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The Los Angeles Chargers could be willing to give up their No. 5 pick in next week’s NFL draft, but general manager Joe Hortiz wants more than just a “fair trade” for his team’s pick, per ESPN’s Kris Rhim.
“They have to make it attractive for us to move away from those players,” Hortiz said. “The whole, ‘It’s a fair trade, it’s a wash’ — I don’t think that’s a trade that we’re interested in.”
According to Rhim, teams have reached out to the Chargers about their No. 5 pick, but no team has made an official offer yet. Hortiz said that he’d be willing to trade with teams if the player they are interested in is available, but it would take a sizeable offer.
The Chargers could very well have their first choice available at No. 5 with the top three teams expected to take quarterbacks. The Arizona Cardinals, who have the No. 4 pick, could also trade their pick to one of the many teams looking to move up to take a quarterback.
Because Los Angeles is not interested in a quarterback with Justin Herbert under center, Hortiz considers his team’s No. 5 pick to be “the first pick of the draft.”
“We believe we have the first pick of the draft. I know there’s going to be four picks that go before us, but we believe that,” Hortiz said. “We know it’s the fifth pick and people are going to be trading on that scope, but it’s got to be a good value for us. And does it have to be blown away? What is blown away? I don’t know the answer to that.”
In Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft, the Chargers are projected to take Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze with their first pick. If the Cardinals, who are projected to take wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., trade their pick, Los Angeles could take Harrison.
Either receiver would be a solid option, but the Heisman-runner up Harrison is widely considered to be the better option. Bleacher Report’s Scouting Department lists Harrison as the top overall prospect and the top receiver, while Odunze is the No. 6 prospect and the No. 2 receiver.
But if Hortiz and the Chargers play their cards right, they could still land a top receiver while getting another piece through a trade. As the draft approaches, it won’t be a surprise to see teams offering Los Angeles a hefty haul for their pick.
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