Where did the Los Angeles Chargers pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and what kind of draft capital did they have? After checking out who the Chargers selected, make sure to head over to PFN’s 2024 NFL Mock Draft Simulator to play out different scenarios for next cycle.
Want to see how the Chargers graded out during the 2023 NFL Draft? Then check out our full Los Angeles Chargers draft grades. You can also see the entire 2023 NFL Draft results.
Los Angeles Chargers Draft Picks by Round in 2023
- Round 1, Pick 21
Quentin Johnston, WR | TCU - Round 2, Pick 54
Tuli Tuipulotu, EDGE | USC - Round 3, Pick 85
Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State - Round 4, Pick 125
Derius Davis, WR, TCU - Round 5, Pick 156
Jordan McFadden, OT, Clemson - Round 6, Pick 200
Scott Matlock, DT, Boise State - Round 7, Pick 239
Max Duggan, QB, TCU
How Many Draft Picks Did the Chargers Have Entering the 2023 NFL Draft?
It’s incredible that a team that’s shuffled between Los Angeles and San Diego while donning some of the most incredible uniforms in professional sports history could be so boring. The Chargers possessed all seven of their original draft picks and absolutely zero compensatory selections.
Chargers GM Tom Telesco and Bears GM Ryan Poles must be pretty chummy. The Chargers originally traded their sixth-round pick as part of the Khalil Mack trade. However, Pace wanted to collect seventh-round picks like they were Dragon Balls, so he took two of them from Los Angeles in exchange for the Chargers’ original sixth-round selection.
Although they haven’t stacked picks like a mother does lunch meat on post-game sandwiches, the Chargers have drafted quite well as of late. Joey Bosa, Mike Williams, and Derwin James are all bona fide studs selected by the Chargers in the first round since 2016.
Jerry Tillery was a stone-cold miss, but nobody is batting 1.000 in the world of talent acquisition.
Kenneth Murray has been a surprising disappointment on the second level, but both Rashawn Slater and Justin Herbert are well on their way toward superstardom. Zion Johnson had his ups and downs as a rookie, but there is plenty of time left there before we know how they did with that selection.
Los Angeles has extended their draft successes outside of the first round as well. Desmond King, Rayshawn Jenkins, Kyzir White, Justin Jones, Uchenna Nwosu, Drue Tranquill, Nasir Adderley, Alohi Gilman, Joshua Palmer, and Asante Samuel have all contributed positively either with the Chargers or along other routes of their NFL journeys.
Who Did the Chargers Draft in 2023?
Johnston may not have the immediate production we’ve come to expect from a first-round wide receiver, but that doesn’t mean the pick would be a failure. Johnston has the kind of speed the Chargers’ offense has so desperately needed over the past few seasons. That speed will attract attention from safeties, opening the middle of the field for Keenan Allen.
But the defensive side of the ball is a more significant issue for Los Angeles. Adding speed-to-power phenom Tuli Tuipulotu helps a defensive front with very little depth behind their two starters. The Daiyan Henley addition is another dart throw at an athletic linebacker.
Max Duggan headlined the Day 3 crop of picks, but WR Derius Davis is the young man making an immediate impact on the Chargers roster. He’s one of the fastest players in the NFL, and his return skill set will keep him on the active roster and on the field for the foreseeable future.
The only offensive lineman they drafted was Clemson’s Jordan McFadden, who played on the right and left side for the Tigers.
In Round 6, the Chargers picked up Boise State defensive lineman Scott Matlock — an alignment-versatile, high-motor defender who upgrades the quality of the team’s rotation.
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