Chargers Miss On Dexter Lawrence Trade And It Could Hurt Them During NFL Draft, Too

The Los Angeles Chargers missed out on the chance to add a premier defensive playmaker in Dexter Lawrence. The New York Giants traded their star defensive tackle to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for the No.10 overall pick in this Thursday's draft. New York now holds two top 10 selections heading into the weekend.

Sign Up For the Chargers Daily Digest - OnSI's Free Los Angeles Chargers Newsletter

It's safe to say the Chargers would've had no chance in adding Lawrence anyway, as it would've been hard to beat an offer of a top 10 pick. Still, it shows that the team isn't very keen on parting with draft capital to secure star talent. Luckily, the Chargers won't have to see Lawrence in a Bengals uniform until the 2027 season, but it's still a pain that he's in the AFC.

This move could potentially mean bad news for the Chargers, as this is considered a weak defensive tackle class. It's why the Bengals decided to take such a big swing to secure Lawrence, as no prospect in the draft would come close to his production. The Chargers signed veteran Dalvin Tomlinson this offseason to pair with Teair Tart, which should be enough for the time being.

There's another trickle down issue that could affect the Chargers, however.

Chargers could miss out on top IOL in draft after Dexter Lawrence trade

Lawrence continuously commands double teams, which means the remaining AFC North teams will begin to rethink their interior offensive lines. This could cause teams such as the Baltimore Ravens to target guards in the draft earlier than expected.

Olaivavega Ioane has been a 'dream' target for the Chargers all offseason. It's pretty unlikely that he falls all the way to No.22 overall, as Ioane could now be taken as high as No.10 to the Giants, who also need to sure up their offensive line. There's certainly other guard options the Chargers can target, but they may need to reach in order to get one.

A run on guards could come early on Day 2, with names such as Chase Bisontis, Emmanuel Pregnon and Keylan Rutledge expected to be taken early. If the Chargers want one of them after missing out on Ioane, they'll likely need to select them at No.22 overall rather than hope and wait another 33 picks.

Worst-case scenario, the Chargers don't land an offensive lineman in the first round and just end up going best player available.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/chargers/onsi as Chargers Miss On Dexter Lawrence Trade And It Could Hurt Them During NFL Draft, Too.

Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 10:00 AM.