2024 Chargers Draft Superthread - Prospect Discussion - Draft Has Started

[Topcat]

Change of mind alert!
I really think these are the first and second round picks that we should take. I really like Bowers and have for two years but for the long term, beef up the OL.

Yep...put yourself in Harbo's shoes...we all KNOW that he LOVES dominating, run-blocking O-linemen...and he has a chance to draft the BEST of the class in Alt...I think we stay put @#5 and go with Alt...then Powers-Johnson in round 2, if he's there...BOTH of these are the best run-blocking O linemen at T and C...and ALSO, as a bonus, excellent in PASS-pro...then, for added depth, sign a decent C-G swing FA, AND go IOL in round 6 or so...

[Topcat]

I've been thinking about this, like everyone here. I think Bowers has the greatest net plus to current roster. But I'm now leaning to Nabers as the most explosive pure player of the two - I think I'll Take the Nabe vs Shower the Bower and find a TE later in the draft.

I like Stover out of OSU - he's not as explosive as Bower but he still has speed and is stronger - would fit Harbo's tough LOS offense style well.

And I can't argue if they decide to take Alt instead of both of them.

This is why we hired a new brain trust to lead the team.

I'd prefer Alt but would be fine to have a good Nabaah....

[dmac_bolt]

I think you can move DT up to the Needs row either before or after CB. On the roster now is Otito and Matlock - thats it.

DT is a priority no later than Rd3 for me. There are several very good ones, probable instant starters, that drop to our position in Rd2. HUGE need, everything pivots on improving the interior DL imo.

[electricgold]

Yep...put yourself in Harbo's shoes...we all KNOW that he LOVES dominating, run-blocking O-linemen...and he has a chance to draft the BEST of the class in Alt...I think we stay put @#5 and go with Alt...then Powers-Johnson in round 2, if he's there...BOTH of these are the best run-blocking O linemen at T and C...and ALSO, as a bonus, excellent in PASS-pro...then, for added depth, sign a decent C-G swing FA, AND go IOL in round 6 or so...

Sounds good to me... We could then scoop up either Audric Estime or Jaylen Wright later in the draft which would instantly improve our team!

[Boltjolt]

I'd prefer Alt but would be fine to have a good Nabaah....

If Keenan stays, im calling it now (again lol)......there is no way we are drafting a WR at #5. We would have 3 first round recievers and no TE in a offense with using TE sets. Smartt not a good fit and Parham very mediocre.

[charger1_sj]

DT is a priority no later than Rd3 for me. There are several very good ones, probable instant starters, that drop to our position in Rd2. HUGE need, everything pivots on improving the interior DL imo.

CB and LB on D are more of an urgent need than DT. Our 2 starters are back. We have another 3-4 young guys that can develop. We definitely can upgrade the position. BUT we don't have a Center and we don't have a LB we can rely on. In fact we may need 2 LBs. We are also lacking in starting CB talent. In a passing league way more important than a DT. 2nd, 3rd and 4th rounds should be devoted to bringing in those positions. There is also FA. We are somewhat limited due to cap space there, but it will be much easier andcheaper to bring in a vet DT than a starting CB or LB. Won't be a game changer, but very few DTs are.

[richpjr]

If Keenan stays, im calling it now (again lol)......there is no way we are drafting a WR at #5. We would have 3 first round recievers and no TE in a offense with using TE sets. Smartt not a good fit and Parham very mediocre.

If Keenan and Williams are both back, I'd have a hard time seeing us draft a WR - unless Marvin Harrison feel to us. I just don't see both Willams and Allen both being back so I could see taking one of the WR at 5. I'd still prefer to trade back to Atlanta or Minnesota and take Bowers and pick up some extra picks.

[Fleet 1]

February 14, 2024 - 2:59 pm

Path to the draft runs thru Indy … Every year we make that statement referring to the fact that the scouting combine in Indianapolis is an indisputably a key element of the pre-draft process. Last year, for example, 86% of the 259 players selected at the 2023 draft participated in some way at last February’s event in Indianapolis. That is roughly the same as in 2022, but down ever so slightly from the figure in previous years. For the record, 35 players who were not invited to the combine did get drafted this past April-May, about the same as in 2022 when 36 non-combine participants were drafted.

It is also important to note, though, that while getting a combine invite is a really good start, it still does not guarantee that a player is selected. Last year, of the 300-plus players in Indianapolis, just under 70% were ultimately selected at last spring’s draft. Again, though, there are major differences in the likelihood different positions get drafted. Indeed, 13 of 15 (87%) QBs in Indianapolis last February were ultimately drafted, while the figure was 80% among TEs, 75% for defensive linemen, 67% for DBs, 65% among offensive linemen, 63% for LBs and 62% for WRs. In contrast, the only position below 50% were the RBs among whom just 13 of 27 combine participants were selected last April-May.

It is also true that players who were at the combine make up almost all of those selected in the early rounds. Indeed, every player selected in the first two rounds of the 2023 draft were at the combine; however, three non-combine players were selected in the third round including Sacramento State DB Matre Mapu who was chosen with the 76th pick overall by New England, while DTs Kobie Turner of Wake Forest, who emerged as one of the top defensive rookies in the league last fall, and Brodric Martin of Western Kentucky were selected with the 89th and 96th picks respectively by the LA Rams and Detroit. In contrast, just one non-combine invitee was selected as early as the 3rd round the previous year. However, the large majority of non-combine participants who end up getting draft are are selected in the later rounds. Last year, for example, 27 of the 35 drafted non-combine participants were not selected until the 6th or 7th rounds.

It is also interesting to note that defensive players made up the large majority of all non-combine participants who were ultimately draft. In fact, 25 of the 35 drafted non-combine participants played defence, while only 10 were offensive guys. Indeed, just four offensive skill position players – one each at QB, RB, WR and TE – had not been invited to the combine last year were drafted, while the figure was 86% among the OTs, OGs and Cs. In contrast, just 71% of DTs and 79% of defensive backs drafted last spring were at the combine, while the figures were 88% among LBs and over 90% among DEs and ERs.

February 14, 2024 - 1:53 pm

Tua II heads list of top combine snubs … Every year one of the big questions surrounding the scouting combine is who didn’t get invited. Interesting this year, though, that it doesn’t appear if there are any real huge surprises in the players not invited to the combine. Among those who won’t be in Indianapolis at the end of the month include QBs Taulia Tagovailoa of Maryland, the younger brother of star Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa, Jack Plummer of Louisville and Carter Bradley of South Alabama; RBs Carson Steele of UCLA and Memphis’ Blake Watson: WRs KeAndre Lamber5t-Smith of Penn State and Mississippi’s Zakariah Franklin; Wisconsin OT Mchael Furtney; Clemson C Will Putnam; Wahington DT Tuli Letuliagasnea; LBs Jackson Sirmon of California; Oregon State’s Omar Speights and Mason Cobb of USC; CBs Beanie Bishop of West Virginia and Qwan’Tez Stiggers of Toronto of the CFL; and safeties Akeem Dent of Florida State, Kenny Logan of Kansas and Trey Taylor of the Air Force. As noted the combine gets underway on February 26th with the onfield workouts set to begin on March 1st.

[Formula 21]

What are the biggest offseason needs for all 32 NFL teams? O-line, QB, edge rushers top list

The Athletic NFL Staff
Feb 15, 2024

Why is that headline not surprising? Maybe because it is the same every year. These guys are rare.

For me, OT and ED are tops on my list. Popper lists C for us, but obviously we aren’t taking C at 5.

[dmac_bolt]

CB and LB on D are more of an urgent need than DT. Our 2 starters are back. We have another 3-4 young guys that can develop. We definitely can upgrade the position. BUT we don't have a Center and we don't have a LB we can rely on. In fact we may need 2 LBs. We are also lacking in starting CB talent. In a passing league way more important than a DT. 2nd, 3rd and 4th rounds should be devoted to bringing in those positions. There is also FA. We are somewhat limited due to cap space there, but it will be much easier andcheaper to bring in a vet DT than a starting CB or LB. Won't be a game changer, but very few DTs are.

3-4 young who? No we don't. We don't have anyone with a credible chance to be elite on the roster.

We need LBs but elite DT are harder to find than LB imo. The best of them are huge difference makers. its just harder to find really athletic humans that weigh >310lb. The bell curve gets small out on the tail. Drop down to 240 lb and the curve is much taller = there are just more athletes available at 240lb than 310lb. Premium IDL are paid accordingly for their scarcity.

#10 IDL Contract = $17.8M AAV
#10 LB Contract = $ 9.3M AAV
#10 CB contract = $14.8M AAV

(the top #1 contracts for these positions is similarly ranked, I thought #10 would be a better picture of better). The systemic undervaluation of IDL by the Charger Org the last decade is reflected on the field. The value equation is draft IDL high, sign FA LBs if picks are limited.

We do need a #1 CB - can't argue with that.

[charger1_sj]

3-4 young who? No we don't. We don't have anyone with a credible chance to be elite on the roster.

We need LBs but elite DT are harder to find than LB imo. The best of them are huge difference makers. its just harder to find really athletic humans that weigh >310lb. The bell curve gets small out on the tail. Drop down to 240 lb and the curve is much taller = there are just more athletes available at 240lb than 310lb. Premium IDL are paid accordingly for their scarcity.

#10 IDL Contract = $17.8M AAV
#10 LB Contract = $ 9.3M AAV
#10 CB contract = $14.8M AAV

(the top #1 contracts for these positions is similarly ranked, I thought #10 would be a better picture of better). The systemic undervaluation of IDL by the Charger Org the last decade is reflected on the field. The value equation is draft IDL high, sign FA LBs if picks are limited.

We do need a #1 CB - can't argue with that.

Per your point. We're not going to find an elite DT in the 2nd, 3rd or 4th round. We have about 6 guys on the roster that have played DT. No elite ones. But plenty of young ones
which we hope the coaches can develop. Plus we are returning our two somewhat starters. It is a position that we can and should definitely get better at. But not a huge need at this time.

One of our biggest problems on D was getting off the field on 3rd down. Unless you can find a DT that can pressure the QB up the middle, (rare) a DT is not going to help
us in any meaningful way on 3rd and long. Fox was actually doing that job when called upon.

The only starting returning LB we have is Kendricks. Neiman is the other guy at this point. Neither are so great. LB has been a huge issue for the Chargers which Staley
never addressed properly. Not to mention we have no starting Center. Those plus CB have to be addressed before DT.

DTs on the roster riight now:
Ogbonna, Matlock, Hinton, Clark, Okoye
DEs that can play inside on certain plays: Fox, Rumph

Some of those guy won't be on the roster. But to say it's a huge need is a reach.

Some caveats. We were playing a weird version of the 3/4, with no true NT. If we have 3 decent LBs we could and probably should switch to the 4/3.
We will need LBs to do that. Not sure what Minter is thinking but I am sure we will see some big changes on D.

[dmac_bolt]

Per your point. We're not going to find an elite DT in the 2nd, 3rd or 4th round. We have about 6 guys on the roster that have played DT. No elite ones. But plenty of young ones
which we hope the coaches can develop. Plus we are returning our two somewhat starters. It is a position that we can and should definitely get better at. But not a huge need at this time.

One of our biggest problems on D was getting off the field on 3rd down. Unless you can find a DT that can pressure the QB up the middle, (rare) a DT is not going to help
us in any meaningful way on 3rd and long. Fox was actually doing that job when called upon.

The only starting returning LB we have is Kendricks. Neiman is the other guy at this point. Neither are so great. LB has been a huge issue for the Chargers which Staley
never addressed properly. Not to mention we have no starting Center. Those plus CB have to be addressed before DT.

DTs on the roster riight now:
Ogbonna, Matlock, Hinton, Clark, Okoye
DEs that can play inside on certain plays: Fox, Rumph

Some of those guy won't be on the roster. But to say it's a huge need is a reach.

Some caveats. We were playing a weird version of the 3/4, with no true NT. If we have 3 decent LBs we could and probably should switch to the 4/3.
We will need LBs to do that. Not sure what Minter is thinking but I am sure we will see some big changes on D.

we can agree to disagree, its all cool. there has been a theory in charger forums for almost 20 years that a great NT is not needed, much less not useful. I just 100% disagree.
Both SB teams have an elite IDL player. Our list is literally scrubs, probably none of them would start on other teams.
Rams have an DT that was so elite he made Staley into a genius.
If you don't get interior pressure and frequently disrupt the pocket, you'll never catch Mahomes the Rabbit. Gotta block that front door before you can catch him crawling out the side window.

My clusters:
Rd2: Newton, Taylor, Murphy, Sweat
Rd3: Jenkins, Dorlus, Hall

I think any of these guys could start for us.