ca-times.brightspotcdn.com
If you have read a lot of my content, you know that I’m pretty low on the Los Angeles Chargers. I’m really just not a believer in that roster at all, and I think the whopping 10.5-win total hung on them in the prop market is extremely high. Nonetheless, the start of the Jim Harbaugh era featured way fewer Michigan players than I thought, which is not necessarily a good thing, but this step was certainly a step in the right direction. They got some good depth, a few instant starters, and two of the bigger values in the entire draft. Here’s a closer look at their picks:
Round 1: Joe Alt, OT — Grade: A-
Joe Alt is great, but I really wanted them to trade out of this pick. He’s a good player, and a franchise tackle, but like I mentioned, the roster is just super thin to me. It’s hard to imagine they wouldn’t be able to pry both of Minnesota's first to move up, which I think would have helped them tremendously, however, they did pick a great player, so I can’t knock them too much for that.
Round 2: Ladd McConkey, WR — Grade: A+
On the other hand, Ladd McConkey was a slam dunk pick. I was extremely high on Ladd, and was one of the only people to have a first-round grade on the Georgia wideout. I think he can be their best reciever right from the jump, and has the route running and ability after the catch to handle a large portion of their pass volume.
Round 3: Junior Colson, LB — Grade: A-
The first Michigan guy off the board to the Chargers was Junior Colson, a guy I liked. I had him graded right around here, he’s one of the only well-rounded linebackers that was in the draft this year, and is a guy that you can probably plug in and forget about at linebacker, something that you couldn’t really say about pretty much any other linebacker in this class. It's also pretty cool that he get to plug in to the same system as played in college.
Round 4: Justin Eboigbe, IDL — Grade: B-
Justin Eboigbe is a solid rotational lineman, but the early 4th round was a reach to me. He should see the field on a team with a fairly uninspiring IDL, so I think he will prove to be a decent player for the Chargers, but I think there were more exciting players available at this pick.
Round 5: Tarheeb Still, CB — Grade: D-
Tarheeb Still was a head-scratching pick. He did not stand out much in college, and selecting him in the fifth round was a significant reach. There were better cornerbacks available, and I did not have a draftable grade on Still.
Round 5: Cam Hart, CB — Grade: A
Cam Hart is a solid addition to the secondary. He is a big, physical corner who covers well downfield. Hart has the potential to develop into a reliable starter and adds much-needed depth to the Chargers' cornerback group.
Round 6: Kimani Vidal, RB — Grade: A+
Kimani Vidal in the 6th round is a certified steal. I think he can come in and immediately contribute to a running back room that lacks something to get excited about. I’ll even go as far as to say he could ultimately boot JK Dobbins off the roster in training camp. Great pick here and someone you definitely want to be drafting in the late rounds of your best ball drafts and dynasty leagues.
Round 7: Brenden Rice, WR — Grade: A+
Brenden Rice is another late-round gem. I had him ranked as a top-15 receiver in the class. Rice could quickly emerge as the second-best wideout for the Chargers and become a long-term target for Justin Herbert. This was a phenomenal pick with high upside.
Round 7: Cornelius Johnson, WR — Grade: A-
Cornelius Johnson is a fun, big, physical project at wide receiver. Someone that should be able to contribute on special teams while he develops and is a good guy to have in a receiver room.
Final Grade: A
