) and Broncos (No. 62) will wait longer to get on the clock in the 2025 draft.
Last year the Chargers had nine picks, but don’t forget this: Antonio Gates, the retired Chargers tight end, was an undrafted free agent and last year was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chargers draft picks, selections, rounds
