2024 Chargers Draft Superthread - Prospect Discussion - Draft Has Started

[Topcat]

My son likes them too ... its wrong how we have failed our youth.

What's this world coming to? First, there's a run on toilet paper...next, these kids are crossing a busy street with their noses buried in their cell phones...now, they're putting fries into their burritos...what's next?

[Topcat]

I think you're about 50 years late on that one..🤣

Old boy has been replaced with bloke,....or geezer...
Any other hip, modern lingo I'm too old for( or so my children tell me 🙄)

But I like Estime as well🤙

It must be all those old British classic films I have watched...Errol Flynn, Basil Rathbone, Alec Guinness, Peter O'Toole, Christopher Lee, and the lot of them...a jolly good group...

[dmac_bolt]

Agree on the Fluker comparison.
Once bitten, twice shy!
Now if Latham is there R2, then alright but not R1.

yeah, kind of like a post exchange I had yesterday. If we don't like him in R1 because we think he'll flop, I don't like him in R2, R3 or R4. Just go with a different guy if we think he's not gonna step up to the next level (like far too many Bama OTs fail to do).

I want to know WTF is it with Bama. they get top level recruits, have a top level program, top level training, yet they deliver turd OTs to the NFL at what feels a statistically odd level of frequency.

[Topcat]

yeah, kind of like a post exchange I had yesterday. If we don't like him in R1 because we think he'll flop, I don't like him in R2, R3 or R4. Just go with a different guy if we think he's not gonna step up to the next level (like far too many Bama OTs fail to do).

I want to know WTF is it with Bama. they get top level recruits, have a top level program, top level training, yet they deliver turd OTs to the NFL at what feels a statistically odd level of frequency.

Maybe the Alabama philosophy on the O-line is assembling as many tall and very heavy, but somewhat slow dudes who dominate the ground game, but don't have to face too many really quick edge rushers...so footwork not a high priority...just a theory of course...

[WindsorUK]

I'm liking Topcat's theory on Alabama OT's.

Saban has these kids for 4 years( or less). Do the Alabama thing. Not worried about how they translate at next level, hence the Fluker's and Williams careers.

As for taking him later, if our guys see a road grater who can shift to OG, maybe use a less valuable asset( i.e. later pick) to grab him?
Granted, I'd rather have an OG from the college ranks as I'm not one for moving guys around.

[Boltjolt]

I've never understood the chips( french fries) with mayo thing( It's the preferred condiment for the British)
What's the point????

They also like beans with their breakfast so they are just different. And not refried beans, pork and beans type. And i do love me some Bushes beans but not for breakfast.

[dmac_bolt]

Maybe the Alabama philosophy on the O-line is assembling as many tall and very heavy, but somewhat slow dudes who dominate the ground game, but don't have to face too many really quick edge rushers...so footwork not a high priority...just a theory of course...

its a curiosity, for sure. His job WAS to win Bama football games, not an NFL development center. he got more than plenty of players to the pros for recruiting purposes. There are very few guys in a typical college season that will stack up against the weekly talent in the NFL. how many College edge players become elite in the NFL every year - 2, 3, 4ish max? Ironically, odds are that one of them played for Bama lol

Bama may see one of them once in a year - Saban can easily just slide support for one guy one game, attack the other side, etc.

Someone mentioned maybe he's an OG candidate. Idunno. If his feet are really too slow and heavy, he may struggle there too. No reason to hope - there are a lot of good linemen in this draft , we don't need to lock in on just Latham if there are legit concerns. Noting all that - I don't know if he's too slow, physically or mentally, at all. Zero inside info here, just reading posts.

[Boltjolt]

Minnesota, on good authority:

Ketchup is hot sauce.

Mayo on fries - well everything.

Coke Cola in mixed drinks, all of them (once had a White Russian at a wedding there, had Coke in it…a lot of Coke).

Interesting....lol.

Years ago i worked with a guy from NY and he had some pepperoncinis and every bite he took he made that face and said .....Ohh, these are so spicey lol.

[Chargers8491]

Peanut butter with banana and honey sandwiches are the best!

[dmac_bolt]

They also like beans with their breakfast so they are just different. And not refried beans, pork and beans type. And i do love me some Bushes beans but not for breakfast.

they eat blood sausage. enough said. I lived in England for 6mo as a younger man, I can confirm that cuisine is not the reason for their once-vast empire. Flavor is just not a priority.

[WindsorUK]

They also like beans with their breakfast so they are just different. And not refried beans, pork and beans type. And i do love me some Bushes beans but not for breakfast.

Oh, you know what, I do like myself a good English fry up! Mushrooms, tomatoes, beans, sausage, eggs, bacon, fried bread ,mmmmmm.......good stuff.
Then there's the Scottish version which uses black pudding, haggis, and tattie scones. Delicious!

[Boltjolt]

Jeremiah was one of two guys. The rest have Nabers over Odunze.

And you may have got it backwards. Nabers can play outside or in the slot. He is more effective in the slot. Odunze only fits on the outside. What I would say is
that they are very different players. Odunze is the bigger guy, can make the contested catch with a bigger catch radius. Nabers is much more elusive and
is going to get open quicker. By all accounts Odunze is a very hard worker and bodes well in the NFL. Nabers appears to be more of a diva. If there is an
area where Odunze has an advantage character would be the one. Otherwise Nabers is the better talent.

The question of who is going to have more success in the NFL is a very different and difficult question to answer. My guess is all things being equal
(which they won't be) Nabers would have the advantage UNLESS he gets a leg injury. Nabers relies on his athletic ability and quickness which is
elite. A injury could really change all that. Of course a serious injury could also happen to Odunze, so those are huge unknowns.

Here is another. And i dont think Odunze cant play in the slot. Just like i dont think Nabers cant play outside. We have had Palmer there, and MW. and of course Keenan. I think Odunze would be good no matter where we put him.

https://theathletic.com/5412463/2024/04/15/nfl-draft-randy-mueller-top-10/

An NFL Draft top 10 that breaks the mold: How Randy Mueller values the best prospects


By Randy Mueller
Apr 15, 2024

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As we approach the 2024 NFL Draft, things are coming into focus from 30,000 feet and the worm’s-eye view. Here are a few thoughts on how things are shaping up for decision-makers around the league.

This draft offers plenty of options for teams with offensive needs. The defensive players at the top of this year’s pool are so limited in quality and quantity that a defensive player might not be taken in the top 10. I have only one on my list — it is otherwise dominated by quarterbacks, offensive tackles and wide receivers.




After several classes overflowing with talented prospects (mainly due to the extra year of eligibility granted because of the pandemic), with as many as 350 names filling NFL teams’ draft boards, teams could struggle to get 150 names on their boards this year. This is dangerous for two reasons: The top players will disappear quickly, and teams will have to guard against the risk of overdrafting players in the later rounds.

It might be a good opportunity for some teams to trade picks, maybe to move up into the first four rounds, or for a veteran player who brings more certainty. For that reason, there will be a lot of trade talk over the next couple of weeks.

Here are my top 10 players, regardless of position, and why I value them the way I do.



NFL Draft 2024 ‘The Beast’ Guide: Dane Brugler’s scouting reports and player rankings

1. Caleb Williams, QB, USC


For my money, he is the prize of the ball. He’s talented and capable of wowing evaluators at the premium position in the game. He’s an easy one to evaluate and value, two entirely different things. His selection makes sense on all fronts. Some have tried to pick his intangibles apart, but as I told some NFL scouts the other day, this talent level is rare and hard to find. Let’s not talk ourselves out of what we see on tape.

2. Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame


I’m not looking for 6-foot-8 tackles, but this guy doesn’t play like a 6-foot-8 tackle. As a left tackle, he can bend and play with balance, and he is athletic enough to stay connected and off the ground — as a pass protector and in the run game, on the line of scrimmage and at the second level. Mike McGlinchey is another tall Notre Dame tackle who struggled at times with pad level because bending and engaging one’s lower-body strength is much harder for tall, linear frames. But Alt plays like he’s 6-5 and has enough anchor and strength in his base to be a more effective NFL player.



3. Rome Odunze, WR, Washington


Before you say I’m nuts for putting Odunze so high, read the slight (and I mean slight) hesitations I have with the other two receivers in this group. NFL evaluators are much more critical than those outside team buildings. I have zero doubts about Odunze and his game. He can get away from tight coverage. He can run and accelerate in space. He can beat press technique at the line of scrimmage. He runs all kinds of routes and catches everything. He is also a good blocker, which will aid his team’s run game. He might not have the wow of Malik Nabers with his game-changing explosiveness, but he might be the “cleanest” of the wide receiver options.

4. Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State


This will probably surprise some people, but I think he is the second-best pass-blocking tackle in the draft. He plays right tackle, which might be the least important of the two tackle spots, but it’s a spot where top-notch players seldom become available. If you want an elite NFL tackle, you have to draft one. Fuaga (6-6, 324 pounds) blends athletic ability with strength and anchor as well as anyone. He is also consistent with his technique, hand placement and ability to control defenders in the run and pass games. Late last season, he became dominant in pass pro, and his ability to combine the above traits is trending toward a potential that is hard to match.

5. Malik Nabers, WR, LSU


Only 20 years old, Nabers’ speed forces defenses to play differently. This is easy to identify but hard to acquire. Speed is expensive to acquire in free agency. That is why I value this player this highly. His kind of explosive athletic ability will help the run game and open things up for others in the passing game, and if used correctly, it can put opposing defenses on their heels every Sunday.

LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers is expected to be a top-10 pick in the first round of the 2024 draft. (Matthew Dobbins / USA Today)

6. J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan


McCarthy is one of the most polarizing evaluations for those outside NFL buildings. I can describe it like this: His traits might not be evident in his production numbers, but they show up under a microscope. As a result, many are struggling to catch up to what the NFL has known for a couple of months. The NFL is a third-down league, and nobody had better numbers on the money down than McCarthy. He also has displayed physical arm strength and accuracy, just not in the volume the other top quarterback prospects have compiled. It’s not a reach to consider him a top-five option because of the obvious positional value and the actual talent of a typical top-15 NFL QB upon entering the league.

GO DEEPER

Evaluating top NFL Draft QBs with one advanced stat to love and one that will scare teams

7. Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU


You could easily talk me into reversing McCarthy and Daniels depending on the scheme and how it fits with each player’s strengths. Daniels has a bigger body of work, fought through more ups and downs (having transferred from a downtrodden Arizona State program) and has more experience in his back pocket. I like his athletic ability, but he can also make all of the necessary NFL throws. His comp is C.J. Stroud, although the ball doesn’t come out as quickly and cleanly. With McCarthy and Daniels, I assigned a grade that would normally equate to a mid-first-round value. They will go higher because, as we said, this draft lacks elite quality at other positions and teams are willing to stretch value to fill a need.



8. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State


Before you start yelling at me for having Harrison at No. 8, as with the two quarterbacks above, I see all three of these wide receivers as almost interchangeable depending on a team’s need at a particular skill set. I fully expect all three to be drafted in the top eight, and Harrison might even be the first receiver to go. I get it. But I have a slight hesitation with his game versus press coverage and when he has to put his foot in the ground to separate from tight man-to-man coverage. If you like Drake London, you’ll love Harrison. Still, teams might have these three ranked in a different order. All three are talented and will be good pros. It’s just a matter of what style floats your boat.

9. Laiatu Latu, edge, UCLA


The ability to rush the passer is the No. 1 skill NFL teams look to acquire in today’s game. And there are a couple of guys to pick from at the top of this year’s draft class. Although Latu comes with a bit of a medical concern (he medically retired from the game in the spring of 2021 because of a neck injury before being cleared and returning a year later), his ability to turn the corner and close on the quarterback is hard to find. If he can keep his weight in the 250- to 260-pound range, he can set the edge versus the run with enough force to be a three-down player. The only question is fitting him with the scheme in which his style of play can produce. Adding front-seven players on defense is always about fit, but his natural bend and pass-rush toolbox allow him to bring value at almost any edge position, no matter the base alignment.

10. Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia


In an ideal world, considering a tight end in the top 10 might sound absurd inside an NFL building. Fans are often for it, but normally the value isn’t there for NFL decision-makers. It’s just the nature of the position. “The greatest tight end is still a tight end,” some say, with limited impact on a game, and to use a first-round pick on one isn’t always great value.

But if these two boxes can be checked, it’s worth considering: (1) Can he get open on his own without having to be schemed open? (2) Can he, at the same time, be an asset to the running game?

Bowers can do both, and his selection this high would be anything but absurd. He is a productive option on third downs from a matchup standpoint and in the red zone versus man and zone coverage. He has a great feel for spatial awareness and finding soft spots (Travis Kelce might be the best at this ever) and for that reason can act as a third WR and chain-mover for any offense.

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In summary, I might be oversimplifying it a bit, but drafting big and fast guys is never a bad idea. And as I’ve pointed out, they are the most expensive traits to acquire in free agency, so drafting without having to pay a financial premium is