We're days away from the 2026 NFL Draft. The Chargers still hold five of their picks, but recent comments from general manager Joe Hortiz seem to suggest that LA will try to move around the board to add a few more bites at the apple.
With that in mind, let's examine one prospect for every round of the draft at defensive tackle.
It's entirely possible that no defensive tackles are drafted in the first round, but the one with the best chance seems to be Woods, who was viewed as a borderline top-10 prospect in the class coming into the season. A disappointing 2025 has left Woods in limbo, but he's still the best 3-technique available this year. The Chargers have a need at that spot after bringing back Teair Tart and signing Dalvin Tomlinson, both of whom were more 0- or 1-technique players last season. With Jamaree Caldwell also in that role in his second season, LA could look to add a 3-tech to replace the outgoing Da'Shawn Hand and add some pass rush from the interior.
The other way to look at the Chargers' defensive tackle room is that Tart and Caldwell may have untapped pass rush potential if they play more 3-tech this season, which could have informed the Tomlinson signing. If that's how new defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary feels, adding a nose tackle to learn from Tomlinson and eventually take over as the primary man in the middle may be the direction the Chargers go. Orange has the stout frame of a plus run defender right away, but doesn't add very much as a rusher.
With 34-inch arms, McClellan has the length to get the advantage over interior offensive linemen quickly. His instincts in the run game have improved every season, which - combined with his high-end physical traits - make for an interesting prospect at the nose tackle spot. Described as a consistent effort guy in practice by The Athletic's Dane Brugler, McClellan will also be a culture fit in head coach Jim Harbaugh's locker room. As more of a rotational piece, LA could bring him along slowly while still getting plenty of value from his current skillset.
Halton's stock rose as high as. In media circles after the Senior Bowl, where the former Sooner kept his energy, the second round limited reps. When that's the case, Halton looks like a true difference-maker thanks to his outstanding get-off and his effortful mindset when his first move doesn't get the job done. Oklahoma employed a heavy rotation on the defensive line - Halton only played about 32 percent of the defensive snaps over the last two years - which would likely be his best environment as a pro. His leadership and personality will also quickly win teammates over.
A three-year starter at Penn State despite his smaller stature, Durant was described by a league source to Brugler as a high "give-a-shit" player, which will undoubtedly be appealing to a team looking to instill the kind of culture the Chargers are under Harbaugh. Another option at 3-technique, like Woods and Halton, Durant is a flashy player whose impact wasn't felt as often as a senior. That will drive him into the Day 3 conversation, where the Chargers could find a rotational piece worthy of some maneuvering around the board (LA currently does not own a fifth-round pick).
If Durant is undersized, the 5'11" Robinson is a true outlier. But the senior was the 2025 American Conference Defensive Player of the Year for a reason - he's a high-energy and insanely quick player off the ball who had 6.5 sacks in 2025. An East-West Shrine Bowl attendee - where the Chargers have found gems like Tarheeb Still under Hortiz and Harbaugh's watch - Robinson has natural leverage and plays with the quickness of a former linebacker. His profile is that of a late-round pick who makes it very difficult for his team to get rid of him.
A super-athlete from South Africa, van den Berg rewrote the athletic testing record book at defensive tackle during Georgia Tech's pro day. After three seasons as a reserve at Penn State, he transferred to Georgia Tech and blossomed into an all-conference selection, with his 2025 tape showing an NFL-caliber player. He'll be a 24-year-old rookie who took until his fifth season in college to make a discernible impact, however, which is not usually the profile of a player who goes much earlier than the seventh round.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: 1 defensive tackle in every round for the Chargers