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COSTA MESA, Calif. A former high school shortstop and leadoff hitter, general manager Joe Hortiz put his draft strategy in baseball terms."The more at-bats you get, the better," he said. "We want to hit them all. But we understand Garrett Wilson Jersey that it's the draft and there are times that you may not get the same value you anticipate you're drafting."Translation: The Chargers would like as many picks as they can acquire as new head coach Jim Harbaugh and Hortiz work to build around uber-talented quarterback .Hortiz already started the proce s of creating a new culture by bringing in familiar faces in free agency. The former longtime personnel executive for the signed running backs and , tight end and offensive lineman . All four are former Ravens.ADVERTISEMENT "I think it sends a me sage to the team that these are the types of players we're going to be building around and adding to our team," Hortiz told FOX Sports. "And that's what we believe the players here are already. But it lets them know this is the type of culture and environment we want to create."The Bolts have the No. 5 overall pick in this year's draft, the highest the franchise has selected since taking edge rusher at No. 3 overall in 2016. After releasing and trading , the Chargers have an obvious need at receiver in a draft loaded at the top with talented prospects including ., and .Rob Rang's top 100 prospect rankings | Joel Klatt's top 50 prospect rankings | Top 10 QB prospects | Top 10 RB prospects | Kyle Phillips Jersey Top 10 WR prospects | Top 10 TE prospects | Top 10 OT prospects | Top 10 IOL prospects | Top 10 Edge prospects | Top 10 DT prospects | Joel Klatt's mock draftHowever, the Bolts have nine picks overall and Hortiz, the baseball guy, sounds like he would like more at-bats. Harbaugh said during the NFL owners meetings last month that he believes the first four picks will be quarterbacks, which means L.A. would have the opportunity to select the first non-QB. That gives the Chargers leverage.So if a team wants to move up to No. 5, Hortiz did not mince words: Make a strong pitch."Everyone has charts meaning what equals out to a fair trade," he said. "But when you'retrading away from the number one player in the draft, I don't know if it's nece sarily always going to be a fair trade because you have a chance to pick the number one position player in the draft."Hortiz is running a draft board for the first time. He acknowledged it will be a collaborative proce s Mekhi Becton Jersey between everyone in the room including Chargers president of football operations John Spanos and Harbaugh but that he'll be the one responsible for evaluating and stacking players. And he'll be the one turning the organization's selection in to the league on draft day.Could Bears or Chargers be this year's Texans? And as was always the case with the Ravens, Hortiz said his team's focus is selecting talent over need."It's best player available," Hortiz said. "We want to add depth. And certainly, there's some positions that we don't need,' but you're one play away from needing a position. So if you look at it based on need, you're never one player away, ever. I've learned that from my predece sors in Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta, and I believe that."So if you get a chance to add a great player, you add them. That's Nathan Shepherd Jersey how we're going to approach it."Hortiz pointed to the Ravens taking safety at No. 14 in the 2022 draft, even though they did not have a need at the position. The product has developed into an All-Pro and one of the best safeties in the league."We signed in free agency that year and paid him," Hortiz said. "Then, we turned around and took Kyle when no one thought we would. We had starting at the other safety. We had two starting safeties, and we just took the best player on the board."In terms of the draft, with Harbaugh having spent nine years at , the Chargers also have an opportunity to take advantage of the information and familiarity he has with college players that he either recruited, coached or coached against. Keep in mind that Michigan sent 18 players to the NFL Scouting Combine this year."He's played against the entire Big Ten plus he knows his whole team," Hortiz said. "He brings a wealth of knowledge about the players that are currently in college."He remembers when they were recruiting them. He knows what positions they played in high school when they recruited them. You do gain a lot of insight from not only Jim, but the rest of the coaches that came from the college ranks."How many of those players can the Chargers get? Keyshawn Johnson Jersey It depends on how many at-bats they have.Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.