2024 Chargers Draft Superthread - Prospect Discussion - Draft Has Started

[Boltnut]

No, we don't have a starting right tackle. Trey Pipkins sucks, so we need a right tackle. Do I think the right tackle spot is more important than tight end? Absolutely. Add in the reality that right tackle has been a tremendous weakness on this team for the last 15+ years, which you are not acknowledging, and I think it would be very nice if we would FINALLY get that spot straightened out.

That said, we have the fifth overall pick, which you don't hope to be in position to have quite often. At fifth we're not going to take the player based on the greatest need we have. That would be incredibly stupid. We're going to take the best player available, in hopes that he will have a Hall of Fame career--or close to it. As of right now I think the best player available with the fifth overall pick will be Joe Alt, whom we would play at right tackle. That would hopefully set us up to have one of the top offensive tackle tandems in the NFL (Detroit is currently there now, after taking Penei Sewell seventh overall in 2021 to play right tackle) and be a huge step in our offensive line becoming elite. As I said earlier, if the medical professionals at the Scouting Combine say Laiatu Latu is at no greater risk than anyone else to injure his neck, I'm all about him with the fifth overall pick. Latu would hopefully form a very nice tandem with Tuli for quite a long time.

That's just me, though. I have faith in whatever Harbaugh and Hortiz decide to do.

I do not look at tight end as a huge problem for us to fill, though. I look at what the Ravens have done with John Harbaugh as head coach, in which he has had the most success with his general managers using multiple picks on the position in the mid-rounds. This past season he lost his STUD tight end, Mark Andrews (a third-round pick in 2018), and replaced him with a 2022 fourth-round pick, Isaiah Likely, and went 6-1 in those games, with Likely playing very well while Andrews was out. I have the utmost confidence in Harbaugh taking a tight end in the mid-rounds and molding him into a starter or even STUD.

We lost Hunter Henry (second-round pick) after the 2020 season and replaced him with Jared Cook, who caught 48 passes in 2021--a year in which Herbert threw for 37 touchdowns and over 5,000 yards. We lost Jared Cook after the 2021 season and replaced him with Gerald Everett, who had 58 receptions in 2022 and 51 receptions last year. We've had a lot more success finding tight ends than we have had getting a stable right tackle. It's gone from Jeromey Clary to D.J. Fluker to Joe Barksdale to Sam Tevi to a washed-up Bryan Bulaga (for 10 games in 2020) to Storm Norton to Trey Pipkins. Knowing this, I don't understand why you don't think right tackle is a high priority this offseason.

100% truth. The #5 pick should be used to protect the franchise and help us run better. Joe Alt could/should make that happen better than any other player. Many mocks have him going before #5. IMO, the best course of action is to trade back and accumulate picks. I'd feel comfortable going all the way back to #14. Chance are, you'd still get a stud RT or CB. Fuaga, Mims, Kool-Aid, or Quinyon would make this team better... day 1.

I get the fascination with Bowers. All I can say is that I'm glad to finally have a GM that enjoys trading back... and still makes great picks.

[Boltjolt]

Just because Alt is a very good LT doesn't mean he will have a seamless transition to RT. LT is where he pretty much has played, always.
Not sure that makes sense to do that. Maybe Fuaga is a better pick at RT.

Salyer has played RT though not near as much as LT. Maybe that's the better move. Slide him to RT, draft Beebe or Barton for RG.
Got to be honest. I've not watched the top OTs much because don't think that's what we are doing at 5 or 8.

Looking more at OGs.

[northerner]

For the old timers who will remember these names:

I went back to look at some of our draft history and came across this nugget. in the 1975 draft, we drafted Gary "big hands" Johnson, Louie Kelcher and Fred Dean (HOF) in the same draft.

I started watching the chargers as a kid in 1979, so I had never known much about our old draft history in the 1970's (other than Fouts was a rookie in 1973).

what a haul in the first 2 rounds. not surprisingly, we led the league in sacks in 1979 or 1980. I know Fred Dean and later Gary Johnson ended up on the 49ers.



1975.jpg

[Boltnut]

For the old timers who will remember these names:

I went back to look at some of our draft history and came across this nugget. in the 1975 draft, we drafted Gary "big hands" Johnson, Louie Kelcher and Fred Dean (HOF) in the same draft.

I started watching the chargers as a kid in 1979, so I had never known much about our old draft history in the 1970's (other than Fouts was a rookie in 1973).

what a haul in the first 2 rounds. not surprisingly, we led the league in sacks in 1979 or 1980. I know Fred Dean and later Gary Johnson ended up on the 49ers.



1975.jpg

1975 was my first live game @the Murph. Those 3 guys caught my attention... and ultimately made me change my alliance from LAR to SDC... although I still followed the Rams for several years after that. They had a great DL, too.

[SAY OW 55]

Fuagas a beast. People just say Alt cause it’s cool.

But anybody that watched Oregon State. He was beasting players.

That team was great. Fuagas a guy I can get behind because he’s nasty.

[blueman]

Nearly everybody on the '23 Chargers could have, should have played better. The owners believed fault lay with TT and Staley primarily.
The '24s will play under vastly different circumstances, for better or worse, regardless of team years. That's not an excuse, rather a simple fact.
While many names will remain the same, I expect Harbaugh's Chargers to be an entirely different team.

Sooooo curious about the OL guys we have, most played at a high level in college, some damn good picks in there even the late round guys. We drafted a ton (literally!) of beef, gotta be players in that mix.

[Boltnut]

Fuagas a beast. People just say Alt cause it’s cool.

But anybody that watched Oregon State. He was beasting players.

That team was great. Fuagas a guy I can get behind because he’s nasty.

100%. The great position we're in... we already have a LT.
There are a couple teams that need a LT... Tennessee and NYJ.
If we chose Alt @#5... one of those teams are SOL.
We have leverage over the NYJ. Trade back...?
Take Fuaga @#10 and take a 3rd and 4th from them.

BTW... we don't say "Alt" because it's "cool". He's the best of the bunch.

[wu-dai clan]

Nearly everybody on the '23 Chargers could have, should have played better. The owners believed fault lay with TT and Staley primarily.
The '24s will play under vastly different circumstances, for better or worse, regardless of team years. That's not an excuse, rather a simple fact.
While many names will remain the same, I expect Harbaugh's Chargers to be an entirely different team.

Yep sonora.
Ben's influence is gonna change everything.

[charger1993]

Nah Nah Shipley before Corymn. Not with the knee injuries. Even look at Willis Mghee and he was productive. You can coach up pass protection or draft a guy who specializes in that or sign a guy who specializes in that. You gotta draft Shipley.

as a clemson fan my whole life, born into the fandom, i want nothing to do with shipley, while yes ship does have heart, and grit, he can also catch fairly nicely, my whole problem with him is his run style, he wants to stretch the play out east and west but he doesnt have the speed for that, theres so many times he cost us first downs, or tds because he wants to run the football like he's superman. id much rather draft phil mafah from clemson that ship. mafah always got consistent yardage, took what he was given and made it work. im pretty sure he averaged close to 6 ypc last season. stay away from ship

[beachcomber]

There are good LB's into the early 4th round. Ty'Ron Hopper ??
There are good RB's into the early 4th round. Shipley, Ray Davis, Jaylen Wright ??
There are good DT's into the early 4th round. DeWayne Carter, Gabe Hall ??

Sure would be nice to have multiple 2nd, 3rd, and 4th rounders... just saying.
Need a center, need a RT, need a TE, need another WR... depth... Sedrick, Sinnott, and.... Christian Jones ?? think the second round RTs are a slippery slope ??
We may need a CB more than anything.

how deep do the CBs run ?? 7 or 8 deep ?? and who are the coupla few that you think are best Chargers/value ??

[Boltnut]

Yep sonora.
Ben's influence is gonna change everything.

Wasn't Duke Manyweather supposed to change everything...?

[Fouts2herbert]

100% truth. The #5 pick should be used to protect the franchise and help us run better. Joe Alt could/should make that happen better than any other player. Many mocks have him going before #5. IMO, the best course of action is to trade back and accumulate picks. I'd feel comfortable going all the way back to #14. Chance are, you'd still get a stud RT or CB. Fuaga, Mims, Kool-Aid, or Quinyon would make this team better... day 1.

I get the fascination with Bowers. All I can say is that I'm glad to finally have a GM that enjoys trading back... and still makes great picks.

so bowers wouldn't make the team better? it's not like TE would be a luxury pick for the chargers...plus Harbaugh and Ortiz have come from systems that feature multiple TEs...