When defensive linemen Poona Ford signed a three-year contract with the Rams and Morgan Fox agreed to a two-season deal with the Atlanta Falcons last month, it created the kind of glaring void Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz couldn’t address through free agency.
Hortiz re-signed Teair Tart and added former Arizona Cardinals nose tackle Naquan Jones and ex-Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand in an attempt to make up for the losses of Ford and Fox. But now Hortiz must fill a position of need when he makes the 22nd pick in the NFL draft Thursday.
If history is any indication, then it’s clear that Hortiz’s draft strategy when it comes to defensive players is to take the best player available, something he learned during a career with the Baltimore Ravens that spanned more than two decades. He learned well from Ravens executives Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta.
With that in mind and with a need for help on the defensive line, the Southern California News Group recommends that Hortiz select Kenneth Grant, a defensive tackle from the University of Michigan listed at 6-foot-4 and 331 pounds, if Hortiz decides to select a defensive player 22nd overall.
Jim Harbaugh coached Grant while both were at Michigan and a reunion could be just what the Chargers need to continue their standout defensive play. After all, the Chargers gave up a league-low 17.7 points during the 2024 season, the first time in their NFL history they were No. 1-ranked defensively.
(The Chargers led the AFL in fewest points given up in 1961 and ‘63.)
Grant could be the sort of disruptive force the Chargers covet in the absence of Ford and Fox, who helped the team cut down on the kind of explosive runs that so defined Brandon Staley’s short-lived tenure as coach. The Chargers gave up a league-low seven rushing touchdowns in 2024.
The Chargers did give up 4.7 yards per rushing attempt, which was slightly above the NFL average of 4.4 yards per carry. Additionally, they gave up an average of 117.5 yards per game on the ground, slightly below the league average of 119.8 yards per game.
As for his 2025 role, Grant could learn as he goes, working as a backup to Hand, Tart and Otito Ogbonnia as training camp opens in late July and then challenging for a starting position when the season begins in September. He also would benefit from a reunion with defensive line coach Mike Elston.
Grant, Elston and Harbaugh were at Michigan for the 2022 and ‘23 seasons. Elston departed Ann Arbor after Harbaugh took the job with the Chargers for the ‘24 season. So, there is a familiarity that could prove beneficial if Hortiz decides to go with a defensive player in the first round.
Hortiz has options, as he stressed last week during a question-and-answer session with Chargers beat reporters. Despite the Chargers’ apparent need for depth on their defensive line, they also could plan for a future without future Hall of Fame outside linebacker Khalil Mack, 34, who is back for his 12th NFL season.
Mack signed a one-year contract worth a guaranteed $18 million in order to stay with the Chargers after mulling retirement after the season ended with a lopsided loss to the Houston Texans in an AFC wild-card playoff game Jan. 11. After recording a career-best 17 sacks in 2023, he had only six in ‘24.
Rising standout Tuli Tuipulotu appears set to become a full-time starter after the Chargers released Joey Bosa, who signed a one-season contract with the Buffalo Bills. The Chargers also have Bud Dupree, Tre’Mon Morris, Caleb Murphy and Chris Collins in backup roles, if needed.
Other positions, especially cornerback and safety, would appear to be set. But, as Hortiz said last week, you never know when a position of need might present itself because of injuries or lackluster play. Who could have predicted Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still would become starting cornerbacks before the 2024 draft?
All things considered, Hortiz would be wise to pick Grant with the first of the Chargers’ 10 picks if he decides to select a defensive player 22nd overall Thursday. Mack’s return coupled with Hortiz’s success during free agency mean the Chargers’ defense is mostly intact for the 2025 season.
What they need now is to add Grant.
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