NFLBy: Keith Richards
Of all the AFC West teams, the Los Angeles Chargers are the team with the most to figure out. Their franchise quarterback, Phillip Rivers, finally decided to leave the organization. Rivers was always one of the most underappreciated quarterbacks in the league. Replacing him will be difficult, but the Chargers have other needs as well. I will discuss those needs now.
2020 Draft Needs
Temporarily, Tyrod Taylor will be able to fill in at quarterback. Still, Taylor is not the long term fix at quarterback. In a quarterback rich draft, the Chargers have choices on when to draft their future. Los Angeles has exactly seven picks, which is one in each round. Also, they never pick later than 7th in any given round. So, where can they afford to take risks?
A quarterback has to be the top priority for the team. Truthfully, it will come down to the team’s assessment. Conventional wisdom states that if you’re going to draft a quarterback in the first round, you should start him. That leaves only one quarterback. Chargers could also roll the dice on some attractive options in the second and third rounds. I’ll come back to that shortly.
After quarterback, Los Angeles needs to look ahead to next season. Next season, Bosa and Ingram are due for extensions. The Chargers will not be able to pay both. With that in mind, another edge rusher should be on their radar. While the Chargers did gain Chris Harris Jr. from the Broncos, they lost Melvin Gordon to the same team. A backup to Ekeler will so be critical. Finally, the Chargers will need a left tackle and consider losing Hunter Henry next season.
2020 Mock Draft
As I stated above, the NFL 2020 draft class is relatively deep at quarterback. At the top of this list, you have Tua Tagovailoa, Jordan Love, and Justin Herbert. The bottom consists of Jake Fromm, Jacob Eason, and Jalen Hurts. Yes, I excluded Joe Burrow from the list. If the Bengals don’t draft him, then someone will trade for the first pick and draft him. Joe Burrow will not be available at the 6th pick.
Again, conventional wisdom states that drafting a quarterback in the first round means you start that pick right away. That only leaves one player at 6th: Tua Tagovailoa. It’s the single shot in the first round that Los Angeles has unless they trade back into the first round. I would not advise that. It’s not a time to be cute. The Los Angeles Chargers should draft Tua.
Tagovailoa’s health concerns appear to a non-issue. Furthermore, with Tyrod Taylor signed, the need to start Tua right away is not dire. Los Angeles can let him learn and grow into an NFL dual-threat scheme. As a proven champion, Tua is just too good to pass up. I know I’m bucking the trend on this one, but my gut tells me that Tagovailoa is going to be a star in this league. He would quickly help the Chargers get over Rivers.
The Chargers pick 5th in the second round. A player they should focus on, if available, is Zack Baun. A few days ago, Baun tested positive for a diluted sample at the combine. This means Baun is likely to be available, which is a gift and a curse for the Chargers. It’s a gift for LA because Baun is supremely talented. He’s got size, strength, and speed—all the tools you want out of an edge rusher.
Also, if Zack is suspended for a season, Ingram and Bosa are both still on the roster this season. Consequently, a potential suspension is a curse. Baun already comes with baggage. Zack’s ceiling is extraordinarily high, but his floor is very low. Given the recent history of players and failing drug tests, it’s a massive gamble for the Chargers. It’s one I feel that they should take.
With the 7th pick in the third round, the focus now shifts to the offensive line. He’s very raw, but Saahdiq Charles out of LSU has potential. At 6’4”, 321, Charles has a big frame that is difficult to move. Saahdiq’s 33” arms allow him to combat defenders at a distance. Charles will need some work, but he’s worth a shot.
If I’m honest, it’s more than likely that LA will have another high draft pick next season. This year, though, the Chargers are in an excellent position to start their rebuild. Find out what the Chargers do live with NBS on Thursday!
