Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer and Michigan’s Colston Loveland headline players ranked No. 22 on various 2025 big boards.
The Chargers are officially owners of the No. 22 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Today, we’re taking a look at a handful of players who are ranked No. 22 on various 2025 draft big boards from across the media.
Let’s get into it.
Pro Football Focus: EDGE Jack Sawyer, Ohio State
Height: 6’5
Weight: 260
2024 stats: 56 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, nine sacks, interception, seven passes defended, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries (two returned for touchdowns)
Career stats: 141 total tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 23 sacks, interception, 11 passes defended, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries (two returned for touchdowns)
Sawyer was the hero of the Buckeyes’ CFP semifinal win over the Texas Longhorns after he sacked former Ohio State roommate Quinn Ewers, picked up a fumble, and returned it 83 yards for a touchdown. The ghost technique he used to get past the right tackle was also very impressive.
Sawyer is an edge player that wins with power and strength at the point of attack. He’s not an elite athlete by any means but he makes up for it with a high motor. He’s also stout against the run which is what the Chargers will need on the edge if either Mack or Bosa does not return to in 2025.
ESPN: TE Colston Loveland, Michigan
Height: 6’5
Weight: 245
2024 stats: 56 receptions, 582 receiving yards, five touchdowns
Career stats: 117 receptions, 1,466 receiving yards, 11 touchdowns
Another potential Michigan man for Jim Harbaugh. With a better quarterback situation in 2024, Loveland would have had a monster season but he did the best he could playing with three different starting quarterbacks.
Loveland is built like the modern tight end in today’s NFL with a lean, athletic frame while possessing the strength to win with physicality at the catch point. He’s got an immense catch radius that, when paired with his speed and basketball background, he can become one heck of a friendly target for a quarterback.
Bleacher Report: S Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
Height: 6’0
Weight: 203
2024 stats: 74 total tackles, three tackles for loss, six interceptions, pick-six, nine passes defended, forced fumble, fumble recovery
Career stats: 180 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 13 interceptions, pick-six, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries (one returned for touchdown)
The Chargers do not need a safety as they have both Derwin James and Alohi Gilman, but Watts was such an impactful player for the Fighting Irish that it felt wrong to not highlight another immense talent ranked at No. 22.
Watts’ versatility honestly suits Jesse Minter’s defense well as a Derwin-esque player who could thrive at numerous positions across the defense. He can easily slide in at linebacker in Dime packages just as smoothly as he can patrol the back end of a defense, evidenced by his 13 interceptions over the past two seasons.
CBS Sports: EDGE Jalon Walker, Georgia
Height: 6’2
Weight: 245
2024 stats: 60 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, two passes defended, two fumble recoveries
Career stats: 89 total tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, three passes defended, forced fumble, two fumble recoveries
Don’t mistake Walker for being a classic ‘tweener without a true home in the NFL. This versatile defender has the chops to be an impact player off the ball or on the line of scrimmage.
Stuck behind other NFL-bound players early in his career, Walker broke out in his lone season as a starter for the Bulldogs which culminated in him winning the 2024 Butkus Award given to the nation’s top linebacker. He offers speed and size at inside linebacker with the skillset to win rushing off the edge or blitzing up the middle. He may get overmatched against some of the NFL’s monolithic offensive tackles, but he’s got the goods to give just about everyone a fight they’ll surely remember.