Happy Valentine’s Day!
While you may be scouting chocolate and flowers, the Chargers remain hard at work scouting players for April’s NFL draft.
Here are six of my draft crushes for Los Angeles in honor of Valentine’s Day.
Toledo S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
Toledo has a budding tradition of producing NFL DBs, and McNeil-Warren is the next in line. His tape looks as close to Derwin James Jr. as arguably any player's has since James came into the league - McNeil-Warren loves to lower the shoulder and flatten a receiver and is a matchup nightmare against tight ends. With the most forced fumbles (11) in the FBS since 2022 and the instincts to make up for slightly below average athletic range, the Rocket alum will likely come off the board between the Chargers' first- and second-round picks.
Texas A&M G Chase Bisontis
Texas A&M tried hard to retain Bisontis, who wound up declaring as a junior and has since steadily gained steam as one of the top lineman talents in the 2026 NFL Draft. Arguably one of the best pass-protecting players in the class, Bisontis has the ideal size and length to play guard at the next level and uses his frame well to set an anchor even from disadvantageous positions. A much better zone run blocker than gap blocker, Bisontis should be back on the Chargers' radar following their hire of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
Georgia State WR Ted Hurst
At 6'3", 207 lbs, Hurst is built more like a prototypical X receiver, so he may not be a Chargers-specific target after they drafted Tre' Harris in the second round last year. But with the most receptions of 20 or more air yards (27) in the last two seasons in the FBS and an exceedingly polished resume as a route runner, the Valdosta State transfer looks like he could be one of the steals of the draft if the Combine doesn't vault his stock into solid Day 2 range, which is where he belongs.
Utah TE Dallen Bentley
A relative unknown before the season, Bentley stepped into a starting role for Utah this season and instantly flashed some high-level feel for zone coverage despite playing virtually no high school football and initially walking on at a junior college in Utah. His nuance as a route runner and ability after the catch will be what grabs the headlines - Bentley is expected to test very well at the Combine - but his run blocking tape has glimpses of a complete player at the position.
Auburn C Connor Lew
Lew has been a favorite of mine for the Chargers' pick since August, after the Auburn junior put the clamps on Baylor after a stellar sophomore season. He took a downturn over the next few weeks before tearing his ACL and missing Dane Brugler's top 100 released earlier this week, however, so there may be some value to be had there. Medical testing in Indianapolis will probably be key for Lew to monitor his recovery, but he's a sharp processor at the pivot and has showed the athleticism to make wide zone blocks before.
Iowa WR Kaden Wetjen
Wetjen has barely played on offense throughout his college career, which began in junior college at Iowa. But he's the first two-time winner of the Jet Award as the nation's best return specialist and took four kicks or punts back for scores for the Hawkeyes this season. That was enough to earn him an invite to the East-West Shrine Bowl, where Wetjen looked like a more effective and detailed route runner than he was given the opportunity to be at Iowa. With Derius Davis' long-term security on the roster in question and McDaniel's propensity to get returner types action as gadget players on offense, Wetjen's fit makes a lot of sense for the Chargers.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Katson's Guys: 2026 NFL draft 'crushes' the Chargers might love