The
Los Angeles Chargers are an
American football franchise who play in the
National Football League (NFL). They began play in Los Angeles in 1960 as charter members of the
American Football League (AFL),[1] switched cities to San Diego the following season,[2] and returned to Los Angeles in 2017.[3] The AFL was formed as rivals to the established NFL, though the leagues
would later merge, with all AFL teams including the Chargers officially joining the NFL in 1970.[4]
Every year during April, each NFL franchise seeks to add new players to its roster through a collegiate
draft known as
the NFL Player Selection Meeting, which is more commonly known as the NFL draft.[5][6] The Chargers took part in the rival
AFL draft for the first seven years of their existence, meaning that they had to compete for new players' signatures with whichever club had picked them in the NFL draft.[7] Their first draft selection was
Monty Stickles, an
end from the
University of Notre Dame.[8] Unlike all future picks, he was not chosen by the Chargers themselves, but rather assigned in a territorial draft at a meeting of the
AFL's original owners.[9] Stickles never played for the Chargers as he chose to sign for the
San Francisco 49ers instead; overall, the Chargers were unable to sign their first-round selection four times during their first seven years. After that, the two leagues conducted a
common draft, ending the inter-league bidding war.[4] Over a decade later, the original
United States Football League (USFL) challenged the NFL by conducting its own collegiate drafts from
1983 to
1986.[10][11] The Chargers temporarily lost two of their first-round picks (
Gary Anderson and
Mossy Cade) to USFL clubs, though both joined the NFL in 1985 as the USFL struggled financially.[12]
In the NFL draft, teams are ranked in inverse order based on the previous season's record, with the worst record picking first, and the second worst picking second and so on.[5] Teams have the option of trading away their picks to other teams for different picks, players, or a combination thereof.[5] Thus, it is not uncommon for a team's actual draft pick to differ from their assigned draft pick, or for a team to have extra or no draft picks in any round due to these trades.[5] The Chargers have been without a first-round pick eight times in their history, including six times in seven years from 1994 to 2000. They have possessed two first-round picks on seven different occasions; once, in 1983, they had three such picks.
The Chargers have twice been in possession of the
No. 1 overall pick, though in neither case has the player selected played for them. In 2001, they traded the No. 1 pick to the
Atlanta Falcons before the draft for three draft picks and one player; the Falcons selected
Michael Vick, while the Chargers chose
LaDainian Tomlinson with the No. 5 overall pick. In 2004, the projected No. 1 pick,
Eli Manning, stated that he would not play in San Diego. The Chargers still selected him, but quickly traded the player to the
New York Giants for
Philip Rivers (who the Giants had just drafted at No. 4 overall) and three draft picks, one of which was used to select
Shawne Merriman in the first round the following season.
The team's most recent first-round pick was
Quentin Johnston, a
wide receiver from
TCU selected No. 21 overall in
2023. They have chosen 33 defensive players in the first round, and 31 offensive players;
defensive linemen have been the most common position, with 13 selected.
Ohio State,
Tennessee,
Texas and TCU are tied for the most players chosen by the Chargers from one university, with three selections each.
Original pick traded to
Philadelphia Eagles.[c] Acquired another first-round pick from the Colts in a separate trade.[d] Initially signed for
CFL's
Montreal Alouettes. Joined the Chargers in 1977.
^
abOn August 15, 1967, the Chargers traded quarterback
Steve Tensi to the Denver Broncos for first-round picks in the 1968 and 1969 drafts.
^On June 23, 1971 the Chargers traded their first-round pick in the 1972 NFL draft (No. 11 overall) to the Green Bay Packers for defensive tackle
Kevin Hardy.
^On July 31, 1972 the Chargers traded their first-round pick in the 1973 NFL draft (No. 6) to the Philadelphia Eagles for linebacker
Tim Rossovich.
^On September 5, 1973, the Chargers traded a fourth-round pick in the 1975 draft and linebacker
Bob Babich to the Cleveland Browns for a first-round pick in the 1974 draft and a second-round pick in the 1975 draft.
^On July 19, 1973, the Chargers traded running back
Duane Thomas to Washington Redskins for a first-round pick in the 1975 draft and a second-round pick in the 1976 draft.
^On August 30, 1976, the Chargers traded their first-round (No. 14) and second-round picks in the 1977 draft for the Dallas Cowboys' first-round pick in the 1977 draft (No. 24) and quarterback
Clint Longley
^On May 3, 1979, the Chargers traded their first-round (No. 20) and second-round picks in the 1979 draft to the Cleveland Browns for their first-round pick in the 1979 draft (No. 13).
^On April 26, 1979 the Chargers traded their first-round pick in the 1980 NFL draft (No. 26 overall) and a seventh-round pick in 1979 to the Green Bay Packers for cornerback
Willie Buchanon.
^
abOn September 17, 1981, the Chargers traded wide receiver
John Jefferson to the Green Bay Packers for the right to swap picks in the first round of the 1982 draft (this option was exercised, as San Diego had pick No. 22 and Green Bay had pick No. 13), a 1983 first-round pick, a 1982 second-round pick, a 1984 second-round pick and wide receiver
Aundra Thompson
^On September 29, 1981, the Chargers a 1982 first-round pick, a 1982 third-round pick and wide receiver Aundra Thompson to the New Orleans Saints for wide receiver
Wes Chandler.
^
abOn October 2, 1981, the Chargers traded defensive end
Fred Dean to the San Francisco 49ers for the right to swap picks in the first round of the 1983 draft (this option was exercised, as San Diego had pick No. 22 and San Francisco had pick No. 5), and a second-round pick in the 1983 draft.
^On April 22, 1983 the Chargers traded a pair of second-round picks in the 1983 NFL draft to the San Francisco 49ers for a first-round pick in the 1983 draft.
^
abOn August 30, 1985 the Chargers traded
Mossy Cade to the Green Bay Packers for a first-round pick in the 1986 draft and a conditional pick in the 1987 draft (this became a fifth-round pick).
^On April 26, 1986, the Chargers traded their first-round (No. 14) and second-round picks in the 1986 draft to the Minnesota Vikings for their first-round (No. 8) and third-round picks in the 1986 draft.
^On April 28, 1987, the Chargers traded their first-round (No. 5) and second-round picks in the 1987 draft for the Cleveland Browns' first-round (No. 24) and second-round picks in the 1987 draft and linebacker
Chip Banks.
^On April 21, 1991 the Chargers traded their first-round pick in the 1992 NFL draft (No. 6) to Washington Redskins for a second-round pick in the 1991 draft and a fifth-round pick in the 1992 draft.
^On April 25, 1993 the Chargers traded their first-round pick in the 1994 NFL draft (No. 15 overall) to the San Francisco 49ers for a second-round pick in the 1993 draft.
^On April 22, 1995 the Chargers traded their first-round pick in the 1995 NFL draft (No. 29 overall) to the Carolina Panthers for their second, third and fourth-round picks in the 1995 draft.
^On April 22, 1995 the Chargers traded their first-round pick in the 1996 NFL draft (No. 21 overall) to the Detroit Lions for a second-round pick in the 1995 draft.
^On April 20, 1996 the Chargers traded their first-round pick in the 1997 NFL draft (No. 16 overall) to the Buccaneers for a second-round pick in the 1996 draft.
^
abOn March 12, 1998, the Chargers traded their first-round (No. 3) and second-round picks in the 1998 draft, their first-round pick (No. 8) in the 1999 draft, wide receiver
Eric Metcalf and linebacker
Patrick Sapp to the Arizona Cardinals for their first-round pick in the 1998 draft (No. 2).
^On April 18, 1998 the Chargers traded their first-round pick in the 2000 NFL draft (No. 13 overall) to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a second-round pick in the 1998 draft.
^On April 20, 2001, the Chargers traded their first-round pick (No. 1) in the 2001 draft to the Atlanta Falcons for their first-round (No. 5) and third-round picks in the 2001 draft, their second-round pick in the 2002 draft, and wide receiver
Tim Dwight.
^On April 26, 2003 the Chargers traded their first-round (No. 15) pick in the 2003 draft for the Philadelphia Eagles' first (No. 30) and second-round picks in the 2003 draft.
^
abOn April 24, 2004 the Chargers traded the signing rights for No. 1 overall pick
Eli Manning to the New York Giants for the signing rights to No. 4 overall pick
Philip Rivers, a third-round pick in the 2004 draft, a first-round pick (No. 12) in the 2005 draft and a fifth-round pick in the 2005 draft.
^On April 22, 2010, the Chargers traded their first (No. 28), second and fourth-round picks in the 2010 draft and linebacker
Tim Dobbins to the Miami Dolphins for their first (No. 12), fourth and sixth-round picks in the 2010 draft.
^On April 30, 2015 the Chargers traded their first (No. 17) and fourth-round picks in the 2015 draft and their fifth-round pick in the 2016 draft to the San Francisco 49ers for their first-round pick (No. 15) in the 2015 draft.
^On April 23, 2020 the Chargers traded their second and third-round picks in the 2020 draft to the New England Patriots for their first-round pick in the 2020 draft.
^"Chargers may get Rodgers". Corpus Christi Times. January 3, 1977. p. 13A.
Archived from the original on November 20, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
^"Bo Matthews stats". pro-football-reference.com.
Archived from the original on 29 April 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
^"Gary Anderson stats". pro-football-reference.com.
Archived from the original on 29 April 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
^Distel, Dave (10 May 1983).
"Argovitz the bandit, Chargers say". Pittsburgh Press. Los Angeles Times Service. p. C-3.
Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
^Sullivan, Mike (19 April 1998).
"Beathard still dealing". North County Times. pp. C-1,
C-2.
Archived from the original on 6 May 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
^"Eli Manning stats". pro-football-reference.com.
Archived from the original on 2 May 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
^
ab"QB drama highlights day". Chicago Tribune. 25 April 2004. p. C5.
Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022 – via Victorville Press Dispatch.
^Wilson, Bernie (30 April 2006).
"Chargers tab CB Cromartie". Palm Springs Desert Sun. p. C6.
Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
^"Craig Davis stats". pro-football-reference.com.
Archived from the original on 29 April 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
^Wilson, Bernie (29 April 2007).
"Turner still with San Diego". Palm Springs Desert Sun. AP. p. C8.
Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
^"Antoine Cason stats". pro-football-reference.com.
Archived from the original on 29 April 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2022.