2024 Chargers Draft Superthread - Prospect Discussion - Draft Has Started

[Boltnut]

A top shut down CB is a great asset for a defense. If KoolAid runs in the 4.4’s, he’s got special skills. But I wouldn’t call Bowers eye candy though, he’s also the bread and butter of an effective well rounded offense that can both attack downfield and dominate LOS - a true all-around TE that is a superior run blocker and elite receiver faster than most defenders that will be assigned to cover him. If you want to be able to run and pass from the same formation/group, he’s a unique player to help do that. He is a more definitive upgrade to the offense than most ideas I see. Do we upgrade O or D … ???

And I see the Georgia offense differently, that's all. IMO, the "bread and butter" of the Georgia's offense is the schemes that Kirby Smart runs and the way he uses ALL of his players. The offense runs through the offensive line. Georgia has two very effective RB's along with a kid that acts as both RB and WR (Bell). Their WR's are so effective... and smart. Every player on offense understands what they are supposed to do and they're well coached. I wouldn't call Bowers a superior blocker. I would call him an above-average run blocker. He may be faster than most of the college players assigned to him... but NFL players play much faster. While he has good hands, I wouldn't call him an elite receiver. His burst in and out of breaks is his best attribute IMO. He can accelerate after the catch very well. What no one is mentioning is that sometimes he gets lost in the shuffling and constant motion/mis-direction of Kirby Smart's offensive schemes. Kirby Smart uses so many different players in so many different ways... that defenses will forget about Bowers and leave him wide open. I don't see elite pattern running skills. I liken him to Travis Kelce only in that the scheme lulls defenses into allowing him to get wide open at times. Like Kelce, he gets to open spaces in the zone... he sees the field very well. I don't believe he is as physical as Kelce, though. Do I believe that he is more well-rounded than Kincaid (better at blocking)... yes. I think a better comp would be LaPorta or Hockenson. Will he be more dominant than those two TE's... he could be. But even as great as LaPorta and Hockenson are... they can't address or hide the deficiencies that exist in other areas on their respective teams. Detroit got closer when they drafted Brian Branch last year.

IMO, Kool-Aid's effectiveness will not evolve around his 40-time in the Underwear Olympics. His value revolves around his inside/outside technique, his burst and length when trailing an inside break on in-patterns, and his awareness of pattern match coverage schemes. He passes off and switches very well in zone and offers man skills that most CB's can't match. IMO, Patrick Surtain is a good comp.

If the Chargers decide that Bowers is the best choice for their overall team... I'll jump on board. But if they decide to go in another direction (CB, OT, or DE) I will be just as happy (probably moreso).

[CanadianBoltFan]

Bowers is a stud and a very good blocker to help run game and pass protection.

Few things are more enjoyable than watching a stud TE dominate on Sundays. After watching Winslow and Gates I would thnk everyine here would get that.

Kelce has been a dominant force in 8 division titles, far more than the plethora of CBs that have played there the past 8 years.

[wu-dai clan]

There will be a mandatory meeting of TPB Fight Club today at 5pm.

There will be daily meetings until the end of April.

Touting and spitballing is encouraged.

Who you got ?

Let's fix this sucker.

[Boltnut]

Kool -Aid is a significant reach at the 6th pick. No thanks

Besides there are good CBs in every single draft. At 6 you take an impact player, a game changer

In other years... I would agree with you. This year, you won't find Trent McDuffie, Joey Porter Jr., Brian Branch, or Tyson Campbell later. You would be lucky to find a guy that approaches ASJ skill level in the 2nd round.

I don't even think the TE will be used to their potential with Keenan Allen on the field. Per usual, Justin will simply feed KA every time he's open (which is always). The OL blocking will have to improve before any of the already acquired offensive weapons can be effective anyways.

[Boltnut]

In other years... I would agree with you. This year, you won't find Trent McDuffie, Joey Porter Jr., Brian Branch, or Tyson Campbell later. You would be lucky to find a guy that approaches ASJ skill level in the 2nd round.

I don't even think the TE will be used to their potential with Keenan Allen on the field. Per usual, Justin will simply feed KA every time he's open (which is always). The OL blocking will have to improve before any of the already acquired offensive weapons can be effective anyways.

Not to mention that CB's in the 2nd and 3rd rounds don't begin to approach some of the other talent they will be compared to @Edge, LB, OL, or IDL. Talk about "considerable reaches"...

[CanadianBoltFan]

Not to mention that CB's in the 2nd and 3rd rounds don't begin to approach some of the other talent they will be compared to @Edge, LB, OL, or IDL. Talk about "considerable reaches"...

You cant draft Kool-Aid at 5 or 6. There is not even a consensus he is the first CB off the board in this draft.

I get the Chargers need a CB badly, but they have alot of needs on that defense. Like a stud DT. You arent going to fix that defense in one off season

But you can win games and stay in the wild card hunt during a retool year by gettting the best player in the franchise the protection and weapons he needs to keep this team in every game and winning more than they lose.

In other NFL cities with franchse QBs, they stay in the playoff picture every year, even with holes in rosters, there are no 5-11 seasons. Lets start with competent coaching, set up Herbert with some playmakers and then worry abouut the defense.

[wu-dai clan]

You cant draft Kool-Aid at 5 or 6. There is not even a consensus he is the first CB off the board in this draft.

I get the Chargers need a CB badly, but they have alot of needs on that defense. Like a stud DT. You arent going to fix that defense in one off season

But you can win games and stay in the wild card hunt during a retool year by gettting the best player in the franchise the protection and weapons he needs to keep this team in every game and winning more than they lose.

In other NFL cities with franchse QBs, they stay in the playoff picture every year, even with holes in rosters, there are no 5-11 seasons. Lets start with competent coaching, set up Herbert with some playmakers and then worry abouut the defense.

I mostly agree.
There will be lot's of cap friendly playmakers available in the mid and late rounds...late signing UFAs too.
Draft/Personnel strategy will be vital.

Re CB, I want to circle back to the fact that NE played solid defense in 2023,
even after Christian Gonzalez suffered a season ending injury.
This poster has some outlier ideas swirling around in the head regarding a defensive restructering.
It is only natural that now that Staley is gone, there ought to be wholesale changes.
For example, I have Safety as a position of very high need.
Make Derwin a MIKE, a WILL actually.

[wu-dai clan]

Not to mention that CB's in the 2nd and 3rd rounds don't begin to approach some of the other talent they will be compared to @Edge, LB, OL, or IDL. Talk about "considerable reaches"...

I am somewhat high on Koolaid too.
A shutdown Corner is a good thing.
Where our paths diverge is in the quality of available mid round CBs.

Also, my thinking is a little different on our defensive backfield mess.
Or DBs are misfit as well as undertalented.
Hey, JaSir/Leonard are late rounders.
ASJ should patrol the middle of the field.
Derwin has GOT to be near the LOS.
I even want Vato back, but dirt cheap.
We must draft a Corner or a Combo DB or both.
Yes.

[Boltnut]

You cant draft Kool-Aid at 5 or 6. There is not even a consensus he is the first CB off the board in this draft.

I get the Chargers need a CB badly, but they have alot of needs on that defense. Like a stud DT. You arent going to fix that defense in one off season

But you can win games and stay in the wild card hunt during a retool year by gettting the best player in the franchise the protection and weapons he needs to keep this team in every game and winning more than they lose.

In other NFL cities with franchse QBs, they stay in the playoff picture every year, even with holes in rosters, there are no 5-11 seasons. Lets start with competent coaching, set up Herbert with some playmakers and then worry abouut the defense.

You can draft anybody you'd like (except Marvin Harrison Jr) @#6. Consensus thinking is often wrong. I've simply drawn my own conclusions after watching multiple game tapes on both McKinstry and Bowers.

The greatest Chargers DT came in the form of a 2nd rounder (JWall). Arguably our best WR we got in the 3rd round (Allen). Remember when everyone passed on Drew Brees...? Remember when Drew Brees struggled...? That offense sure started to hum once McNeil, Deilman, Hardwick, Goff, and Olivea came together. You may counter that's when Antonio Gates surprisingly started his ascension. But I'd just remind you that we have Keenan Allen. In the end, it's not the playmakers that are holding this offense back... it's the OL. It's been the OL for quite some time now.

Meanwhile, we've been the league's worst run defense or league's worst pass defense for quite a while, too. We've spent all of our monetary resources trying to fix the defense... while spending much of our draft capital on offense (Slater, Zion, QJ). I say it's time to try something different. If you want to let pundits and sports writers make those decisions for you... fine. Just don't say we can't draft one player and have to draft another player @#6.

IMO, you can help fix a number of problems this draft... and some more problems the next draft. And most of it starts with decisions about how to get under the 2024 cap.

When I look at the current roster... the biggest needs are at CB and offensive center. 1st and 2nd round IMO. Then the next biggest need is at IDL. I'm a trencher. 3rd and 4th rounds, I start looking at RB, TE, LB, and safety. Most are freaking out about TE. I see playmakers in KA, Palmer, and (eventually) QJ. Whereas, on defense you have one of your pass rushers leaving, one LB leaving (with other not far behind), Vato, Gilman... along with both starting IDL. Oh, and both Morgan Fox and ASJ have one year remaining on their contracts. It's an avalanche on the defensive side of the ball.... while the offense can remain afloat with 2 or 3 (non-first-round) picks. Football is a team sport. Both sides of the ball matter. Watch what happens to all that offensive firepower in Philly this playoffs. That pass defense will let the whole team down.

[blueman]

If you’re 3rd in sacks but 31st in pass defense, well shit, gotta prioritize the back seven, I’d take 15th in sacks but also 15th in pass D, right? With a different scheme fit, don’t see why such a turnaround isn’t possible, especially if the O gets on track.

[SAY OW 55]

How many years do y’all think Kennan Allen is playing? Not that much right???

Well I’ll tell you if Jim Harbaugh is the guy

he prioritizes the tight end

Stanford Colby Fleener. He like two double tight end sets. So I see him salavating over Bowers. That’s his guy.

[Boltjolt]

You can draft anybody you'd like (except Marvin Harrison Jr) @#6. Consensus thinking is often wrong. I've simply drawn my own conclusions after watching multiple game tapes on both McKinstry and Bowers.

The greatest Chargers DT came in the form of a 2nd rounder (JWall). Arguably our best WR we got in the 3rd round (Allen). Remember when everyone passed on Drew Brees...? Remember when Drew Brees struggled...? That offense sure started to hum once McNeil, Deilman, Hardwick, Goff, and Olivea came together. You may counter that's when Antonio Gates surprisingly started his ascension. But I'd just remind you that we have Keenan Allen. In the end, it's not the playmakers that are holding this offense back... it's the OL. It's been the OL for quite some time now.

Meanwhile, we've been the league's worst run defense or league's worst pass defense for quite a while, too. We've spent all of our monetary resources trying to fix the defense... while spending much of our draft capital on offense (Slater, Zion, QJ). I say it's time to try something different. If you want to let pundits and sports writers make those decisions for you... fine. Just don't say we can't draft one player and have to draft another player @#6.

IMO, you can help fix a number of problems this draft... and some more problems the next draft. And most of it starts with decisions about how to get under the 2024 cap.

When I look at the current roster... the biggest needs are at CB and offensive center. 1st and 2nd round IMO. Then the next biggest need is at IDL. I'm a trencher. 3rd and 4th rounds, I start looking at RB, TE, LB, and safety. Most are freaking out about TE. I see playmakers in KA, Palmer, and (eventually) QJ. Whereas, on defense you have one of your pass rushers leaving, one LB leaving (with other not far behind), Vato, Gilman... along with both starting IDL. Oh, and both Morgan Fox and ASJ have one year remaining on their contracts. It's an avalanche on the defensive side of the ball.... while the offense can remain afloat with 2 or 3 (non-first-round) picks. Football is a team sport. Both sides of the ball matter. Watch what happens to all that offensive firepower in Philly this playoffs. That pass defense will let the whole team down.

Keenan is great. I love him but he isn't Wes Chandler or John Jefferson. But he played longer and has the stats for a possible HOF call.
And that offense has a great TE and Charlie Joiner and Muncie....and Brooks! Loaded

Im not coming off drafting Bowers but here is the bottom line.

If we land Harbaugh, he may or may not draft Bowers but I am thinking he will want strong trenches and he will evaluate what we got on the OL and evaluate who will lose in the DL and those two things will look big in the draft.

So make long posts for your argument but yours or mine won't mean shit til we see who we hire, who we trade/cut/ retain, extend, etc.
We will sign a couple FAs. Gonna have to.

If we get Harbaugh and Hortiz,...the draft will be different. Much different than what we are used to with Telesco. Which usually left us wondering WTH.

The defensive scheme will be different as well.