The Los Angeles Chargers had a strong first year under new head coach Jim Harbaugh in 2024 before falling flat in the Wild Card round to the Houston Texans in a loss that highlighted many of the team’s shortcomings.
One of those shortcomings is the wide receiver position, where the team has little in terms of depth or high-end talent after Keenan Allen and Mike Williams left the team prior to last season.
Mike Williams was signed back this offseason, but the team still needs more star power at the WR position in the draft, which is why the team reportedly met with Duke prospect Eli Pancol recently after a stellar Pro Day, according to Justin Melo of The Draft Network.
.@DukeFOOTBALL WR Eli Pancol returned in 2024 to record 60-798-9 after a 2023 injury.
Measured in at 6-2, 205 at Pro Day
40: 4.33
Bench: 23
VJ: 36″
BJ: 10’3″
3C: 6.88
SS: 4.20#LAC + #NYG Pro Day meet. Virtual #49ers.@EliPancol x @TheDraftNetwork:https://t.co/Ua9DdLkOUw— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) April 20, 2025
Pancol spent six years at Duke after suffering injuries in 2022 and 2023, the latter of which caused him to miss an entire season before blossoming in 2024 to the tune of a career year with 60 catches for 798 yards and nine touchdowns.
He tested incredibly at his Pro Day and proved that he is one of the most athletic prospects at the position, which could be enough to convince teams to overlook his severe injury history and take him somewhere in Day 3.
These are the kind of prospects that can turn a bad draft into a good one for a team, as taking a filer on someone with this kind of athletic ability late in the third day of the draft and striking gold is the kind of move that lands a general manager years of job security and adoration from the fan base.
Every team is looking for that diamond in the rough, and they might not need to look much further than Pancol.
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