Jim Alexander: Chargers might trade the No. 5 pick -- and they should

With the fifth pick in Thursday’s NFL draft, the Los Angeles Chargers … should trade down.

Seriously.

When new general manager Joe Hortiz met the media Thursday for the traditional pre-draft briefing, he didn’t come right out and say that was the plan. Executives do not ever tip their hands leading up to a draft. But there have been “conversations,” he said, and those are guaranteed to intensify in the days and moments leading up to when the Chargers are on the clock.

It involves value, and the fifth pick — especially the fifth pick in a draft class top heavy with quarterbacks, a position at which the Chargers seem set with Justin Herbert — can be useful in ways beyond the guy who is eventually selected in that spot.

And in trying to transform a team that finished 5-13 last season — and has a far longer reputation for underachievement — into new coach Jim Harbaugh’s vision of a tough, physical, relentless group, it seems to make far more sense to use that bargaining chip, trade down and exchange one gifted player for multiples of talent.

Yeah, it may spoil the draft party if Hortiz relinquishes that spot at the top of the draft. He would seemingly be assured of getting a quality player at No. 5, considering that quarterbacks Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy could go in the top four and Ohio State wideout Marvin Harrison Jr., son of the Indianapolis Colts Hall of Fame receiver, seems to be the consensus best non-QB in the draft.

“In terms of where we’re sitting, we believe — and I think Coach mentioned — we actually have the first pick if there’s a run of quarterbacks,” Hortiz said.

If Harrison is gone, perhaps to Arizona at No. 4, the assumption is that Minnesota at No. 11 would make an offer for the Chargers’ No. 5 to pick the best available quarterback, likely either McCarthy or Maye. If the QBs are gone, the Jets might be interested in that pick to grab Harrison.

So, the first questions: How badly will the Vikings or Jets or anyone else want that particular player, and how much of a ransom would they be willing to offer?

“There are really good players, great players, that we’re going to be staring at,” Hortiz said. “If we’re going to trade away from great players, there has to be a reason, in terms of value, for us. Certainly, there are going to be more great players in the draft, but it has to make sense to you and it has to make sense to the team that is wanting to come up.

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