2011 NFL Draft Results: Reactions to the San Diego Chargers Draft Choices
The 2011 NFL Draft is over and all 254 selections have been made. There were surprises, both good and bad, that happened over the course of the event, and fan bases everywhere are now reviewing their teams' draft picks.
The San Diego Chargers went into the draft with eight total picks, five being in the first three rounds. Having those five picks in the first three rounds gave the Chargers the power to either trade up for a player they coveted, or be able to fill their roster holes with quality players.
Most Charger fans knew going into this that general manager A.J. Smith would make at least one questionable pick and he did not disappoint.
This slideshow will show my personal reactions to the picks San Diego made throughout the draft.
San Diego Chargers First Round Pick (18): DT/DE Corey Liuget (Illinois)
1 of 8At this point in the draft, there were two players that remained that I was hoping the Chargers were going to pick: Nebraska CB Prince Amukamara or California DE Cameron Jordan.
Amukamara would have been a huge steal for the Chargers at pick No. 18. He will be a shutdown cornerback in the NFL and a future Pro Bowler. San Diego has an aging Quentin Jammer, who would have been ready to move to safety in the next season or two, and this pick would have made San Diego's secondary insanely good. The Chargers passed on him and Amukamara was selected immediately by the New York Giants at pick No. 19.
Jordan was thought to be an easy pick to be made by A.J. Smith if he was still available for their pick, but of course Smith went with a different route. The 5-tech defensive end out of Cal is a game-changing player that San Diego could have definitely used to add to their line. Jordan was not the pick and was selected by New Orleans six picks later.
Corey "Legit" Liuget was the selection by the Chargers and I was somewhat surprised by it. Liuget was more-so looked at by teams to be a 4-3 defensive tackle rather than a 3-4 defensive end. He played defensive tackle at Illinois on almost every down, but he will be the right defensive end for the Chargers defense. He looks to be an adequate run stopper and able to fill up the gaps on the line while also rushing the passer in the nickel package.
San Diego Chargers Second Round Pick (50): DB Marcus Gilchrist (Clemson)
2 of 8The Chargers drafted Marcus Gilchrist with the first of their two second round picks. The defensive back out of Clemson looks to be a jack-of-all-trades in the secondary, as he played some safety as well as cornerback in his time at college. While he can play multiple secondary positions, he hasn't mastered one.
While I don't exactly love the pick, I don't have any problems with it. Gilchrist looks like the type of player that will be a good nickelback and return man when used.
Brandon Harris out of Miami might have been the better pick, in my opinion. Harris is a better cornerback than Gilchrist by far, but Gilchrist has the versatility A.J. Smith was looking for.
San Diego Chargers Second Round Pick (from NYJ, 61): LB Jonas Mouton (Michigan)
3 of 8When the Chargers selected Jonas Mouton, I definitely did not like the pick.
Georgia's Justin Houston, Nevada's Dontay Moch and Illinois' Martez Wilson were all still on the board, and San Diego did not pick one of them. I felt like any one of them would have been a better pick than drafting Mouton. Not to mention, any of the three previously named would have been an instant contributor on special teams since they are very good tacklers with good speed.
According to NFL.com:
""Strengths: Mouton has enough height and speed. Can shoot gaps and makes plays on the ball-carrier. Uses his hands well to sift through the trash in pursuit. Comfortable dropping into zone coverage, can break up passes, and make tackles in the flats. Exhibits great effort rushing the passer. Big hitter.
Weaknesses: Does not possess enough bulk or strength. Struggles to get off blocks in the box. Can be sucked in by misdirection and takes some poor angles in pursuit. Doesn't appear fluid enough to hold up in man coverage against backs at the next level. Lacks the elite burst to overcome bulk deficiencies while pass rushing."
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NFL.com hit the nail on the head with that analysis of Jonas Mouton. It looks as if A.J. Smith made this selection mainly to add to the special teams rather than upgrading both the line-backing core and special teams. If that was his strategy for the whole draft, then Smith should have traded back a ton of times.
Mouton played like a fourth, fifth, or even sixth round pick last season and the Chargers definitely reached on this pick in the second round.
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San Diego Chargers Third Round Pick (82): WR Vincent Brown (San Diego State)
4 of 8The Chargers drafted Vincent Brown with pick No. 82 and there were many that loved this pick for San Diego. Brown went to San Diego State, which of course is located in San Diego and makes him a hometown player in a way.
Brown will be a slot receiver type in the NFL and a return man as well. Due to the Chargers needing to replace Darren Sproles and Legedu Naanee in the return game and receiving core, respectively, drafting a receiver here made a lot of sense.
Though Brown is a nice pick and he went to school in San Diego, the better receiver on the board was Jerrel Jernigan from Troy.
Jernigan is slightly shorter than Brown but has more athleticism, speed, quickness and better route running skills. Not to mention, Jernigan was a dynamic kick and punt returner in college, and would have added his element to the Chargers game.
Jernigan went directly after this Chargers pick to the New York Giants at pick No. 83.
San Diego Chargers Third Round Pick (From SEA, 89): CB Shareece Wright (USC)
5 of 8The Chargers took their second cornerback in the draft when they selected Shareece Wright out of USC. They drafted Marcus Gilchrist in the second round, so it was somewhat surprising when A.J. Smith drafted Wright instead of an offensive lineman.
Wright was a very solid cornerback in college, but his catching ability is his biggest weakness. He plays the run well, tackles well and also reads plays well, but he has a hard time making the interception. This isn't a huge problem though, as it can be fixed with work and practice.
I really like this pick in the third round, but it was questionable due to Smith already drafting Gilchrist in the second round.
San Diego Chargers Sixth Round Pick (183): RB Jordan Todman (Connecticut)
6 of 8San Diego made a fantastic pick here in the sixth round when they selected Jordan Todman out of Connecticut. Todman was fourth in rushing last season and he has the ability to be a successful back in the NFL. In terms of talent and where the pick was in the draft, this may be the best pick in the entire draft.
The Chargers needed to replace Darren Sproles in the backfield by drafting a change-of-pace running back to pair with Ryan Mathews, and that is exactly what they did. Todman ran a 4.40 40-yard dash and has great speed and elusiveness. He's a short running back, like Sproles, but he's definitely more solid at 203 lbs.
Todman was a great pick here in the sixth round, and every Chargers fan should be happy with this selection.
San Diego Chargers Sixth Round Pick (201): G Stephen Schilling (Michigan)
7 of 8The Chargers drafted Stephen Schilling out of Michigan with their second sixth round pick.
Schilling was a four-year, durable and worthy left guard at Michigan. He was selected as an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention last year by both the coaches and media.
The 6'4" 300 lbs. guard is athletic and has the same game to that of current Charger and Pro Bowl guard Kris Dielman. With Dielman possibly taking him under his wing, Schilling could have a successful future in the NFL.
Schilling needs to polish his block finishing if he wants to take his game to the next level. Other than that, this was a solid pick in the late rounds.
San Diego Chargers Seventh Round Pick (234): LB Andrew Gachkar (Missouri)
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San Diego made another pick in the draft to help the special teams unit, as they selected Andrew Gachkar out of Missouri. The Chargers special teams was atrocious and the addition of Gachkar will help the unit as a whole.
Gachkar contributed to the special teams unit in his career at Missouri, so he has experience in that department. He is an undersized linebacker, but has good speed and should be able to make the team's roster solely on the fact he can contribute on special teams.
This was a solid pick to wrap up a decent draft for the San Diego Chargers.
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