Post by joemcrugby on Apr 30, 2022 20:11:37 GMT -7
Starting this one for overall post-draft comments.
Here’s Popper’s column to start it up:
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The Chargers wrapped up their 2022 draft with six more picks on Day 3. They found a potential No. 2 running back behind Austin Ekeler. They added offensive line depth with a great value pick in the sixth round. They also acquired some athletic corners.
Let’s assess the draft and where it leaves the Chargers as we head into May.
The picks
• Zion Johnson, OG, first round, No. 17
• JT Woods, S, third round, No. 79
• Isaiah Spiller, RB, fourth round, No. 123
• Otito Ogbonnia, DL, fifth round, No. 160
• Jamaree Salyer, OL, sixth round, No. 195
• Ja’Sir Taylor, CB, sixth round, No. 214
• Deane Leonard, CB, seventh round, No. 236
• Zander Horvath, FB, seventh round, No. 260
Best pick: Johnson. The biggest need for the Chargers entering this draft was on the offensive line. They had to acquire more talent, whether that was at right tackle or on the interior. And they found that talent in Johnson, a plug-and-play prospect who will start right away at right guard. The plan is for Matt Feiler to stay at left guard, and along with center Corey Linsley and Johnson, the Chargers now have a formidable trio on the interior that can dominate both in pass protection and the run game. The Chargers ran the ball well to the left side last season behind left tackle Rashawn Slater, Feiler and Linsley, but they struggled to find any level of consistency rushing to the right side. Johnson will change that. He is an outstanding and powerful run blocker, and the Chargers should have a much more balanced ground attack in 2022. Adding Spiller — a big, physical, north-south runner — to compete for the RB2 spot behind Ekeler will also help. The Chargers went seven years without taking an offensive lineman in the first round. They have now drafted offensive linemen in consecutive first rounds. Protect Justin Herbert. Give him a reliable run game to take some of the pressure off his shoulders. This is sound process from the head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco.
Biggest surprise: The Chargers taking a safety as high as they did. I went into detail on why the Chargers drafted Woods at No. 79 on Friday night. Read that if you want a deep dive. But the short version: Having another deep-field safety with range and ball skills will allow the Chargers to move Derwin James around, particularly closer to the line of scrimmage, without exposing themselves on the back end. Woods is a tremendous athlete and ran track at Baylor on top of playing football. He posted a 4.36 40-yard dash at the combine. And he led the nation in interceptions last season. The fit makes sense. However, there were more pressing needs the Chargers could have addressed here. They left the draft without taking an edge rusher, and their depth there is weak behind Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. They did not take a corner until the sixth round, so Tevaughn Campbell — who struggled in 2021 — is still the fourth cornerback on the depth chart. They do have a ton of players who can defend in the slot, like James, Nasir Adderley, Mark Webb, Asante Samuel Jr. and Woods. And that will give the Chargers some flexibility in how exactly they deploy their corners. But going for a safety with their second of two top-100 picks was slightly puzzling.
Biggest question mark: Who is going to play right tackle? The Chargers had the option of taking Northern Iowa’s Trevor Penning in the first round at 17 and opted for Johnson instead. They went with the more polished player who could contribute right away. But that means right tackle is still a concern. With four quality pass protectors elsewhere on the line, the Chargers can target their help to that specific spot when Herbert drops back — whether Storm Norton, Trey Pipkins or someone else ends up starting. For now, Pipkins and Norton will be competing for that starting role. The Chargers could also bring in a veteran right tackle option during the post-draft wave of free agency. Reilly Reiff and Dennis Kelly are still available. Salyer was a solid pick that late in the draft, and he played tackle for Georgia, both right and left. He will begin his Chargers career as a guard, though, and Staley said he does not have any plans, at least initially, of trying Salyer out at right tackle.
Remaining needs: Edge rusher. Corner. Right tackle. Speed at wide receiver. These were needs entering the draft that the Chargers opted not to address with picks in the top 200. The Chargers will have to bring in another edge rusher because their depth is not sufficient. I expect a jump from 2021 fourth-round pick Chris Rumph. But that is still only three rushers in the rotation. Mack is 31. Bosa has a history of concussions. Expecting both to play 17 games is unrealistic. I think the Chargers will bring in a veteran at some point before training camp. They did sign Jamal Davis from the CFL, but he has only played three NFL games in his career. We will see how the two rookie corners develop through the spring and summer. Taylor was a two-time team captain at Wake Forest and ran a 4.46 40-yard dash. Leonard played three years of college football in Canada before transferring to Ole Miss. He is over 6-foot and ran a 4.37 40. Both can play inside and outside and have some measurable and cover traits that could translate to the NFL. The Chargers also have Kemon Hall on the roster. Last season, though, they were not able to weather injuries because of a lack of depth at corner. They added J.C. Jackson, but the bottom of the depth chart has not changed much because Chris Harris left in free agency. I worry about this depth. We discussed right tackle earlier. And the Chargers did not take a wide receiver, meaning they are still lacking speed in that position group. Jalen Guyton remains their only speed threat. That did put some limitations on how the Chargers attacked the deep part of the field last season, and it also made them relatively predictable. When Guyton was on the field, teams could prepare for his speed. That was a tendency. We could see the Chargers add a veteran like Keelan Cole, Marquise Goodwin or even Will Fuller before training camp.
Post-draft outlook: The Chargers have dramatically reshaped their roster through free agency and the draft. Defensively, they have a new No. 1 corner in Jackson. They overhauled the interior of their defensive line by signing Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson and drafting Ogbonnia, who is a huge, long, block-eating run stuffer on the interior. Mack and Bosa form one of the best pass-rushing tandems in the league. Offensively, they have a better offensive line after drafting Johnson, even with the question at right tackle. And they are much deeper with the addition of Salyer, who can play all five positions. They got younger at tight end with Gerald Everett, who should give the Chargers some juice in the yards-after-catch game. No roster is perfect, but with a couple of more moves to solidify their depth, the Chargers are going to be in position to make the playoffs and possibly contend for a Super Bowl.
theathletic.com/3286340/2022/04/30/chargers-picks-nfl-draft/
Here’s Popper’s column to start it up:
_____
The Chargers wrapped up their 2022 draft with six more picks on Day 3. They found a potential No. 2 running back behind Austin Ekeler. They added offensive line depth with a great value pick in the sixth round. They also acquired some athletic corners.
Let’s assess the draft and where it leaves the Chargers as we head into May.
The picks
• Zion Johnson, OG, first round, No. 17
• JT Woods, S, third round, No. 79
• Isaiah Spiller, RB, fourth round, No. 123
• Otito Ogbonnia, DL, fifth round, No. 160
• Jamaree Salyer, OL, sixth round, No. 195
• Ja’Sir Taylor, CB, sixth round, No. 214
• Deane Leonard, CB, seventh round, No. 236
• Zander Horvath, FB, seventh round, No. 260
Best pick: Johnson. The biggest need for the Chargers entering this draft was on the offensive line. They had to acquire more talent, whether that was at right tackle or on the interior. And they found that talent in Johnson, a plug-and-play prospect who will start right away at right guard. The plan is for Matt Feiler to stay at left guard, and along with center Corey Linsley and Johnson, the Chargers now have a formidable trio on the interior that can dominate both in pass protection and the run game. The Chargers ran the ball well to the left side last season behind left tackle Rashawn Slater, Feiler and Linsley, but they struggled to find any level of consistency rushing to the right side. Johnson will change that. He is an outstanding and powerful run blocker, and the Chargers should have a much more balanced ground attack in 2022. Adding Spiller — a big, physical, north-south runner — to compete for the RB2 spot behind Ekeler will also help. The Chargers went seven years without taking an offensive lineman in the first round. They have now drafted offensive linemen in consecutive first rounds. Protect Justin Herbert. Give him a reliable run game to take some of the pressure off his shoulders. This is sound process from the head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco.
Biggest surprise: The Chargers taking a safety as high as they did. I went into detail on why the Chargers drafted Woods at No. 79 on Friday night. Read that if you want a deep dive. But the short version: Having another deep-field safety with range and ball skills will allow the Chargers to move Derwin James around, particularly closer to the line of scrimmage, without exposing themselves on the back end. Woods is a tremendous athlete and ran track at Baylor on top of playing football. He posted a 4.36 40-yard dash at the combine. And he led the nation in interceptions last season. The fit makes sense. However, there were more pressing needs the Chargers could have addressed here. They left the draft without taking an edge rusher, and their depth there is weak behind Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. They did not take a corner until the sixth round, so Tevaughn Campbell — who struggled in 2021 — is still the fourth cornerback on the depth chart. They do have a ton of players who can defend in the slot, like James, Nasir Adderley, Mark Webb, Asante Samuel Jr. and Woods. And that will give the Chargers some flexibility in how exactly they deploy their corners. But going for a safety with their second of two top-100 picks was slightly puzzling.
Biggest question mark: Who is going to play right tackle? The Chargers had the option of taking Northern Iowa’s Trevor Penning in the first round at 17 and opted for Johnson instead. They went with the more polished player who could contribute right away. But that means right tackle is still a concern. With four quality pass protectors elsewhere on the line, the Chargers can target their help to that specific spot when Herbert drops back — whether Storm Norton, Trey Pipkins or someone else ends up starting. For now, Pipkins and Norton will be competing for that starting role. The Chargers could also bring in a veteran right tackle option during the post-draft wave of free agency. Reilly Reiff and Dennis Kelly are still available. Salyer was a solid pick that late in the draft, and he played tackle for Georgia, both right and left. He will begin his Chargers career as a guard, though, and Staley said he does not have any plans, at least initially, of trying Salyer out at right tackle.
Remaining needs: Edge rusher. Corner. Right tackle. Speed at wide receiver. These were needs entering the draft that the Chargers opted not to address with picks in the top 200. The Chargers will have to bring in another edge rusher because their depth is not sufficient. I expect a jump from 2021 fourth-round pick Chris Rumph. But that is still only three rushers in the rotation. Mack is 31. Bosa has a history of concussions. Expecting both to play 17 games is unrealistic. I think the Chargers will bring in a veteran at some point before training camp. They did sign Jamal Davis from the CFL, but he has only played three NFL games in his career. We will see how the two rookie corners develop through the spring and summer. Taylor was a two-time team captain at Wake Forest and ran a 4.46 40-yard dash. Leonard played three years of college football in Canada before transferring to Ole Miss. He is over 6-foot and ran a 4.37 40. Both can play inside and outside and have some measurable and cover traits that could translate to the NFL. The Chargers also have Kemon Hall on the roster. Last season, though, they were not able to weather injuries because of a lack of depth at corner. They added J.C. Jackson, but the bottom of the depth chart has not changed much because Chris Harris left in free agency. I worry about this depth. We discussed right tackle earlier. And the Chargers did not take a wide receiver, meaning they are still lacking speed in that position group. Jalen Guyton remains their only speed threat. That did put some limitations on how the Chargers attacked the deep part of the field last season, and it also made them relatively predictable. When Guyton was on the field, teams could prepare for his speed. That was a tendency. We could see the Chargers add a veteran like Keelan Cole, Marquise Goodwin or even Will Fuller before training camp.
Post-draft outlook: The Chargers have dramatically reshaped their roster through free agency and the draft. Defensively, they have a new No. 1 corner in Jackson. They overhauled the interior of their defensive line by signing Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson and drafting Ogbonnia, who is a huge, long, block-eating run stuffer on the interior. Mack and Bosa form one of the best pass-rushing tandems in the league. Offensively, they have a better offensive line after drafting Johnson, even with the question at right tackle. And they are much deeper with the addition of Salyer, who can play all five positions. They got younger at tight end with Gerald Everett, who should give the Chargers some juice in the yards-after-catch game. No roster is perfect, but with a couple of more moves to solidify their depth, the Chargers are going to be in position to make the playoffs and possibly contend for a Super Bowl.
theathletic.com/3286340/2022/04/30/chargers-picks-nfl-draft/
