Bolts From The Blue
It’s likely time to get comfortable with seeing the Chargers paired with a standout defensive tackle in 2026 mock drafts. That position, along with the interior offensive line, will more than likely be the two most-mocked positions to the Bolts in the first round.
The Chargers are very soft in those areas and that issues has essentially shown its head each and every week, regardless of in a win or loss. Both lines need to be addressed this offseason and the team cannot rely on a standout player being available in free agency, especially when they need an impact to be made as soon as possible.
So with that in mind, ESPN’s Matt Miller has the Chargers using their first round pick in his new mock draft on Oregon defensive tackle A’Mauri Washington, pairing him once again with his old college teammate Jamaree Caldwell.
“The Chargers need to address the interior of both lines this offseason — be that at guard, center or defensive tackle. With the top interior O-lineman off the board, the Chargers could look for a difference-maker on Jesse Minter’s defensive line. Washington, who moves very well at 330 pounds, would form a wall alongside 2025 third-rounder Jamaree Caldwell. Both players could bottle up the run game and still crash the pocket in Minter’s system. Washington was identified by scouts as a potential riser in the preseason, and he has lived up to those expectations. Beefing up the defensive line with a top-20 player is also a classic Jim Harbaugh move.”
Prior to the season, Washington was named the fourth-ranked player on Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List,” which is a compilation of the 50 most-freakish athletes in college football. Per Feldman, Washington squats 775 pounds and has a bench press of 475 pounds. Those really are some freakish numbers and it shows all over his tape.
As a sophomore last year, Washington recorded just 10 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss and two pass deflections at the line. This year, with two games to go in the regular season, he has 23 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, and five pass deflections. Of course these aren’t the most gaudy numbers, but they’re perfectly fine for a true nose tackle whose first job is to plug up the middle and eat double-teams.
So with that said, would you be happy with this first-round pick for the Chargers? Yay or nay? Let us know below!
