Entering 2008, the Chargers are in the rare position of having no glaring needs entering the draft, and they need to be in that position.
For the upcoming draft, the Chargers only have their first-round pick on day one and then they don't choose again until the fifth round. This will likely change depending on what the NFL deems appropriate for the compensatory pick for losing Donnie Edwards to the Chiefs in free agency last year.
In a change of character, the usually pick-heavy Chargers’ depletion of selections came about because they sent the Dolphins their second-round pick for wide receiver Chris Chambers, they packaged their third-round selection in a move up to get safety Eric Weddle in last year’s draft and their fourth-round pick was used up in the supplemental draft when they chose cornerback Paul Oliver.
The prevalent thought in NFL circles is that A.J. Smith will pull something off to give them an extra pick or two by moving down in the draft. I wouldn't count on it.
Yes, Smith is not shy on pulling a deal, but he also loathes to lose a player he feels can make an impact. If a player the Chargers covet drops to the 27th spot, they will be using the pick.
However, Smith will not reach. He is more than willing to pick players that other teams are leery of, but if a player the he feels is worthy of the pick is not available, he will try to move down. For now, we will assume that he will use the pick and the Chargers will receive a fourth-round pick for the loss of Donnie Edwards.
The draft picks for the Chargers will be as follows (*all picks after the second round are approximate due to compensatory picks):
- 1st Round (27)
- 4th Round (135*)
- 5th Round (161*)
- 6th Round (193*)
- 7th Round (235*)
The top need for the Chargers is depth. In the first round, look for the Chargers to take the best player available between a right guard, right tackle, nose tackle or inside linebacker.
They have no glaring holes in their starting lineup, with the only ones that can really be pushed are in the right side of the offensive line. Both Goff and Clary played well last year, but the majority of Tomlinson's yards came off the left side, which is usually the pass protection side, not the power running side.
A monster on the right side would help the Chargers’ offense be even more versatile and creating more worries for the opposing defensive coordinators.
At age 31, the rock in the middle and most important piece of the defensive puzzle, Jamal Williams is starting to wear down. After four straight years of at least 15 games, Williams was forced out of two games last year and didn't suit up for three others.
He also had surgery on both knees during the bye week and is looking at surgery again in the off-season. A nose tackle takes a few years to groom because it is such a demanding position, the Chargers would be wise to draft him now.
San Diego’s current inside linebackers are solid, but not spectacular. If Smith sees a potential star slide down, I expect him the take him. I don't think we would expect to see him use a later pick on an inside backer though, the Chargers have solid depth in their linebacking corps.
The Chargers are not expected to use their first round pick on a cornerback, so the fans that have been hoping for a Rodgers-Cromartie and Antonio Cromartie family reunion should put that thought on hold. The Chargers like their current crop of cornerbacks, but could add one with a later pick.
Looking at recent draft history, you should expect the Chargers to be able to nab at least one impact player later on in the draft.
Recent picks that were later round picks include Legadu Nanee (pick No. 172), Darren Sproles (130), Shaun Phillips (98), Michael Turner (154), Matt Willhelm (112) and Rodney Harrison (145).
Also looking at recent history, you can likely expect the Chargers to take a player that other teams have shied away from and turn him into a Pro-Bowl caliber player as evidenced by Luis Castillo, Marcus McNeil, and most recently, Cromartie.
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5 months ago
So no worries at all about the safety positions, and ditto at RB? That's a relief.
from 5 months ago
All this article was addressing was the need for the Chargers to draft well. I didn't do a rundown of every position and what they needed. I did a rundown of the positions that could be filled in the first round only. They are not going to choose a safety or a running back early.
5 months ago
Generally speaking, a nice summary. I would bet heavily AGAINST the Chargers using the 27th pick on an ILB considering they drafted two last year (Waters and Siler, both of which are in good stead with the organization), one the year before (Dobbins, who at this point looks to remain with the team), and signed Derek Smith a couple weeks back. That's four backups (all of which there is reason to believe the team likes to some extent) to two young starters who are both signed to long-term deals. Certainly you always try to get better and if A.J. feels that someone (maybe a Connor if he slips) can better the team then I'll go along with that. If that's the case, I'd look for a trade of one of the above-mentioned players, which may also occur BEFORE the draft thereby solving the issue of having so few picks. Barring such a trade, however, A.J. has been known to like the players he's drafted and to stick with them where he can.
ILB could easily be replaced in the priority list by Safety, CB and RB (in that order). With McCree gone, Weddle and Hart are the only remotely suitable players at safety on the roster (at least as of now, and likely as of the time of the draft). I was no fan of Florence as a starter, but truth be told he would be at the top of the list of nickel CB's and that is now a critical position. And finally, Turner's departure leaves Darren Sproles (all 5' 6", 165 lbs of him) as the backup RB. The playoffs attest to the value of that position, and while I love Sproles, if he had to carry the full load for 3-4 weeks I'd wonder about his ability to hold up.
I do disagree with Matt that a safety would not be considered at the first pick. As you say, if AJ likes the guy, he'll take him. Watch for someone like Josh Barrett from ASU as a possibility here. I'd still rate OL or NT as bigger needs, as you suggest, but Safety is not out of the quesiton.
4 months ago
As noted above we will NOT take an ILB in the first round. I think the team is high on Anthony Waters, who probably would have been a first rounder without the knee injury and is a great fit for the 3-4.
A right tackle would be a solid choice as we have a need there. Gosder Cherilus would be a nice fit and is a value at 27. This would not be an exciting pick but would improve our entire offense.
The other choice would be a DB, and whether that is a safety or a corner depends on how Paul Oliver projects. We lost our nickel corner so unless they think someone on our team can take that role (which I doubt unless its Oliver) I think that may be or biggest need.
I doubt we go nose tackle here. There isn't really an NT with a bottom first round grade, and with McKinney and Bingham in the fold there may only be a couple players in the draft the team would be interested in. Probably looking at a late round developmental prospect.
The best scenario would be to trade down out of #27 and try to address a couple of these needs in the second and third rounds.
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