The Los Angeles Chargers are coming off of a second consecutive playoff appearance, and part of that is a result of the team’s positive rookie class from the 2025 draft.
The Chargers selected North Carolina
running back Omarion Hampton, Ole Miss wide receiver Tre Harris, Oregon defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell, South Carolina outside linebacker Kyle Kennard, Auburn wide receiver Ke’Andre Lambert-Smith, Syracuse tight end Oronde Gadsden II, Pittsburgh offensive lineman Branson Taylor, Clemson defensive back R.J. Mickens and Florida cornerback Trikweze Bridges, who is the only one not currently on the roster.
NFL.com analyst Gennaro Filice conducted a report card grading all 32 rookie classes. He gave the Chargers a B for their first-year pros, which ranked No. 12 in the league.
“An ankle injury disrupted Omarion Hampton’s rookie campaign, but durability was never a concern during his wildly productive tenure at North Carolina, so I’m not going to start worrying about that now. A beastly back at 220 pounds, Hampton runs with the kind of aggression that makes defenders ponder business decisions. Among all NFL RBs who finished the regular season with at least 100 carries, Hampton posted the fourth-highest missed tackle rate (29.8%, per NGS),” Filice wrote.
“This is a bell cow who was born for Jim Harbaugh’s pasture — a violent runner who can take some of the immense offensive burden off Justin Herbert’s shoulders. The Chargers also unearthed a mismatch weapon for the franchise quarterback midway through Day 3 of the draft, as Oronde Gadsden II flashed the ability to take over games as a fifth-round rookie. With Jamaree Caldwell and R.J. Mickens immediately contributing to Los Angeles’ defense, Joe Hortiz compiled his second deep draft haul in as many seasons as Bolts GM.”
The only teams that ranked higher than the Chargers in this report card were the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears.
Teams that draft well tend to stay at the top of the hierarchy in the NFL, so the Chargers need to continue this streak of strong draft classes. The more picks Hortiz and the front office hit on, the more likely they are to maintain a competitive roster for Super Bowl contention.
When the Chargers and the rest of the NFL go to the Combine later this month, they will get a better idea of who is in the rookie class and which players could make sense for building towards the future.
