3 Current Chargers Players Who Could Lose Their Jobs on Draft Night
On Apr. 23, the 2026 NFL Draft will take place for all teams to find young talent to better their roster, with the first round having plenty of impressive selections in franchise history. The Los Angeles Chargers and their five selections will have plenty of options at their disposal. This, coupled with their two-year history of Joe Hortiz finding value in all rounds of the draft, there very well can be instant impact rookies that take over for veterans on the team.
Chargers Veterans in Danger of Losing Jobs to Rookies
OL, Trevor Penning
Getting the easiest and most predictable out of the way, Trevor Penning is expected to be quickly replaced by a rookie offensive lineman. If the Chargers do not choose a lineman to compete with Penning, the draft would instantly be viewed as a complete failure.
Penning has had his moments in the league as a brawling offensive lineman, but his poor pass protection and inability to live up to the hype as a former first-round prospect himself should disallow the Bolts to have confidence in the former Northern Iowa prospect.
CB, Cam Hart
Cam Hart was selected in the 2024 NFL Draft as a fifth-round prospect who possessed great length and attributes for a man-cover cornerback. Hart was an instant contributor from his draft, playing solid for a day three rookie.
However, Hart in year two was the subject of some of the Chargers' allowed touchdowns, with fans at times clamoring for an upgrade over the young corner. Hart, arguably, is still developing himself and has been quite solid for the team, but if the Bolts were to choose an elite cornerback prospect over him, it would push Hart down the depth chart and give the Chargers another elite defensive weapon.
WR, Quentin Johnston
Quentin Johnston is arguably the most talked-about Chargers player within both the fan base and the general media landscape. This is due to his first-round draft selection, coupled with a few moments of infamy living loud in NFL fans' minds.
What is not spoken about as much is that Johnston has improved every season, becoming the Chargers' deep threat who is always an option to score touchdowns at will. Even with the 6'4 athletic monster still having fans in the building, many still believe that he is a possible trade candidate or an option to move down the depth chart, being replaced by a young, talented rookie from the 2026 NFL Draft class.
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This story was originally published April 19, 2026 at 11:00 AM.