While Giants Play Games at No. 5, Chargers Must Stop Waiting and Start Acting in This Draft Class

Let me be crystal clear about what's happening in the lead up to the 2024 NFL Draft. The New York Giants are sitting at the fifth overall pick and apparently enjoying the phone calls coming from desperate teams willing to trade up. Joe Schoen, the Giants general manager, is making the rounds telling everyone that yes, teams have called about moving up to that selection, but no, they won't move before they're actually on the clock. It's typical front office theater, the kind of nonsense that happens every April. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, the Chargers are watching from their position and probably wondering why they're not in a position to even be part of these conversations. That's the real story here. That's what should be keeping Chargers fans up at night.

The Chargers currently sit at pick number five themselves, which means they're in the exact same window as the Giants for potentially the most important decision they'll make all offseason. But here's where everything diverges. The Chargers can't afford to play the patient waiting game that Schoen is playing. They can't sit back and hope the board falls to them the right way. They can't bank on someone else making a mistake or hope that the perfect prospect magically slides into their lap. The Chargers are in a different situation entirely, one that demands urgency and decisiveness rather than the leisurely approach the Giants can afford.

Think about the Chargers' roster construction right now. They've got Justin Herbert at quarterback, a young talent who deserves a supporting cast that can actually help him win meaningful games. That's not negotiable. That's not something you put off or hope sorts itself out. You've got an elite quarterback entering what should be his prime years, and you've got a window that opens and closes quickly in this league. The Chargers have been stuck in this purgatory of mediocrity where they have enough talent to compete but not enough to actually compete at a championship level. That ends this offseason, or it doesn't. There's no middle ground here.

The defensive side of the ball is where the Chargers desperately need impact. They need pass rush help that can actually disrupt opposing offenses. They need secondary reinforcement that doesn't look like a group of guys just trying to hold on for dear life every Sunday. The defensive line is a particular sore spot. These needs aren't subtle. These aren't luxuries you address in the third round. These are foundational gaps that require premium selections and aggressive action. When Schoen is sitting at five telling everyone he'll just wait and see, he's doing so with the luxury of knowing the Giants are built for the defensive line and secondary depth game. The Chargers don't have that luxury. Their needs are acute and specific.

Here's what really bothers me about the Chargers' approach to this draft class. There's a passivity to it that's endemic to the entire organization. They're always waiting for something better to happen. They're always hoping the market comes to them. They're always taking what falls rather than going out and getting what they need. It's the same mentality that led them to pass on opportunities in free agency. It's the same mentality that has them perpetually one tier below where they need to be. The Giants can afford to wait because they've made different bets with different pieces. The Chargers can't afford that same luxury, yet they're approaching this like they're in the same position.

The pass rush situation with the Chargers is genuinely dire. Khalil Mack is still productive, but he's aging and you can't build a defense around an aging pass rusher anymore. You need young blood. You need someone who can be a force for the next seven to ten years, not the next two or three. This is the draft class that has multiple elite edge rushers available. This is the year to strike. This is the year to be aggressive. This is the year to not play the patient waiting game. If the Chargers sit at five and wait to see who falls, they're essentially conceding that they're okay with whatever remains. That's a loser's mentality, and the Chargers have shown far too much of that lately.

The secondary additions are equally critical. The Chargers' cornerback room needs a complete overhaul conceptually. They're investing in guys who haven't proven they can be trusted at this level. The safety group needs stability and reliability. These are complementary pieces to great pass rush, and they're pieces that determine whether your defense can actually hold up under pressure in the playoffs. You can't create that group by accident. You can't hope it works out. You have to be intentional. You have to be decisive. You have to be willing to make moves that signal to the rest of the organization that you're serious about competing.

What makes the Giants' approach work for them is that they have the draft capital and the organizational consensus to be flexible. They've got multiple pathways to success. The Chargers don't have that same flexibility. They need to identify their target and go get them. If there's an edge rusher they believe in at five, they take him without hesitation. If there's a corner they think can transform the secondary, they don't wait to see what else might be available. They act. They commit. They set the tone for the rest of the organization that this is a team that knows what it wants and goes and gets it.

The contrast between Schoen's approach and what the Chargers need to do couldn't be starker. Schoen is playing chess with five draft picks worth of flexibility. The Chargers are playing checkers with one shot to get it right. These are fundamentally different positions that require fundamentally different strategies. When Schoen says he'll wait and see who's there when they're on the clock, he's speaking from a position of organizational comfort. He's got options. He's got safety nets. He's got ways to succeed even if his initial plan doesn't work out.

The Chargers don't have those same safety nets. They're in a win now window with Herbert. They're in a position where passive approaches lead to wasted seasons and further descent into irrelevance. They need to take charge of this draft. They need to be the team that's calling other teams and asking what it would take to move up, not the team waiting by the phone hoping something good happens. That's the difference between a franchise with direction and a franchise drifting. That's the difference between competing and complaining.

VERDICT: The Chargers need to stop watching what the Giants are doing at five and start plotting how to get their guy before anyone else can. Waiting for the board to fall the right way is a strategy for teams with resources. The Chargers have one resource that matters: Justin Herbert. Use that. Act on it. Get better now, not eventually. Grade: F for approach if they don't take aggressive action.