Chargers' 2025 Free Agents, Targets and Draft Needs After NFL Playoff Loss
It would seem that the Los Angeles Chargers won the 2024 coaching lottery. While most expected Jim Harbaugh to eventually turn L.A. into a contender, the process unfolded quicker than most could have imagined.
A year after finishing 5-12 and "earning" the fifth pick in the NFL draft, the Chargers won 11 games and entered the playoffs as the No. 5 seed.
While Harbaugh will get most of the credit for rapidly changing the culture in L.A., general manager Joe Hortiz certainly did his part. Additions like free-agent running back J.K. Dobbins and rookies Joe Alt and Ladd McConkey complemented Harbaugh's vision perfectly.
Now that the Chargers' 2024-25 playoff run has ended, however, Harbaugh and Hortiz must find ways to make this roster even better. A 32-12 defeat to the Houston Texans, one in which Justin Herbert threw four interceptions, might raise some new questions, too.
Let's take a look ahead at Los Angeles' most pressing contract situations, biggest needs and potential offseason targets.
Free Agents
Unrestricted Free Agents
C Bradley Bozeman
WR DJ Chark
RB J.K. Dobbins
LB Troy Dye
RB Ezekiel Elliott
WR Simi Fehoko
DL Poona Ford
DE Morgan Fox
CB Kristian Fulton
QB Taylor Heinicke
TE Hayden Hurst
OL Brenden Jaimes
Edge Khalil Mack
S Marcus Maye
CB Elijah Molden
LB Nick Niemann
WR Joshua Palmer
LB Denzel Perryman
DE Chris Rumph II
CB Asante Samuel Jr.
P JK Scott
QB Easton Stick
DT Teair Tart
Restricted/Exclusive-Rights Free Agents
OT Foster Sarell
TE Stone Smartt
While the Chargers have a long list of impending free agents, many of them are depth pieces. However, starters like Poona Ford, Denzel Perryman, Bradley Bozeman and Joshua Palmer are set to hit the market and could become offseason priorities.
Los Angeles may have some tough decisions to make with players like Dobbins, Asante Samuel Jr. and Kristian Fulton.
Dobbins has bee a perfect addition to Greg Roman's offense, but he has a lengthy injury history and missed time this past season. Samuel and Fulton are solid young cornerbacks but neither played at an elite level this season.
Samuel also missed most of the season with a shoulder injury.
Horitz will need to either re-sign or restock the team's quarterback depth, as both Easton Stick and Taylor Heinicke are expected to hit the market. The hope, of course, is that Herbert will stay on the field in 2025, but a team with playoff aspirations should always have a backup plan.
The Chargers' most difficult decision may involved pass-rusher Khalil Mack. He remains a quality contributor—one who recorded six sacks and 21 quarterback pressures in 2024—but he'll also turn 34 in February.
Even at 34, Mack should command a substantial contract in free agency, and L.A. may look to go younger and cheaper on the edge. The Chargers are projected to have $76 million in available cap space, but they're also looking to build a long-term contender.
Potential Free-Agent/Trade Targets
The Chargers have put themselves in a good spot, financially, heading into the offseason. They should have the flexibility to chase a big name or two in free agency, and a few names stand out as obvious candidates.
While McConkey and Quentin Johnson are a promising receiver duo—and retaining Palmer may be in Hortiz's plans—L.A. could use more at the receiver position. It would make sense to target a wide receiver like Tee Higgins or Chris Godwin when the market opens in March.
Bringing back wide receiver Keenan Allen, who was traded to the Chicago Bears last offseason, could also make sense. So could trading for a receiver, if a player like Christian Kirk or Deebo Samuel becomes available at the onset of free agency.
With Fulton and Samuel both slated to hit free agency, the Chargers may target a corner like Charvarius Ward or D.J. Reed as well.
Given Harbaugh's desire to build from the interior, however, the Chargers may look to strengthen their offensive line first. Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith could be the ideal target.
"Trey Pipkins III and Jamaree Salyer are decent options, but Joe Hortiz isn't likely to just be OK with average or below-average options," Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine wrote. "If Kansas City struggles to give Trey Smith a top-of-the-market contract, then the Chargers should be willing to steal him from their division rival."
The Chargers will likely look to add depth to the defensive front as well, either by targeting free agents like Sebastian Joseph-Day and B.J. Hill or by considering potential trade targets like Shelby Harris. A young edge-rusher like Azeez Ojulari could also be on L.A.'s radar.
Draft Targets
If the Chargers don't target a high-end receiver in the early offseason, they may look to take one early in the draft. While Johnston, a 2023 first-round pick, has flashed potential, he has yet to develop into a fully dependable target.
"Johnston continues to drop the football, limiting his developmental arc," Dame Parson of the Bleacher Report Scouting Department said. "Beyond McConkey, there's not much there."
The B/R Scouting Department paired L.A. with Mississippi receiver Tre Harris in its post-regular season mock draft. Other receiver prospects the Chargers could consider early include Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka and Luther Burden III.
A tight end like Penn State's Tyler Warren or Michigan's Colston Loveland could also make sense in Round 1—and it will surprise no one if Harbaugh favors former Wolverines. Will Dissly and Stone Smartt have provided solid tight end production, but having an elite pass-catcher at the position would help balance Roman's offense.
If the Chargers don't target a pass-catcher on Day 1, prospects like Tennessee pass-rusher James Pearce Jr., Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison, Georgia edge-defender Mykel Williams, Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Booker and Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon should all be on the team's radar.
The Chargers currently have seven picks in the first six rounds and may look to package a few later selections to help target specific players on Day 2. Ohio State defensive lineman Tyleik Williams, Georgia offensive lineman Tate Ratledge, LSU cornerback Zy Alexander, Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins, Miami receiver Xavier Restrepo and Boston College edge-rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku are among the players who should garner consideration in Rounds 2 and 3.
Expect Horitz to utilize a pseudo-best-player-available approach in the draft, valuing upside and team fit more than position-specific needs. Los Angeles' rebuild has come together quickly, but the Chargers aren't yet in a position to reach for one or two missing pieces.
*Cap, contract and free-agent status information via Spotrac. Draft information via Tankathon