The Chargers’ 0-6 start has pushed the conversation far beyond this season, and all the way toward a 2027 NFL Draft scenario that would be hard to ignore. If Los Angeles keeps spiraling, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith could suddenly be sitting right at the center of a franchise-defining decision.
The reason is simple: the Chargers have been missing the kind of explosive pass-game threat that can change an offense in one snap. They do not have a wide receiver in the NFL’s top 50 in receiving yards per game, and they sit 29th in yards after the catch. Those numbers tell the story of an offense that needs more juice, more creation, and more players who can turn routine plays into big gains.
Smith has been delivering exactly that at Ohio State. He has already piled up 984 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns, and he is close to putting his name in the Big Ten record book as the all-time leader in receiving yards and touchdowns. At 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, he brings the kind of size, speed, strength and contested-catch ability NFL teams spend years chasing.
For the Chargers, that kind of talent would fit neatly with Justin Herbert. Herbert has shown he can make tough throws, but even a quarterback with his arm talent needs a receiver who can stretch the field and win in space. Smith would give Los Angeles the kind of downfield weapon it currently does not have.
There is one catch: taking a wide receiver with the No. 1 pick would be major history. The last player at the position to go first overall was Keyshawn Johnson, when the New York Jets took him in 1996. If Smith were to go that high, he would become the next receiver to do it 31 years later.
The Chargers still have other holes to address, but if they end up with the NFL’s worst record, the idea of passing on a generational receiver prospect would be a risky one. Smith is the sort of player who could warrant serious No. 1 overall consideration because he offers something the Chargers badly need: a true difference-maker.
In Other News...
Justin Herbert Is Suddenly At Center Of A Chargers Debate
Justin Herbert has become a talking point well beyond Los Angeles, and not because the Chargers have offered any clarity about their plans. The uncertainty around his future has opened the door to outside speculation, with Minnesota already reshaping its quarterback room this offseason after acquiring Kyler Murray and moving on from Sam Darnold. For a Chargers team trying to define its own direction, that kind of noise is hard to ignore.
Herberts production over his first six seasons is exactly why the conversation has taken off. He has been one of the leagues most accomplished passers in that span, which is why any hint of availability would ripple quickly around the NFL. The problem for everyone trying to connect the dots is simple enough: the Chargers have not said what comes next, and until they do, the league will keep guessing. [Read more 🡒]
Jim Harbaugh Just Got Public Backing As Chargers Pressure Mounts
The Chargers winless start has put Jim Harbaugh squarely in the spotlight, but one of his longtime supporters is still sounding calm about the bigger picture. Los Angeles is 0-6 and one of just two NFL teams without a victory, yet Biff Poggi offered public backing for Harbaugh while acknowledging the rough hand the coach has been dealt, from injuries to a schedule that has not offered much breathing room.
The real test comes after the Week 7 bye, when the Chargers are staring at a brutal stretch that could deepen the hole before it has a chance to heal. With the Rams, Texans and Ravens waiting next, the season already feels like it is arriving at a pressure point, and the confidence around Harbaugh will be measured against what happens when the games resume. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Trade Deadline Could Force Joe Hortiz To Admit The Obvious
The Chargers hit their Week 7 bye with a familiar kind of unease, still searching for their first win and staring down a Nov. 10 trade deadline that could force the front office into an uncomfortable reset. Joe Hortiz has plenty to weigh, and the discussion around this roster has already shifted from whether the team can salvage the season to whether it should start thinking about the next one.
Among the names being floated are veterans and ascending pieces who would draw interest if Los Angeles decided to sell, with the conversation centered on how far the team is willing to go in retooling around the future. The biggest question now is whether the Chargers choose to treat the deadline as a chance to keep pushing for stability or finally acknowledge that some of their most useful players may be more valuable in a different timeline. [Read more 🡒]