2024 Chargers Draft Superthread - Prospect Discussion - Draft Has Started

[dmac_bolt]

Odunze should be in there IMO.

I like him, but I have separation on my board between Nabers and him. I’m 95% confident one of my 3 will be there so I don’t need a 4th.

[Go Chargers go]

What part of WR says tough? I love topWRs, but I think we go tough this draft. OL it is. Build the foundation.

OL is one of the biggest reason chiefs are in PO

[blueman]

I like him, but I have separation on my board between Nabers and him. I’m 95% confident one of my 3 will be there so I don’t need a 4th.

About 50% chance MHj is there at 5, IMO…

[powderblueboy]

IMO, the center position will absolutely need to be addressed.
I suppose a FA center could be the direction we go. But with the cap the way it is... I foresee center being a legitimate target in the 2nd round.

You're right... IDL must be a draft target, too. But IMO, 2nd round center and 3rd round IDL looks like BPA meets PON.
OT/OG may have to wait. DE may get addressed... depending on Mack/Bosa decision. But I suspect it's 3rd round at the earliest this draft.

CB, LB, TE, RB... maybe even mid/late round safety and/or WR...
Trade back scenario seems inevitable.

That's a very good guess: DT in round 3/4.

Ravens last 11 drafts:

1. travis jones - round 3, 2022 (Chainy's fav)
2. justin madabuike - round 3, 2020
3. Carl Davis - round 3, 2015
4. Brandon Williams - round 3, 2013

Only Timmy Jernigan was drafted higher: round 2, 2014
There were also two round 4 DTs selected.

Compare that with Telesco's dtafts over the same period: One 1rst, one 3rd and zero 4rths.

[powderblueboy]

A good quality starting Center is probably the most important offensive piece to help Herbert succeed. Preferably through the draft with a trade down because I’m tired of these short term answers (ie. Pouncey and Linsley).

Agree.

[powderblueboy]

I watch him wide wipe too. He is tough to tackle but not because he is slippery with moves. He is like a mini Gronk. Breaking arm tackles. He has great straight speed.

But then I looked at how is he getting open.
And it's often scheme. The WRs run deep and clear the area, he runs behind that after motion and good blocking by Georgia created the space. The defense doesn't have anyone within 10 Yards of him. By design. He catches and runs vs college kids. I keep trying to find him running a dagger where he smoked the CB and got wide open because of his moves at top of route. And I can't find it. I doubt any HC or OC or GM would says let's feature Brock Bowers like Georgia did. Get him the ball as often as we can. He ain't that guy once he is at the NFL..

Kyle Pitts can be featured as TE, as he can and does shake CB often. And can and does win vs double team. If I'm drafting a TE that high, he has to have Kyle Pitts type of talent. If Atlanta finds a QB or Pitts finds a team with QB. Kyle would have 1000yd per season every year.

I'd trade Bosa and pick #5 to Falcons for Pitts and pick #8.

I'm also having that problem ... wheel routes where he beats a linebacker type stuff.

He disappearance against Alabama is somewhat of a warning flag for me,
and I couldn't find anything where he physically blocks out dbs for the football.

I asked and the Brock Bowers fan club gave me rasberries, after assuring me he does that stuff.

He has a lot of nice qualities: fantastic hands, he's elusive in the open field, he can run.

He's not Gronk ..... big physical bastard who can track balls deep like a Randy Moss.

Gronk > Kelce .... but both are the standard bearers for the modern position, and Bowers isn't like them.

Gronk and Kelce would also have thrived in the 60s/70s; Bowers, no.

[dmac_bolt]

I'm also having that problem ... wheel routes where he beats a linebacker type stuff.

He disappearance against Alabama is somewhat of a warning flag for me,
and I couldn't find anything where he physically blocks out dbs for the football.

I asked and the Brock Bowers fan club gave me rasberries, after assuring me he does that stuff.

He has a lot of nice qualities: fantastic hands, he's elusive in the open field, he can run.

He's not Gronk ..... big physical bastard who can track balls deep like a Randy Moss.

Gronk > Kelce .... but both are the standard bearers for the modern position, and Bowers isn't like them.

Gronk and Kelce would also have thrived in the 60s/70s; Bowers, no.

Nobody is going back to the 60s, not sure the relevance.

[Ghost of Quacksaw]

What part of WR says tough? I love topWRs, but I think we go tough this draft. OL it is. Build the foundation.

If this is how Hortiz rolls, I am completely accepting of it. I won't bemoan missing out on Odunze, Nabers or Bowers if the result of trading down is TWO plug-and-play trench starters.

OTOH... if Hortiz trades down from #5 to, say, to #7 and takes Odunze there?!?

Well, if *that* happened, the Chargers would be getting an additional Day 2 pick, plus a receiver being compared to Larry Fitzgerald. And Odunze would be arriving to a QB vastly better than anyone who ever threw Fitz the ball in Arizona, with the exception of Kurt Warner. And btw-- As receivers go? Larry Fitzgerald was TOUGH!

My point is... That is likewise a 'winning scenario'. There is more than one possible favorable outcome.

And we in the forum here are like 8 year olds waiting for Christmas morning, when we KNOW we're going to be getting something cool-- like a jet ski or a snowmobile-- but we don't know exactly what, and we WON'T until Christmas morning.

[powderblueboy]

My cheap seat assessment is a Rd2 DT and Rd4 OC is a much better choice than Rd2 OC and Rd4 DT. You know, in general, on average, usually. We need a dominating DT, we haven’t had one in a very long time and it weakens the entire defense. It’s low odds of finding that guy in Rd4. Rd3 is iffy too - more likely than Rd4 but still not as sure as a Rd2 where odds are high rated DT is still on the board that can be a starter and maybe is dominant.

OC’s are much more interchangeable and replaceable - thats why they tend to be cheaper in FA. Despite the Chargers inability to find a decent backup - blame that on TT - it’s generally not hard for a good GM to find a serviceable OC. Hortiz will be able to fill that hole without spending our 2nd pick imo.

or maybe he thinks like you?

I don't think the goal is to just find a serviceable center - starter or backup.

Not much has been said about the teams who made it to the NFC/AFC championship this year and center play:

KC - Creed Humphrey
Baltimore - Tyler Lindbaum
Detroit - Frank Ragnow
San Fran - Jake Brendal

Only Brendal has not made the pro bowl.

Last year's super bowl was jason kelce vs Humphrey.

Just look to the Charger's own recent history: playoff seasons this century always coincide with having a good/healthy center.

[Ghost of Quacksaw]

About 50% chance MHj is there at 5, IMO…

Yes, Harrison remaining on the board at #5 is more likely than a lot of people think, IMO.

If so, it's difficult to object to taking him. At the same time, I'd absolutely want (need?) to know what that pick would bring me in trade.

[Ghost of Quacksaw]

Just look to the Charger's own recent history: playoff seasons this century always coincide with having a good/healthy center.

I just remember that in the era when the Chargers were going to the playoffs with Nick Hardwick at center, there was a loud contingent of fans excoriating him for his deficiencies.

[powderblueboy]

Nobody is going back to the 60s, not sure the relevance.

Only relevance is that perhaps the best the two best tight ends this century are very physical (illustrated by my 60s reference),
and Kittle was a blocking tight end at Iowa.

Being a big physical target is still required to be elite in my opinion.

Others in that category, Gonzales (6' 5"/245) and Gates (6'4" /260) were both bigger than Bowers and former basketball players who knew how to block out and create space.
Jason Whitten was a tank; Greg Olsen was 6'5"/255

I just don't see a 6'3''/235 guy in any tight end category that leads to elite success, other than the unicorn - Shannon Sharpe, who was drafted as a receiver and converted to tight end.

Someone here says that an inch doesn't matter, but the fact is that there are very few successful tight ends under 6"4" ... an inch does matter.

I got this from a Reddit conversation on successful tight ends under 6'4":

There were only 3 TE in the top 24 who were 6'3" (#18, 21, 24), none were below 6'3".

In 2020 there were only 3 TE in the top 24 below 6'4" (#11, 18, 23) Irv Smith is 6'2" (#23)

In 2019 there were only 3 TE in the top 24 below 6'4" (#18, 20, 24), they were all 6"3'


If Bowers comes in under 6'4", he'll drop to the middle or late first.