San Diego Chargers' Initial 2015 Round-by-Round Draft Big Board
The draft philosophy of Tom Telesco hasn't changed in the two years since he was first appointed as the San Diego Chargers general manager. He mentioned it twice during a press conference before his first draft in 2013—"we let the board tell us where to go."
The board holds the key to a successful draft (most of the time), which is why teams spend countless hours putting one together. Greg Gabriel, a former Giants scout and director of college scouting with the Bears, wrote a fascinating article for Bleacher Report last May on what goes into building a big board—a must-read for those who want to know more about the process. In the piece, Gabriel explains how draft boards can differ from team to team:
"It's not only ranking the players top to bottom, but it is also having a good idea of how other clubs value players your team likes. One thing you can be sure of, no two value boards are the same. The top 10 players on one team's board is not going to be the top 10 on another board.
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Opposing views on prospects is what makes for an entertaining draft. Where most would suggest a team reached for a player, the fact that said player was highest on the board makes the selection a valid one in the eyes of an organization. Talent, scheme fit and even a player's personality factor into ranking prospects.
Ahead is a glance at potential targets the Chargers could be looking at in each round. I'll take into account which players will most likely be gone by the time San Diego goes on the clock with each pick and how free agency might affect the draft outlook.
Note: The Chargers do not have a seventh-round selection this year, due to the Sean Lissemore trade in 2013.
Round 1
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1. Cedric Ogbuehi (Texas A&M), Offensive Tackle
The mock draft community doesn't see top-rated tackle Brandon Scherff slipping past the top 15 picks, but San Diego would not be getting the short end of the stick in selecting Ogbuehi here. He played both tackle spots for the Aggies this past season and was given a scouts grade of 91 by ESPN (subscription required).
The Chargers may be planning to move D.J. Fluker from tackle to guard next season, and if that happens, they'll need a body on the right side. Fluker's move inside is largely based on his struggles in pass protection—an area most scouts agree Ogbuehi excels in.
2. Ereck Flowers (Miami), Offensive Tackle
Flowers is a late arrival to the party, having declared for the draft just before the start of the new year, but his brand will pick up in the next few months. After playing right tackle his freshman year, Flowers moved to the left side and became a mainstay for the Hurricanes, blocking for the program's all-time leading rusher, Duke Johnson.
Coming out a year early has its downside, though. NFL media analyst Lance Zierlein said Flowers "could have benefited from another year of seasoning, but his feet, toughness and strength to win in the running game should get him drafted no worse than early in the second round." The Chargers will make every attempt to re-sign left tackle King Dunlap in the offseason, but if they can't, they could mold Flowers into his replacement.
3. Danny Shelton (Washington), Defensive Tackle
NFL scouts recently weighed in on Washington's prospects, and by the sound of it, Shelton is a lock for Day 1 of the draft. Here's what the scout told The Seattle Times regarding the All-American:
"He’s a massive dude. And he’s not just a square, can’t-move dude. He can run and he’s physical and he can move. It’s mind-blowing how easy it looks for him. He was just toying with people at times.”
He went from, ‘Oh, we should probably take a look at this guy’ in the summer to a first-round lock now.
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San Diego lacked girth along the interior of its defense, but adding Shelton would fix that. He tallied 93 tackles for the Huskies last season, including 16.5 for loss and nine sacks.
4. Eddie Goldman (Florida State), Defensive Tackle
Goldman joins four other Seminoles who are leaving school early after falling to Oregon in the College Football Playoff. In his first official mock draft on ESPN (subscription required), Todd McShay projects Goldman to the Bolts based on their need for a run-stopper:
"Goldman would provide a boost to the Chargers' defensive line, particularly against the run, which is where he really stands out. He is thick and powerful with good movement skills for his size, and he shows the ability to work through double-teams.
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San Diego attempted to get better against the run by taking Ryan Carrethers in the fifth round last year, but he was active for only six games.
5. La'El Collins (LSU), Offensive Tackle
"If La'El Collins is not a top-five draft pick, I'll kiss my own [expletive]," LSU running backs coach Frank Wilson told Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports. The 6'4", 324-pound senior started 13 games at left guard in 2013 and moved to left tackle this past year for the Tigers. He'll need some work with pass protection, but he's a solid run-blocker.
The Chargers ranked 30th in rushing last season, and while injuries to the running back position were prominent, poor effort from the offensive line was part of that equation.
Round 2
2 of 6
1. T.J. Yeldon (Alabama), Running Back
Yeldon is the best power rusher in the draft, according to Bleacher Report Analyst Matt Miller. He rushed for more than 3,300 yards with nearly 500 yards in receptions during his career at Alabama. Ryan Mathews is a free agent in 2015, which possibly opens the door for San Diego to draft one of several junior running backs.
2. Ty Montgomery (Stanford), Wide Receiver
He had an eye-opening junior season during which he hauled in 10 touchdowns—tied for third-most in the Pac-12 in 2013—but Montgomery fell well short of an encore this past year with just three touchdown catches for the Cardinal. The Chargers need younger reinforcements at the receiver position to complement Keenan Allen, and Montgomery brings with him additional value as an explosive kick returner—he totaled five touchdowns off returns while at Stanford.
3. Nelson Agholor (USC), Wide Receiver
He was a top-three receiver in the Pac-12 last season with more than 100 receptions, just over 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns. He set a Trojans record with a total of four punt return touchdowns over the past two seasons. NFC scout likened the young receiver to longtime Indianapolis Colt Reggie Wayne, according to NFL.com.
4. Tyrus Thompson (Oklahoma), Offensive Tackle
He was an 11-game starter at left tackle for a Sooners offense that led the Big 12 in rushing last season. He has some inconsistencies to work on but showed improvement in pass protection. Fellow teammate Daryl Williams could also be in play for the Chargers in Round 2. He manned the right side of the line for 13 starts and made an appearance at left tackle in place of Thompson.
5. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (Oregon), Cornerback
He suffered a serious knee injury leading up to Oregon's game with Florida State in the College Football Playoff. For the season, he registered nine pass breakups, two interceptions and 63 tackles for the Ducks. He's smaller corner at 5'9", but the Chargers don't tend to shy away from shorter defenders, as was the case with Brandon Flowers and Jason Verrett.
Round 3
3 of 6
1. Hroniss Grasu (Oregon), Center
San Diego went through five different centers in 2014, four of whom are free agents this year. The Chargers seem to like Chris Watt at center despite him being a guard by trade, but the draft might present an opportunity to bring in a true center like Grasu, who has started every game throughout his career at Oregon.
2. Mario Edwards (Florida State), Defensive End
Corey Liuget continues to get better in San Diego, but the same can't be said for Kendall Reyes. After two good seasons to start, Reyes regressed in 2014, totaling just one sack after posting 5.5 the previous two years. It may be time to bring in competition at the position in the form of Edwards, who led the Seminoles in tackles for loss (11) while collecting three sacks.
3. Stefon Diggs (Maryland), Wide Receiver
Diggs came back from a fractured fibula in 2013 to make a career-high 62 receptions for 792 yards and five touchdowns. He has some experience returning kicks and saw quite a few carries as a rusher (20 attempts, 114 yards). He's coming off a memorable performance against Stanford in the Foster Farms Bowl (10 receptions, 138 yards).
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Round 4
4 of 6
1. Jake Fisher (Oregon), Offensive Tackle
Oregon offensive line coach Steve Greatwood sees a little bit of Kyle Long in Fisher, telling Bryan Fischer of NFL.com: "Jake emulates Kyle in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to a tough attitude. Jake's been in the system a bit longer, so I think he's a bit more polished than Kyle was as far as fundamentals."
That's high praise considering Long was just selected to his second Pro Bowl.
2. Josue Matias (Florida State), Guard
He could be the first native of the Dominican Republic to play in an NFL game. He was a two-year starter at left guard for the Seminoles. San Diego has Chad Rinehart locked up for one more year, but he may not be performing on par with the $4.25 million he's set to make next season.
3. Tony Washington (Oregon), Outside Linebacker
He recorded 11.5 tackles for loss and six sacks for the Ducks this past season and returned a fumble for a touchdown against Florida State in the College Football Playoff. He showed no quit on the play after initially dropping back into coverage and then coming up to make the recovery. San Diego could be losing veteran pass-rusher Dwight Freeney in the offseason, and Jarret Johnson is getting up there in age (33) as he prepares for a 13th season.
Round 5
5 of 6
1. Cameron Artis-Payne (Auburn), Running Back
He eclipsed the 2,000-yard mark in just two seasons at Auburn and led the SEC in rushing last season with 1,608 yards and 13 touchdowns. He had nine games of 100-plus yards, including a 221-yard performance against Texas A&M.
2. Doran Grant (Ohio State), Cornerback
He intends to prove himself as the fastest player on the Ohio State roster. He started all 14 games, racking up 58 tackles, 10 pass breakups and three interceptions. He helped limit Alabama receiver Amari Cooper to 71 yards in the Sugar Bowl.
3. Durell Eskridge (Syracuse), Safety
Marcus Gilchrist should be back next season given how well he played in big-game situations, but San Diego does have the option to let him go in free agency. Eskridge is an intriguing safety prospect who stands 6'3" and 207 pounds, according to the Syracuse website.
He made 68 tackles last season and returned an interception for a touchdown against Notre Dame. Coming down in run support seems like a suitable role for the big defensive back, but he does have five interceptions and nine pass breakups over the past two seasons, so he's not lacking in coverage skills.
Round 6
6 of 6
1. Shane Carden (East Carolina), Quarterback
Philip Rivers got beat up in 2014, and by season's end he was dealing with a bulging disc in his lower back. He didn't miss any time due to injury, but a year like that makes you wonder how much longer his body will hold up against that kind of punishment. Carden holds just about every record at East Carolina and is coming of his second 4,000-yard season. The former Pirate could sit behind Rivers and someday take over the reins.
2. Mario Alford (West Virginia), Wide Receiver
Small in stature but with speed that kills, Alford caught 11 touchdown passes to lead the Mountaineers and was the top kick returner in the Big 12. If Eddie Royal departs as a free agent, the Chargers will have a vacancy for a slot receiver.
3. Rory Anderson (South Carolina), Tight End
Antonio Gates informed the Chargers he would be back in 2015 after a superb campaign by the 34-year-old. A 12-touchdown season proved doubters wrong, but eventually Gates will be at the end of the road in the NFL. Ladarius Green is in line to replace the future Hall of Famer, but San Diego will need to replenish the tight end position with talent.
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