Sports

The Los Angeles Chargers' 5 Worst Draft Picks in the Last 10 Years

By HC Green Lindys Sports

Updated June 22, 2026 3:20 PM

Drafting is an inexact science. Even the best of the best miss for any number of reasons-injuries, poor scheme fit, off-the-field issues, lack of development, and so on. With the 2026 NFL Draft now in the rearview mirror, things should be quiet on the personnel side until training camps open in July.

With that in mind, it seems like the perfect time to go back over the last 10 drafts to identify picks which didn't pan out for each of the 32 clubs. Before we begin, let's set the ground rules: We're starting with the 2016 draft, so no players from the 2026 draft are eligible.

Now that we've established the parameters, here are the Los Angeles Chargers' five worst draft picks of the past decade:

Dishonorable Mentions

S Nasir Adderley (60th Overall, 2019)
LB Junior Colson (69th Overall, 2024)

5) TE Tre' McKitty, 97th Overall (2021)

McKitty had great size and was supposed to provide Justin Herbert with another option in the passing game. He lasted two-plus seasons in LA, catching just 16 passes before being released. He never suited up for another club.

4) S JT Woods, 79th Overall (2022)

Another third-round misfire, Woods was a nonfactor as a rookie and spent most of his sophomore campaign sidelined with an undisclosed non-football illness. He would be released in camp the following year and never again played in the NFL. Among the DBs taken shortly after Woods were Marcus Jones, Nick Cross, Kerby Joseph, and Coby Bryant.

3) C Max Tuerk, 66th Overall (2016)

Tuerk was a healthy inactive for the entirety of his first season, and he began 2017 serving a four-game suspension related to PED use. The team cut him upon his reinstatement, and though they did bring him back to the practice squad, Tuerk would play just one regular-season snap in the NFL.

arena photography — Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

2) LB Kenneth Murray, 23rd Overall (2020)

Los Angeles surrendered a third-round pick to move up 14 spots and select Murray, and though his stats weren't terrible, they were misleading. Murray had issues with tackling and run support, and he was middling in coverage. The team declined his fifth-year option, and he spent 2025 on Dallas' last-ranked defense. That the Bolts bypassed Patrick Queen to take Murray makes this pick even worse.

1) OG Forrest Lamp, 38th Overall (2017)

Lamp was the first interior offensive lineman chosen in the 2017 NFL Draft, but injuries waylaid his career. He tore his ACL in training camp and missed his entire rookie year. He was active for just two games in 2018, and in 2019 he appeared in seven before breaking his fibula. Lamp finally won a starting job in 2020, but was unimpressive, and the Chargers allowed him to walk in free agency. Lamp would appear in just one more game before his NFL career was done.

This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 3:06 PM.