Daniel Popper

Venice

Chargers Beat Senior Writer at The Athletic

Senior Writer @TheAthletic covering the Chargers. House music producer.

Articles

Picks, predictions and key needs

1 day ago | nytimes.com | Daniel Popper

The Los Angeles have the 22nd pick in the NFL Draft when Round 1 begins April 24 in Green Bay. The Chargers own 10 picks total in the seven-round draft. Chargers' draft picksFull draft orderEvery pick in the seven-round NFL Draft. NFL Draft details* Round 1: April 24, 8 p.m. ET * Rounds 2-3: April 25, 7 p.m. ET * Rounds 4-7: April 26, noon ETAll rounds will be televised on ESPN/ABC and NFL Network and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes.
Hops With Pop

2 days ago | hopswithpop.substack.com | Daniel Popper

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100 prospects to target across all 7 rounds

2 days ago | nytimes.com | Daniel Popper

The NFL Draft is two days away, and it is time for our final Los Angeles Chargers big board. We have fleshed this big board out in the lead-up to the draft. We started in February by looking at 22 options for the Chargers in the first round. In March, we expanded that list to 50 players the Chargers could target in the first two rounds. Now we have our last offering: 100 players the Chargers could target across all seven rounds.
Picks, predictions and key needs

2 days ago | nytimes.com | Daniel Popper

The Los Angeles have the 22nd pick in the NFL Draft when Round 1 begins April 24 in Green Bay. The Chargers own 10 picks total in the seven-round draft. Chargers' draft picksFull draft orderEvery pick in the seven-round NFL Draft. NFL Draft details* Round 1: April 24, 8 p.m. ET * Rounds 2-3: April 25, 7 p.m. ET * Rounds 4-7: April 26, noon ETAll rounds will be televised on ESPN/ABC and NFL Network and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes.
A best guess at how Los Angeles will approach its 10 picks

3 days ago | nytimes.com | Daniel Popper

NFL Draft week is here, and it is time to set predictions in stone. This is mock 4.0, my final Los Angeles Chargers mock draft of the offseason and my best guess at what general manager Joe Hortiz and coach Jim Harbaugh will do with their 10 picks. Chargers' draft picksRound 1, Pick 22: Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio StateHortiz did a commendable job of building out his roster through free agency, and that has made projecting the Chargers' first-round pick a challenging exercise.
Hops With Pop

6 days ago | hopswithpop.substack.com | Daniel Popper

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What we learned about the Chargers from Joe Hortiz's pre-NFL Draft news conference

6 days ago | nytimes.com | Daniel Popper

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - Los Angeles Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz held his annual pre-draft news conference Thursday at the team facility. Hortiz had not spoken publicly since the combine in February. The Chargers were active during the first wave of free agency in March, and so there was plenty to discuss, from the roster construction so far this offseason to what lies ahead when the draft kicks off in exactly one week. Here are my takeaways. 1.
Picks, predictions and key needs

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Daniel Popper

The Los Angeles have the 22nd pick in the NFL Draft when Round 1 begins April 24 in Green Bay. The Chargers own 10 picks total in the seven-round draft. Chargers' draft picksFull draft orderEvery pick in the seven-round NFL Draft. NFL Draft details* Round 1: April 24, 8 p.m. ET * Rounds 2-3: April 25, 7 p.m. ET * Rounds 4-7: April 26, noon ETAll rounds will be televised on ESPN/ABC and NFL Network and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes.
Can Chargers' Joe Hortiz deliver draft-day trade magic again? Assessing scenarios

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Daniel Popper

In his first draft as Los Angeles Chargers general manager last year, Joe Hortiz traded up three spots in the second round to draft receiver Ladd McConkey. It turned out to be one of the best deals any team made on the weekend. McConkey broke the franchise rookie receiving yards and receptions records in 2024. Both those records were previously held by Keenan Allen, whom Hortiz had traded to the Chicago Bears two months before the draft for a fourth-round pick.
A perfect fit at receiver, then a turn to the trenches

2 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Daniel Popper

"The Beast" has been unleashed. Our draft expert Dane Brugler released his 2025 draft guide, nicknamed "The Beast", this week. It is quite simply the most comprehensive and valuable draft resource that exists in our industry. "The Beast" is a treasure trove of draft nuggets, with testing data, exhaustive background information and detailed scouting reports on hundreds of players. I look forward to combing through it every year. That is why Mock 3.0 is my favorite mock draft of every offseason.