Chargers Fans Upset Jim Harbaugh, LA Pass on Giving Justin Herbert Nabers or Odunze

The Los Angeles Chargers parted with widouts Keenan Allen and Mike Williams and scatback Austin Ekeler this offseason, leaving quarterback Justin Herbert with very few reliable options in the pass game.

So when the team chose to draft a tackle with the No. 5 overall selection, Notre Dame's Joe Alt, the team's fans were not thrilled with the pick, especially with promising wideouts like Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze still on the board:

It probably shouldn't come as a huge surprise, however—new head coach Jim Harbaugh has always favored a ground-and-pound style of play, both with the San Francisco 49ers and the Michigan Wolverines.

The difference now, however, is that he's never had a quarterback as talented as Herbert, a player capable of airing it out and winning games with his arm. And the Chargers have very few weapons for him.

Quentin Johnston and Joshua Palmer are currently the top two options at wideout. The former had an extremely disappointing and inconsistent rookie season (38 catches for 431 yards and two scores) after being a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

Perhaps Harbaugh and the team's front office believe he'll make a big leap going forward. Even so, the team needed more playmakers.

Palmer, meanwhile, had a solid 2022 (72 catches for 769 yards and three scores), but he seems best cast as a WR3. Asking him to arguably be Herbert's top target seems like a stretch.

Herbert will also have a number of veteran tight ends to utilize in Will Dissly, Hayden Hurst and Donald Parham Jr., though none will confuse Chargers fans for Antonio Gates anytime soon.

Granted, the Chargers still have a number of picks later in the draft they could use to address the need at wideout. And Alt is an incredibly talented offensive tackle who will protect Herbert for years—the Chargers got a good player.

This pick may not be popular among Chargers fans in the short term, but if Alt ends up becoming one of the better offensive tackles in football—and keeps Herbert healthy in the process—it's a move that will age well.