Coming in the 2025 NFL season, a major concern for the Chargers roster was the interior defensive line. It was filled with plenty of unknown athletes, guys who were late-round draft picks or journeymen throughout their careers. After four weeks of NFL play, the Chargers have seemed to find a rhythm with their top 4-5 guys, leaving one player in particular as the odd one out, a potential trade asset.
Otito Ogbonnia – Former Fifth Round Pick Could Be On The Move
Otito Ogbonnia was drafted by the Chargers in the fifth round in 2022, where he found himself to be an early contributor in his rookie season. This was unfortunately cut short due to injury, where he suffered a brutal torn patellar tendon injury and missed the rest of the season. Moving into year two, Ogbonnia was expected to be a rotational interior defender, a contributor to this Brandon Staley-led defense.
This did not immediately come to fruition, as he missed half of the 2023 season due to the lengthy recovery of his aforementioned injury. Once he returned, Ogbonnia played significant snaps, showing some flashes as a rusher in the run and pass game. These flashes, coupled with health, yielded the former fifth-round selection a full season of starting for the Chargers.
The PFF grades from the 2024 season (Def: 41.5, Rush Def: 45.2, Pass Rush: 51.2) do not give the Chargers trade asset much praise, and the film says much of the same. An average at best interior defender who has shown some potential after returning from a brutal injury. Even with this level of play, the Chargers interior defensive line room going into 2025 was filled with a bunch of questions, giving Ogbonnia an inside track to once again start, simply due to experience.
He reportedly took this opportunity and ran with it. He was praised all offseason long by trustworthy sources, even being named as a “different guy” or a “breakout candidate.” Four weeks into the season, and Ogbonnia has been inactive for three.
Even if he has “broken out,” he has not been able to show it thus far, allowing for the idea of Ogbonnia to be a guy on the move. Especially considering the Chargers have multiple different needs to address.
Possible Fits
Baltimore Ravens – Plenty Of Connections For The Chargers Trade Asset
The first team on the docket is the Baltimore Ravens. This is the most realistic destination for Otito Ogbonnia, as the Chargers and Ravens have plenty of connections with one another. The biggest of which is Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz, who was the former director of player personnel for the Ravens.
Beyond the connections between the two teams, the need for improvement across the interior defensive line is obvious for the Ravens. First off, they lost Nnamdi Madubuike to a season-ending neck injury. Next, they are relying on Travis Jones and two much-past-their-prime veterans in Brent Urban and John Jenkins to fill in.
This is simply not enough juice for a team that is hoping to contend in the Super Bowl. Insert the Chargers trade asset, Ogbonnia, to their roster, and they can now at least have youthful, yet experienced depth across their interior defensive line.
Mock Trade –
Ravens Receive: IDL, Otito Ogbonnia
Chargers Receive: EDGE, Tavius Robinson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – More Depth For A Contender
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be another option as a landing spot for Otitio Ogbonnia. They are currently a contender for the NFC playoffs and improved depth in the trenches is never a bad idea. While they have received some inspiring play by young players, having another option in the interior could help DC Todd Bowles further explore his defensive prowess.
Sending Ogbonnia to the NFC also means they will not have to worry about seeing him anytime soon. A simple trade that can benefit both sides.
Mock Trade –
Buccaneers Receive: IDL, Otito Ogbonnia
Chargers Receive: 2026 Sixth Round Pick
Houston Texans – Youth On The Interior (Defensive Line)
The Houston Texans find themselves in a poor situation to start the 2025 season. They are currently 1-3 with their only win coming over what is shaping up to be the worst team in football, the Tennessee Titans. Overall, the blame lands on the other side of the Texans trenches, the offensive line.
So, how does looking into the Chargers trade asset help them? While Ogbonnia is not some sort of two-way trench player, he could help this aging Texans interior defensive line, possibly giving the Texans defense a boost to keep their entire team afloat until they can fix that atrocity that is their offensive line.
Veterans Sheldon Rankins, Tim Settle Jr, Mario Edwards Jr., and Folorunso Fatukasi all can be solid NFL defenders, but none of them have a long-term future with Houston. Could Ogbonnia be a long-term option?
Mock Trade –
Texans Receive: IDL, Otito Ogbonnia
Chargers Receive: EDGE, Darrell Taylor
Main Image: Bob Donnan – Imagn Images
The post Chargers Possess Trade Asset – What Could They Get In Return? appeared first on Last Word on Pro Football.