In the NFL, so much is dependent upon who you know. The ties that bind matter more in the NFL than many other professional leagues and we could see that come into play heavily with the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2025 NFL Draft. This year’s draft class is absolutely loaded with prospects from the Big Ten and especially former Michigan Wolverines, who will obviously be very familiar to Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Harbaugh rode off into the NFL sunset after winning a National Championship with his beloved Wolverines in the 2023-24 college football season, and now he could be poised to add more former Michigan players to bolster his Chargers roster.
Having the relationship equity with these players is so crucial. The NFL Draft can be such a crapshoot because you don’t always know very well the person you are selecting, but Harbaugh has a rare advantage in these particular situations. While far more than three are on the table for the Chargers to draft this year, here are maybe the three most likely Michigan prospects to be selected by the Chargers in 2025.
3 Michigan players the Chargers could target in 2025 NFL Draft
1. Colston Loveland, tight end
Nobody makes more sense for the Los Angeles Chargers in the first round of this year’s draft than tight end Colston Loveland. He fits one of the team’s biggest needs, he knows the offense, and he would truly be the lone missing piece to the Chargers’ offensive weaponry right now.
The Chargers have plenty to work with at the wide receiver position. They tried adding Evan Engram in NFL Free Agency and even brought him to LA for a visit, but the Denver Broncos were able to sell him perhaps on a bigger role within their offense.
Whatever went down in that situation, we know that the Chargers want a mismatch player at tight end, and Loveland can be that. He can obviously play in-line in Jim Harbaugh’s offense, but he can also split out and give teams fits with his size and athletic ability as a pass-catching option.
2. Josaiah Stewart, EDGE/LB
What’s equally as important as being familiar with Jim Harbaugh and the offense he wants to run? Players who have experience with Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who was also the defensive coordinator at Michigan from 2022-23.
Minter put his stamp on the Chargers’ defense rather quickly last year and they had one of the best units in the league for the majority of the year. After the 2024 season, however, the Chargers had to make the tough decision to move on from veteran pass rusher Joey Bosa, who signed with the Buffalo Bills.
Losing Bosa stings, at least on paper, but the Chargers will be able to move forward with Khalil Mack leading that group along with Tuli Tuipulotu and even veteran Bud Dupree bringing some depth off the edge. But the Chargers need more guys to bring waves of pass rush and Josaiah Stewart is someone they will likely have their eyes on from rounds 2-4.
Stewart was a transfer to Michigan in 2023 from Coastal Carolina, so the Harbaugh/Minter duo didn’t even really get to see the fullness of their vision with this player come to fruition in 2024. He developed nicely as a full-time starter for the Wolverines and could be a versatile, athletic chess piece for Minter in Los Angeles.
3. Donovan Edwards, running back
While there is always an element of surprise in the NFL Draft, I think this is the one player you can start printing the jerseys for in Los Angeles. Donovan Edwards was a hero during the Michigan National Championship run and while he didn’t have the greatest production over the course of his collegiate career, he’s going to stick on the 53-man roster for a long time.
Edwards plays special teams, he offers an element of explosiveness and speed, and he has the ability to be a three-down back and core-four special teams player. Is he ever going to run for over 1,000 yards in the NFL? Maybe not, but that doesn’t matter.
When you’re putting together a 53-man roster, this is a guy who is going to make you better with his toughness and love for the game. Nobody will recognize that better than Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers.