Alohi Gilman heads to Baltimore as the Chargers add a young, ascending pass rusher to stabilize their future at EDGE.

Joe Hortiz has made his first major trade of the season, sending safety Alohi Gilman and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Ravens in exchange for edge rusher Odafe Oweh and a 2027 seventh-rounder.

It’s a move that fills a critical need for the Bolts—whether or not veteran Khalil Mack returns next season—as the Chargers add a 26-year-old pass rusher coming off a career-best 11-sack campaign.

But to truly understand this trade, you have to look back at how Hortiz and the Ravens front office have long operated—and how one player, Roquan Smith, exemplifies the philosophy driving this move.

The Roquan Blueprint

Hortiz’s team-building strategy is rooted in balancing the compensatory pick formula, targeting value over splash. Instead of diving into the “big fish” free-agent market, he searches for buy-low players poised to thrive in the right system. Marquee signings are rare; “value” is the priority.

In 2022, linebacker Roquan Smith requested a trade from the Bears during his contract year. The Ravens sent A.J. Klein, plus 2023 second- and fifth-round picks, to Chicago for a “trial run” with Smith – one of the top pending free agents in the upcoming class.

The logic was simple:

• Add a premiere player at a position of need in-season during Baltimore’s “win-now” window.
• If Smith fit Baltimore’s culture, they could extend him long-term.
• If not, his eventual free-agent deal elsewhere would yield a high compensatory pick.

It worked perfectly. Smith became a leader and re-signed with Baltimore on a five-year, $100 million deal. That continuity allowed the Ravens to let Patrick Queen walk the next year – earning a 2025 fourth-round comp pick after Queen signed with Pittsburgh.

Queen’s production dipped with the Steelers, while the Ravens kept their identity intact. It was another textbook example of the Eric DeCosta/Joe Hortiz school of roster economics – maximize value, maintain culture, and never panic-buy.

How It Applies to the Chargers

Fast-forward to Los Angeles. The Chargers’ EDGE group is headlined by aging veterans Mack and Bud Dupree, alongside rising talent Tuli Tuipulotu, who has flashed starter potential but not yet become a consistent terror off the edge.

With Dupree serving primarily as a run-stopper and Mack’s future uncertain, finding a long-term running mate for Tuli has been a growing priority. Oweh gives the Chargers just that: a high-upside, toolsy pass rusher still entering his prime.

If Oweh clicks in Jesse Minter’s defensive system and meshes with the Harbaugh locker room, expect Hortiz to lock him up on a multi-year deal—solidifying the position and freeing the front office to focus elsewhere in the 2026 draft.

If he doesn’t pan out? Hortiz will still have a fallback—Oweh’s talent and age could make him a valuable compensatory-pick asset, much like Smith once was in Baltimore.

Closing Thought

It’s a smart, forward-thinking trade that fits right into Joe Hortiz’s DNA: low risk, high ceiling, and long-term flexibility.

Whether Oweh becomes the Chargers’ next cornerstone pass rusher or simply another strategic chess piece in Hortiz’s roster puzzle, one thing’s clear—the new era of Chargers football is being built with Ravens discipline and Harbaugh grit.

Now… what can be done about the offense…