2024 Chargers Draft Superthread - Prospect Discussion - Draft Has Started

[AFboltfan]

Self quote: "...is the closest thing in this draft to Aaron Donald."

This guy is similar in style, not talent level.

Jer'Zahn will be slotted for us.

The question is what sort of player will reinvigorate our defense ?

Secondary... CB... Kool Aid. Reinvigorates you when you're thirsty.

[Boltnut]

Secondary... CB... Kool Aid. Reinvigorates you when you're thirsty.

I'm drinking the Kool Aid. But... he'll be a Top-10 pick. He may not even be there when we pick. I'll be damned if I root for losses against the Broncos, Raiders, or Chiefs.

So the question is... are we still on-board the CB-Train if we're picking @#12...?

[Boltnut]

NTs. Tito. Okoye.
We need inside push on passing downs.
Check the traits on Newton.
He is also a Base DE.
That is needed over yet another Fatty.
SJD has a very expensive '24 contract.
Krissakes.
Get your butts over to Over the Cap, Spotrac and Ourlads.

Agree... Tito is the NT next year.
Okoye may be ready next year. Only the coaches (present or future) know.
Morgan Fox is IDL on passing downs.
SJD has a $10 million cap # ($7.5 million savings if released) but how many roster holes do you create?
OverTheCap suggests you extend KA and Mack to 2026.
OTC also suggests you cut/trade Bosa, MW, and Linsley.
Linsley cut only makes sense if you replace him with a quality veteran ($8.9 million+-).

I like Jer'Zhan... just not in the middle of the 1st round. Too many other impact players around that slot.

[Boltnut]

Nutty's latest mock @Fanspeak:

12: R1 P12 EDGE Dallas Turner - Alabama. I don't know if he would be there. But if he is...
44: R2 P12 CB Terrion Arnold - Alabama. He's over-shadowed by Cool-Aid. Smart, tough, fundamentals.
76: R3 P12 DL Kris Jenkins - Michigan. 3-4 DE. Work-ethic. Bloodline. Elite program.
112: R4 P12 TE Erick All - Iowa. Understands zone soft spots. Good hands.
148: R5 P12 RB Devin Neal - Kansas. The Mayor of Lawrence. Good patience. Good burst. Hits the hole.
187: R6 P12 LB Tatum Bethune - Florida State. Good read/react allows him to slip blocks. Good fundamentals. Deep LB class.
231: R7 P12 S Billy Bowman - Oklahoma. Very productive (5 ints). Good awareness. Oklahoma plays him all over. Deep safety class.

I look at the front end of the draft (BPA @ PON) first. I look for quality starters that will impact the whole team. I look for premium position players. To me, the premium positions are QB, LT, DE, CB, then WR. So, I'm getting DE and CB since we have QB, LT, and WR.

Then I look for quality depth at each position. I try identify the deepest positions in the draft... so I can get quality backups in the later rounds. This year, the quality depth appears to be at RB, LB, and safety. Luckily, we have starters @LB and safety next year. I want a quality RB... and the class thins out after the 5th round. I'm a big believer that the running game depends heavily upon OL effectiveness. A new HC/OC should provide that OL improvement... especially if that HC is Frank Smith.

I would extend Keenan and Khalil. Try to trade Bosa and MW. Bosa for a 3rd and MW for a 4th round. You can save a lot of cap with these 4 players. Bosa and MW are the injury-prone players. Get what you can for them... even if it is only a 4th and a 5th. Savings and availability are key. 2 extra draft picks would help fill out the roster with decent depth.

I would get my center via FA. My old friend Connor Williams would be ideal.

[beachcomber]

got seven guys in my first round cluster, and.... not interested in anyone e!se,

Marvin Harrison
Joe Alt
Jer'Zhan Newton
Kool Aid McKinstry
Laiatu Latu
Brock Bowers
Rome Odunze

think anyone else is a miss/poor value as compared to any of the aforementioned.... just sayin'

problem is/might be.... that only one of the above are still on the board when our turn comes, and me thinx that'll most likely be.... Latu,

(everyone else listed will be off the board ?)

[beachcomber]

Dallas Turner

elite wheels 'n height, has length and can get skinny, high effort player that makes splash plays, high ceiling, and keen backside defender....

question as to whether he is disruptive enough/bendy enough ?? is he a one trick pony w/straight line speed for days ?? is he even an every down player ?? will he disappoint fan base ?? liability in the run game ?? diagnosing/processing skills in question ??

he lacks power in his punch, tackles easily reset after initial engagement, gets stood up by Olinemen, TEs win reps against him, gives up ground and gets caught up in the wash against the run, middling weight @sub 250 lbs that might lack sand in the pants against the run, misses tackles, lacks consistency, raw pass rush repertoire/not pass rush technician, rendered inert when boxed in....

personally am not in love w/his intangibles, and sure seems like a developmental projection, and where you are gambling on potential, and someone who is risky given his run defense or lack thereof ??

seems more of a back half of the first round, @best, kinda guy, and.... Tillery got pressure but was a liability against the run.... easy pass for me,

[beachcomber]

I don’t think he’ll get past middle of R2. The “consensus” smart analysts keeps saying IDL are over-valued while the actually smart teams that win in the trenches keep swooping in and “overdrafting” the top NT prospects “early” and building dominant interior defense that win the LOS every game.

“But NTs aren’t 3 down players” … I say SO WHAT. Down 1 and 2 decide the series 75% of the time, 3rd and 9 vs 3rd and 1 is humongous. Being unable to run in the interior gaps is enormous. Consuming 2 to 3 blockers every down as their only alternative to crushing the interior line is gargantuan. I need more words for really big

Pick your position - a starting OC or a dominant NT. I’ll pick dominant NT 10 out of 10 times over an OC.

am w/you DMac.... would love a legit NT, and.... tempted to move T'Vondre Sweat up into the second round as you suggest, and.... that would prolly require getting a second back from trading Bosa, and.... did a deeper dive on him, and.... two things:

one, gotta get value in the draft, which means not jumping the gun on someone, even if I really covet that particular talent, and.... in the case of T'VS.... his cautionary tale is that he doesn't always get off blocks well to make the tackle, and..... still agree that a NTs real value is in keeping the LBs clean and w/our overall defense, which is most always better w/an effective NT, and.... gotta be disciplined w/our draft selections, and as the guy that am currently tempted to move up is RB Daijun Edwards (watch his highlight reel while your'e @it).

tough call.... would like the OC as well as an NT, and.... we've got to get our RB of choice day two, and before the usual round four variety.

[beachcomber]

Jer'Zahn Newton sits a top my early Round One clusta.

I would consider unusual ways to gain cap relief.

Slater (ex Northwestern) to the Bears for pick(s). This is the deepest Offensive Tackle draft ever. Oh do I love Slater, but 5 years of a rookie contract OLT is something we might consider for prime years Herbert and need for cap relief.

Hey, PFF gave me an A+ for doing this. Fashanu @ #5 for Slater, #14, #71.

Can still draft a DB @ #44 and RB, TE late. Haircuts for numerous, retained Charger players would be next.

It is indeed, way, way too early. LOL. And never too late to qualify for the '23 tournament, too.

Jer'Zhan looks hellah good (will he even be on the board come our selection ?), and.... didn't Rivers' seasons rise & fall, almost strictly based on whether he had a decent LT or not ?? why put Herbert's boat out on those high seas when we're already safe in port w/Slater ?? !!

and who is your LT of choice ?? Alt is gonna be off the board, and Fashanu is fool's gold according to some.... more a back half of the first talent/top twenty.... not top 5 or 10 as oft advertised ??

and like Terrion Arnold some if he's still there for us round two, but would much rather re sign Mike D. 'n nab us an OC and maybe even a NT or RB while we're @it ?? !!

TE is a day three endeavor (me thinx), as am endeavoring to re sign Everett for now....

[wu-dai clan]

Jer'Zhan looks hellah good (will he even be on the board come our selection ?), and.... didn't Rivers' seasons rise & fall, almost strictly based on whether he had a decent LT or not ?? why put Herbert's boat out on those high seas when we're already safe in port w/Slater ?? !!

and who is your LT of choice ?? Alt is gonna be off the board, and Fashanu is fool's gold according to some.... more a back half of the first talent/top twenty.... not top 5 or 10 as oft advertised ??

and like Terrion Arnold some if he's still there for us round two, but would much rather re sign Mike D. 'n nab us an OC and maybe even a NT or RB while we're @it ?? !!

TE is a day three endeavor (me thinx), as am endeavoring to re sign Everett for now....

A penetrating DT/3Tech type would invigorate our defense. We need a Corner and a Safety. And a LB.

LOL. How many picks do we have ?

Re OT it is early and there is plenty of creativity possible with this depth. I like Troy Fauntanu of Washington. Salyer can play OLT. Zion to Center if Linsley retires. There are always midround OGs (even Fautanu, with his projected position flexibility).

[Boltjolt]

am w/you DMac.... would love a legit NT, and.... tempted to move T'Vondre Sweat up into the second round as you suggest, and.... that would prolly require getting a second back from trading Bosa, and.... did a deeper dive on him, and.... two things:

one, gotta get value in the draft, which means not jumping the gun on someone, even if I really covet that particular talent, and.... in the case of T'VS.... his cautionary tale is that he doesn't always get off blocks well to make the tackle, and..... still agree that a NTs real value is in keeping the LBs clean and w/our overall defense, which is most always better w/an effective NT, and.... gotta be disciplined w/our draft selections, and as the guy that am currently tempted to move up is RB Daijun Edwards (watch his highlight reel while your'e @it).

tough call.... would like the OC as well as an NT, and.... we've got to get our RB of choice day two, and before the usual round four variety.

I think we are signing a OC if Linsley retires...or we just release him because he isn't the same due to his issue,... so I'm not even drafting one if that's the case. At least not early.

Can't get everything in the draft and there are some young OCs on the market.
Even if we get extra picks I'm trying to sign a OC. Too many holes to fill.

That's the direction I use when I do my mocks anyways.

I'm not on board with you on resigning Mike D. He has to go.
Not paying that guy 8 mil to be Jeckel and Hyde every year.

[Boltnut]

In regards to Dallas Turner... I estimate he will go between 10-15. His long arms allow him to separate and shed in pass/rush scenarios. He's athletic with a fast/explosive 1st step. His frame will allow for 5-10 more pounds. And... he is athletic/fluid enough to drop into coverage (a lost art among 3-4 OLB's). He reminds me of Shawn Phillips... but more explosive/stronger/athletic.

I'm looking for an OLB to rotate at OLB with Tuli and Mack. Prepare for injury... prepare for Father Time. Keep Mack/Tuli fresh. The 4th quarter matters. If Kool-Aid is still there, I choose to drink the Kool-Aid and find another pass-rusher in the 2nd. If I'm really in a gambling mood (and really like someone in the 2nd) I might be willing to search for OLB depth in the 3rd round. The simulators used to let me get Jasheen Davis in the 3rd round. But, they finally caught up...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMCNCyt-B-w

[AFboltfan]

I'm drinking the Kool Aid. But... he'll be a Top-10 pick. He may not even be there when we pick. I'll be damned if I root for losses against the Broncos, Raiders, or Chiefs.

So the question is... are we still on-board the CB-Train if we're picking @#12...?

I'm hoping he falls but I'm also going scorched earth... In my perfect offseason TT and Staley are fired and we get a top 10 pick for (insert new GM here) and Harbaugh's new team.