Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh says team is ‘pretty fired up’ after NFL draft

There’s little doubt about the identity Jim Harbaugh wants to instill on the Los Angeles Chargers.

The first two first-round selections of Harbaugh’s era with the Chargers have been quintessential Harbaugh-type picks. Tackle Joe Alt was selected No. 5 overall in the 2024 draft and the Chargers used the No. 22 pick this year to grab running back Omarion Hampton.

Harbaugh’s football philosophy is to be a physical, run-oriented football team.

“Fired up to get an outstanding football player who really loves football and can score the ball. I love the production, over 1,600 yards rushing (and) (38) catches out of the backfield (last season). He gives us a real weapon there on all three downs,” Harbaugh said. “He’s durable, and an outstanding football player.”

The Chargers haven’t had a running back top 1,000 yards in a season since Melvin Gordon in 2017, which predates Harbaugh’s arrival.

“When you watch him, he’s physical, he’s explosive, he’s tough, he’s got great balance, he’s got excellent speed, gets outside, finishes long runs and breaks off big gains,” Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz said. “When you watch him in the secondary, he just lowers his shoulders and runs through tackles. Like coach (Harbaugh) said, he also has value as a pass receiver. Just another player to add to the stable and get after it.”

Harbaugh conceded the Chargers did quarterback Justin Herbert a disservice last year after the team’s disheartening loss to the Houston Texans in the wild-card playoffs.

Herbert averaged a career-low 227 passing yards per game and was sacked a career-high 41 times in 2024. Los Angeles didn’t have a reliable pass-catching option outside of rookie slot receiver Ladd McConke, and the backfield gained more yards than expected on only 27% of their carries last season, the fourth-lowest mark in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats.

The Chargers selected five offensive players in their nine-player draft class, including their first-round pick Hampton and second-round selection Ole Miss wide receiver Tre Harris, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound physical receiver.

“Tre Harris, the athleticism, also, strength, power and toughness. And Omarion, that is strength, power, speed (and) agility,” Harbaugh said. “We are pretty fired up.”

In addition to the draft class, 6-foot-7, 363-pound guard Mekhi Becton, 6-foot-1,242-pound running back Najee Harris, 6-foot-4, 218-pound wide receiver Mike Williams and 6-foot-3, 248-pound tight end Tyler Conklin were key free agent acquisitions.

The Chargers’ 20th-ranked offense was lethargic a year ago. The team has made a concerted effort to acquire more offensive talent with more physically imposing players. Prototypical Harbaugh-type guys.

“Weapons for Justin. Guys that Justin can get the ball to,” Harbaugh said. “We’re very excited about that.”

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