2023 Official Charger Draft - Post Draft Discussion (Daily Links In OP)

[21&500]

If Atlanta continues to refuse to use Kyle Pitts properly, trade him and their 2nd to us for our 1st and Parham.

[dmac_bolt]

Hyatt gone by mid second for sure...Looking at receiver stats i noticed something. My top 4 are (in order) Zay Flowers, Rashee Rice, Jalin Hyatt and Addison. The only two who did not fade at the end of the season were Flowers and Rice. Last 4 games of the season Hyatt had 1 TD, Addison 1 TD, Rice 5 TD's, and Flowers 6 TD's. Flowers is my #1 and reminds me of Tyreek Hill. Great breakaway speed, doesn't seem to take big hits and short area quickness like nobody's business. I'd be happy as a clam with either Hyatt or Flowers in the 2nd round if either falls. The only receiver I'd be happy with in the first is Flowers though. Honestly hope we take either Bijan or Gibbs in the 1st and then best receiver on the board in 2. We definitely need some speed at wr who can make opposing teams cover the entire field. Go Bolts!

BfromB calls Zay for the Charger’s pick

One of the Chargers’ biggest flaws of their offense in 2022 was the lack of threatening speed. Whether for plays over the top of the defense or around it, the Bolts didn’t have much to intimidate opposing teams and that certainly was the case when they lost wideout Jalen Guyton for the majority of the season.

That need has been ringing loud and clear throughout the draft world which is why it’s no surprise that one of the latest 2023 mock drafts from Pro Football Network has the Chargers selecting Boston College speedster Zay Flowers with the 21st-overall pick.

If it wasn’t clear all season, the Chargers are bereft of dynamic weapons in the passing game,” writes author James Fragoza. “And you won’t find a receiver as dynamic as Zay Flowers outside of Round 1. He owns a similar horizontal skill set to the Dolphins’ Jaylen Waddle, with the deep-ball tracking you don’t often see in smaller WRs.

I’m personally a big fan of this pick simply do to the mention of Flowers’ “horizontal” skill set. While the Chargers got a lot of vertical explosive plays out of guys like Guyton and former wideout Tyron Johnson, the Bolts haven’t seen a receiver affect defenses horizontally since they employed Tyrell Williams.

The magic of Williams’ ability is that he could effortlessly turn a five-yard crossing route into 10 or 15 yards due to his elite speed. He made a lot of plays for Philip Rivers near the end of his career and getting Justin Herbert anything close to that skill set would be a massive breath of fresh air in this offense.

https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/202...ft-zay-flowers

[madcaplaughs]

This guy is a machine.

Very physical dude (Drew Sanders)

[SK21209]

If Atlanta continues to refuse to use Kyle Pitts properly, trade him and their 2nd to us for our 1st and Parham.

I think I'd trade our first for Pitts straight up.

[chargeroo]

Cardinals need to replace JJ Watt.... trade Joey for DeAndre Hopkins,

Hopkins is like KA - about the same size and foot speed. Hopkins timed at 4.57 in the forty. I'm guessing KA is about the same (I couldn't find times on KA). He still wouldn't bring in the speed that our fan base is pleading for. I'd still love to have him and KA on our team.

Word is the Cowboys want Hopkins.

[Boltnut]

Chargers don't need DBs this off-season. Vato earned his keep, Asante is a killer, and JT Woods, Ja-Sir Taylor, + Mark Webb are slated to be the young, up and comers.
Yes, the Chargers need EDGE depth but they also need to evaluate Kenneth Murray II and arrive at that same conclusion that I did: he is the most upgradable position - based upon grade and contract status - in the entire front seven.

What the Chargers do not have is a DT/NT like Dexter Lawrence.

I was one of Dexter Lawrence's biggest fans when he came out of college. Having said that, Staley's defense doesn't use typical big body NT's. Austin Johnson, Tito, and SJD are the prototype. Even Lawrence played DT for Clemson.

Ja-Sir Taylor is no where near replacing Bryce Callahan. Taylor looked awful @slot CB. CB or OT in the 1st round please!

[C’monchargers]

I was one of Dexter Lawrence's biggest fans when he came out of college. Having said that, Staley's defense doesn't use typical big body NT's. Austin Johnson, Tito, and SJD are the prototype. Even Lawrence played DT for Clemson.

Ja-Sir Taylor is no where near replacing Bryce Callahan. Taylor looked awful @slot CB. CB or OT in the 1st round please!

I beg to differ on this. Staley runs an uneven 3-4 front, which in essence it operates similar to an over under 4-3 front at times. In this type of front, the NT will either hold the 0 tech or strong/weak (over/under) side i1 tech to 3 tech. The job is to anchor that end and create pressure by pushing the pocket to force the action to the other side to be swarm.

In any 3-4 related scheme it is crucial to have a big body to be able to handle the 0tech at times and be able to collapse his side, eat doubles in the A gap to free up everybody else, doing the dirty work to force the action to one side in order to be sustainable. Staley had Aaron Donald with the Rams who plays much bigger than his size. Even teams like the Super Bowl Seahawks that ran an over under 4-3 had Brandon Mebane, always had an even bigger body like Ahthyba Rubin to anchor.

You can run plays with whatever players you want (4-3 personnel,etc), but to run anything that is uneven or 3-4, it is a must to have somebody that is strong enough or big body up front to force the action to either side, otherwise it is just a fugazi; where your guys had to play perfect just to be functional. You can teach technique and all that but there is no replacement for displacement and the relevancy increases as you move closer to the line of scrimmage . It’s just simple physics.

If you want to contain leakage, best not to let them break your dam.

[C’monchargers]

Also, I forgot to mention is the fact that having an inside presence forces opponents’ oline to play tighter in the middle and the olb would benefit big time; where their normal 7-5 tech assignment becomes much easier immediately.

[ghost]

I was one of Dexter Lawrence's biggest fans when he came out of college. Having said that, Staley's defense doesn't use typical big body NT's. Austin Johnson, Tito, and SJD are the prototype. Even Lawrence played DT for Clemson.

Ja-Sir Taylor is no where near replacing Bryce Callahan. Taylor looked awful @slot CB. CB or OT in the 1st round please!

Interesting draft values you've presented in CB and OT. This is a very, very deep draft for CBs, Bucky Brooks projected 8 DBs coming off the board in the 1st Round. I take you to mean RT or swing OT depth as Slater has the LT nailed down. I can agree with RT. Not at CB.

Defense: The Chargers were outscored in the second halves of both games against Jacksonville most recently 24-3, and in Week Three 22-3. I will argue that this team needs to address it's defense. Start by looking at the backfield: JC Jackson is rehabbing right now. Plus Vato and Zont, the safeties are Derwin, JT Woods, and Mark Webb. Callahan earned a raise but he may return. I give this unit a pass.

I argue that it's the front seven that needs addressing over every other unit. Our LB corp would be fucking nails with the addition of Drew Sanders (along with the subtraction of Kenneth Murray II). Pair that with a healthy Mack and Bosa in 2023, that will undoubtedly make for a stouter defense up the middle, and more difficult to run against as this defense will be winning it's individual match-ups. Our coverage of RBs and TEs improves with Sanders as well. Blitzes also improve. Tackling and TFLs goes up. Opponents' points per game and third down conversion percentages go down. Drue + Drew would rival what Jacksonville has with Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma at LB.

Offense: I do want a RT, but not in the 1st Round as OT ANTON HARRISON, OKLAHOMA is the only late 1st Rounder I find interesting right now. Could change.

[Boltnut]

Interesting draft values you've presented in CB and OT. This is a very, very deep draft for CBs, Bucky Brooks projected 8 DBs coming off the board in the 1st Round. I take you to mean RT or swing OT depth as Slater has the LT nailed down. I can agree with RT. Not at CB.

Defense: The Chargers were outscored in the second halves of both games against Jacksonville most recently 24-3, and in Week Three 22-3. I will argue that this team needs to address it's defense. Start by looking at the backfield: JC Jackson is rehabbing right now. Plus Vato and Zont, the safeties are Derwin, JT Woods, and Mark Webb. Callahan earned a raise but he may return. I give this unit a pass.

I argue that it's the front seven that needs addressing over every other unit. Our LB corp would be fucking nails with the addition of Drew Sanders (along with the subtraction of Kenneth Murray II). Pair that with a healthy Mack and Bosa in 2023, that will undoubtedly make for a stouter defense up the middle, and more difficult to run against as this defense will be winning it's individual match-ups. Our coverage of RBs and TEs improves with Sanders as well. Blitzes also improve. Tackling and TFLs goes up. Opponents' points per game and third down conversion percentages go down. Drue + Drew would rival what Jacksonville has with Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma at LB.

Offense: I do want a RT, but not in the 1st Round as OT ANTON HARRISON, OKLAHOMA is the only late 1st Rounder I find interesting right now. Could change.

IMO, the CB class is stacked at the top. Unlike last year, I don't like the class after the 2nd round. Last year's group was really deep. Right now, I have my eye on Clark Phillips III from Utah. He could start immediately and replace the aging, oft-injured Bryce Callahan. Callahan played great this year... and his contributions were largely overlooked. I hate to say it, but JC Jackson may not return from the patellar rupture... very few do... and are never the players they were before. Vato really turned up the heat this year... but he'll be a FA after the 2023 season. He could be extended. Even then, you'll need a slot CB.

IMO, the LB's were below-average this year. Too many missed assignments and frequently filling the wrong gaps. They were slow to read... I suspect that's why the LB coach got canned. I agree, LB is a PON. I have my eye on LB's in the 3rd round.

Right now, CB in the 1st, OT in the 2nd, and LB in the 3rd.
My 2nd round OT is Cody Mauch.

[Maniaque 6]

Do you have a solution in that draft to fix run defense ?
Go after him.
Last year, I thought it would be Jordan Davis.

[blueman]

Also, I forgot to mention is the fact that having an inside presence forces opponents’ oline to play tighter in the middle and the olb would benefit big time; where their normal 7-5 tech assignment becomes much easier immediately.

Nice couple of posts.