Is there a reunion on the cards?
We are into the final day of the NFL Combine, and attentions are already starting to turn to the NFL Draft in April.
Anyone who is anyone in the crazy world of the NFL has an opinion; from your favourite HuddleUK writer to those being paid the big bucks in the US.
Like many fans, I have been spending – too much – time reading countless mock drafts. From the sensible to the insane, these predictions get fans talking.
The Los Angeles Chargers hold the 22nd pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and the Bolts have holes to fill. However, at the time of writing no one positional need has emerged as a priority.
As a result, the Chargers are being linked to huge range of players, across many positions. That being said, one common theme keeps cropping up – Michigan.
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh won a National Championship with the Wolverines in 2023 before returning to the NFL.
Harbaugh’s familiarity with the players at Michigan has lead many to mock reunions in this year’s draft. But it is not just one Wolverine being linked to the Bolts.
Drunk in Loveland
At this stage, in early March, the most commonly mocked player to the LA Chargers in the first round is tight end Colston Loveland.
The 20-year-old is a consensus top-two tight end in this draft class, along with Tyler Warren.
Loveland has excelled over multiple seasons with the Wolverines, despite being in a run-heavy offense. He has totalled over 1,500 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in his three seasons in Michigan.
For a tight end, Loveland is an exceptional route runner with a huge catch radius. He has Pro Bowl upside if he finds a home with play-callers who will look to use his strengths.
While his blocking needs fine tuning, Loveland could be a Week One starter for the Bolts in 2025 if selected.
Grant no quarter
The next Wolverine mocked to the Chargers is defensive lineman Kenneth Grant – per draft analyst Lance Zierlein.
Grant stands at 6’4″ and weighs 331 lbs. He is a unit, and one who thrived under Harbaugh. The staff at Michigan called him “a gift from the football gods”.
The 21-year-old was seen as prospect with potential at the start of his college career, but in 2023 he proved himself as NFL-calibre talent.
Perhaps the most exciting aspect is that it appears he has only scratched the surface of what he is capable of.
Like most Michigan players, Grant has three years of high-level production against elite competition. He has also stepped up when it has mattered in the biggest games.
Stewart of the people
The final Michigan player who has been mocked to the Bolts in the first round is Edge Josaiah Stewart.
Stewart’s name was not one I had seen linked to the Chargers until NFL Network’s Cynthia Frelund’s recent mock draft.
Yet another Wolverine with a potential Harbaugh reunion, Stewart is not the biggest presence on the edge.
At 6’1″ and 245 lbs, the 21-year-old is not the biggest, but he thrives in the contact areas and has an aggression which seems suited to this Chargers defense.
He is not a polished player, but the mental characteristics match everything Harbaugh desires.
Stewart has recently dropped out of Daniel Jeremiah’s Top 50 Big Board, and may be a less likely first-round candidate.
Never say never in this funny old sport though!
