Joe Hortiz's GM ranking doesn't reflect impressive start to tenure with Chargers

After a massively disappointing 5-12 record in 2023, the Los Angeles Chargers brought in changes at head coach and general manager, which paid off with a bounce-back 11-6 record.

The additions of Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz was exactly what the team needed as they retooled the roster around as the offense was more successful and the defense flipped from the bottom to the top in an instant. Not enough credit is given to the work Hortiz did in bringing in new talent and the incredible 2024 draft class he had.

All the attention goes to Harbaugh as he is a big personality and a part of football family royalty. Not everyone recognizes the work Hortiz has put in over the last year or so.

Hortiz receives an average ranking among NFL general managers

NBC Sports' Patrick Daugherty shared the rankings of all 32 NFL general managers. Hortiz landed nearly in the middle at 15 with the Kansas City Chiefs standing in the Chargers' way.

"Slow and steady. That might not win the race in Patrick Mahomes’ AFC West, but it was enough to get the Chargers back in the running last season. Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz opted for more of the same this spring, making nine draft picks for the second consecutive year and once again approaching free agency like the goal was to shore up the middle of the roster rather than shake up the top. This is the rare team where development appears to be the focus, not quick fixes or chasing big names on the trade or free agent markets. The belief is that only the soundest fundamentals and deepest overall core can take on the world’s best coach and quarterback tandem in Mahomes and Andy Reid. It’s a sound, serious bet, if not necessarily an attention-grabbing one as a forgotten franchise with a nascent fanbase. Harbaugh and Hortiz are building it. We’ll see what comes as the fight to dislodge Mahomes only ever seems to get more difficult."

Last year's draft class is a perfect example of the stellar job Hortiz has done. Six of their nine draft picks played at least 10 games last season. Their first two picks, offensive lineman Joe Alt and wide receiver Ladd McConkey, were instant impact players who appear to be the future of the franchise. Their two fifth-round picks, Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart, came out of nowhere and are now starters entering the 2025 season at cornerback.

Hortiz did a great job of not forcing the team to make big signings in free agency and instead gave some of their younger players a chance to start. That paid off with guys like linebacker Daiyan Henley and linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu, who had breakout 2024 campaigns.

This offseason was about moving on from players with durability issues, such as Asante Samuel Jr. and Joey Bosa, in favor of younger players taking on bigger roles. It was a strategy that worked last year and will continue to do so this season.

It's too early to determine how this new free agent and draft class will do, but Hortiz only took one season to prove he can do the job well, so the trust has been built in Los Angeles.