The Chargers Are Built to Draft & Develop | Inside Joe Hortiz's Philosophy

About this episode

The episode discusses the Chargers' draft strategy and player evaluations following the NFL Draft.

Matt "Money" Smith and Lorenzo Neal break down the tight end market after David Njoku's visit ended without a deal — and make the case that Jonnu Smith is the better fit anyway, given his monster 2024 season alongside Mike McDaniel in Miami. They explain how the Chargers planned to draft a tight end but got priced out as the board ran on them in the second and third round. Money recaps Joe Hortiz's post-draft session, unpacking the team's draft-and-develop philosophy, the trade-back that still landed Akheem Mesidor at 22, and the "blue star" evaluation system behind the Jake Slaughter pick. The guys close by previewing the left guard competition, praising fifth-round DT Nick Barrett, and reminding fans that with $45.8 million in cap space, the Chargers' window is open — and this year has to count.

People in this episode

Hosts: Matt Smith, Lorenzo Neal

Topics covered

• NFL Draft
• Tight End Market
• Draft-and-Develop Philosophy
• Team Strategy
• Player Evaluation
• Cap Space Management

Keywords

• Chargers
• NFL Draft
• Tight End
• Joe Hortiz
• Player Development
• Cap Space
• Akheem Mesidor
• Jake Slaughter

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Chargers

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