The Chargers are 0-6, and with the season already drifting out of reach, the real intrigue for Los Angeles is no longer about salvaging this year. It’s about what comes next - and whether the path to helping Justin Herbert finally leads through the 2027 NFL Draft.
That’s where Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith enters the picture. If the Chargers are going to give Herbert the kind of support he has lacked for years, Smith could be the swing-for-the-fences answer. He’s the type of prospect who can reshape an offense, the kind of name that belongs in the same breath as Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson, and Ja'Marr Chase.
For Herbert, the issue has been familiar and frustrating: too often, he has been asked to make up for shortcomings elsewhere on the roster, especially at receiver. Los Angeles has struggled to consistently surround him with elite pass-catching talent, leaving his arm talent and playmaking ability without the kind of help that turns a good offense into a great one.
Smith looks capable of changing that. Since arriving in Columbus, he has torn through college football and built the kind of résumé that puts him among the best wide receiver prospects of his generation.
His size, physical tools, and production against top-level competition make him look like more than just a future No. 1 receiver. The ceiling is much higher than that.
If the Chargers could pair him with Herbert, they would have a chance to build the passing game around a receiver who can win his matchup, create explosive plays, and ease the burden on his quarterback. That kind of partnership is exactly why his name matters so much to a franchise searching for a real long-term answer.
The draft path is there, at least in theory. Los Angeles is already in the No. 1 overall pick conversation at 0-6, and the Miami Dolphins are right there too at 0-5. Those two teams are on an early collision course, and their Week 16 meeting could end up carrying massive draft implications if both remain near the bottom of the standings.
That game could shape who gets the better shot at Smith. He could go in the first two picks, but depending on how the board falls, he might still be available at No.
- If the Chargers win just enough late in the year to finish with three or more victories, that could shut the door on their chances.
Nobody is going to say out loud that losing is the goal, and no coach or player is wired to go through a season that way. But the front office has to understand what’s on the line if the team finishes outside the range needed to land Smith. A couple of meaningless wins in a lost season could end up costing them a player who might alter the franchise’s direction.
Herbert is still the centerpiece. That part doesn’t change. What has to change is the organization’s ability to put him in position to succeed, and Smith represents the kind of talent that could finally fill the gap.
The Chargers can’t control everything, but they can absolutely understand the value of their draft spot and what happens if they protect a few late wins at the expense of a much bigger prize. If they miss Smith by climbing just far enough to fall out of range, it would be another painful chapter for a team that has already given its fans too many of those.
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Chargers Have Reached The Breaking Point With Justin Herbert
The Chargers season has turned into an early crisis, with an 0-6 start exposing just how far the offense has to go under offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. Scoring has been hard to come by, and the lack of touchdown production has left head coach Jim Harbaugh staring at a problem that cant wait much longer if the team wants to salvage anything from this year.
Justin Herbert still sits at the center of everything the Chargers hope to build, but his recent decision-making has only added to the pressure around the offense. With the play-calling under scrutiny and the unit still searching for rhythm, Harbaugh has to decide whether the answer is more patience or a change that could alter the direction of the season. [Read more 🡒]