2024 Chargers Draft Superthread - Prospect Discussion - Draft Has Started

[Topcat]

Some web sites have Fashanu rated higher than Alt. None of that matters. It's what the Chargers think.

I don't know a lot about each and don't follow college ball. What I do know is that a few years ago some very highly rated OT's turned out to be busts in the NFL. A former GM did a good write up on why that was the case. Basically said most college programs do not run NFL pass pro, so they never line up in a three point stance or learn to form a pocket. That becomes a technique issue in the NFL that some never overcome.

This is a good reason to trade down for picks...suppose we trade down and get an extra 2nd and 3rd rounder...hopefully all three work out, but even if just one is a bust or a semi-bust and the other two become solid starters, we just maximized our draft capital...

[gzubeck]

The only teams I see as trade Partners are...

1) Giants...if they want to do a flip for their third rounder
2) Atlanta...if they want to give up their second rounder
3) Minnesota...if they want to give us their first and second this year and maybe a second rounder next year
4) Greenbay...Wow...they have picks 25, 41, 58, 88,91...their first 3 pick or 25, 41, 88, 91...I could live with that haul

https://www.tankathon.com/nfl/power_rankings

[SAY OW 55]

Is Romeo Odunzs Quentikn Johnston you have to ask yourself. We all thought Quentin Johnston was big and strong out of TCU his college tape didn’t look like his NFL tape. I think Oudunze is different.

[powderblueboy]

I'm a left winger in hockey.
In the offensive zone, I prefer to be on the right side.
Is it possible, in some circonstances, a LT will be confortable on the right side ?

It depends on the player.
Some adjust better than others.

There was a discussion on this.
A vet player used the wiping one's behind with your other hand as an analogy.

Sewell moved to the RT position.
It took him a year.

[jamrock]

I'm a left winger in hockey.
In the offensive zone, I prefer to be on the right side.
Is it possible, in some circonstances, a LT will be confortable on the right side ?

You should be a right winger

[Boltnut]

Yes we do in fact have a starting ROT. He started last year. You don't like him, that's fine, but it doesn't change the fact. Now there is this, we have a new coaching staff. Sayler played LOT when
we had injury there and he played pretty well. So how about this we move Sayler over to ROT and draft an OG in the 3rd or later rounds. We see how that plays out.

We always take the best player available at the position of most need or impact. And that's pretty much what the rest of the league does every single year. Or maybe you believe that every
year a QB is the best player in the draft. I don't. Maybe we should draft a QB @5 if he's the best available. You would do that according to your theory.

We do not have a starting TE. It is a huge need. As are a few other positions. We wouldn't take one with the #5 pick unless he graded out as a top 5 pick, in most peoples eyes Bowers does.
He grades out better than Latu.

The year you refer to we had a healthy Allen and Williams. Since then we have not. Everett is a free agent. Doubtful we re-sign him. Parham too.


I did not snap at letting Ekeler go for this coming season. That was last year. Ekeler sucked but so did Kelly and Spiller. So what would you have done? Cut Ekeler and then what?
He was the best offensive player outside of Herbert the year before. I don't have a crystal ball do you?

Sorry sj, no one is buying that Pipkins is starting material. He might be marginally better than Parham (who is indeed on the team... not a FA)... but there is nothing to suggest that he can be adequate for a Greg Roman blocking scheme.

The better question is... can a 4th round TE adequately fulfill the needs of Greg Roman...? If so, then reserve your 1st round pick for a premium player at a premium position.

[Velo]

Has this been posted here? A few weeks ago I agreed with Chase here, #5 is too high for a TE. But Brock Bowers might be worth it. I'm not keen on draft another 1st round OL. But fortunately for everybody I'm not making the decisions. I'm going to trust Hortiz and Harbaugh to figure it out.

[Boltjolt]

Has this been posted here? A few weeks ago I agreed with Chase here, #5 is too high for a TE. But Brock Bowers might be worth it. I'm not keen on draft another 1st round OL. But fortunately for everybody I'm not making the decisions. I'm going to trust Hortiz and Harbaugh to figure it out.

Maybe Chase isn't familiar with Harbaugh and Romans scheme? It won't be near the same.

I would be all for a WR if we do not keep one of Keenan and MW. But think one is staying but we shall see. Maybe everyone assumes both are gone and why we will pick a WR, idk. But there are very good receivers in this league drafted in rounds 1 thru 4.

Nacua is a 5th but he is a oxymoron lol. Green Bay has a very good young recieveing core.

[Formula 21]

About that salary cap, it may be 7 million higher. Great news for the Bolts

For now, multiple sources have indicated that the teams expect the 2024 cap to be in the neighborhood of $242 million and $243 million. Another source, in response to that number, had this reaction: “More.”

Whatever it is, it’s a far cry from the initial cap, back in 1994, of $34.6 million.

Skip

The final number will likely emerge next week, after final negotiations at the Scouting Combine. Whatever the figure, keep that amount in mind when reacting to the contracts players will receive (and that they deserve). Also remember that, generally speaking, the $243 million or so per team that will go to the players is matched by $245 million or so per team that goes to the owners.

UPDATE 1:47 p.m. ET: Another source, with a proven record of accuracy in these matters, says it will be closer to $250 million than to $243 million.

[Velo]

Green Bay has a very good young recieveing core.

They have a core of four good, capable WRs that were a 2nd and 4th rounder in 2022 and a 2nd and 5th rounder in 2023. It is a good approach building a WR corps, not superstars, but four guys who can get open.

[Boltjolt]

They have a core of four good, capable WRs that were a 2nd and 4th rounder in 2022 and a 2nd and 5th rounder in 2023. It is a good approach building a WR corps, not superstars, but four guys who can get open.

When there is a deep WR class and you can use a WR, you should draft one. Telesco didn't do that for us. He waited til round 7 and got Hill and ...forget the other guy. Then in another, again he waited and got Joe Reed in the 5th or 6th.

He was not a good GM. So glad he is gone and at a div rival.

I think the last 3 drafts anyways , maybe 4 i've always mocked us a WR.

[DerwinBosa]

Yes we do in fact have a starting ROT. He started last year. You don't like him, that's fine, but it doesn't change the fact. Now there is this, we have a new coaching staff. Sayler played LOT when
we had injury there and he played pretty well. So how about this we move Sayler over to ROT and draft an OG in the 3rd or later rounds. We see how that plays out.

We always take the best player available at the position of most need or impact. And that's pretty much what the rest of the league does every single year. Or maybe you believe that every
year a QB is the best player in the draft. I don't. Maybe we should draft a QB @5 if he's the best available. You would do that according to your theory.

We do not have a starting TE. It is a huge need. As are a few other positions. We wouldn't take one with the #5 pick unless he graded out as a top 5 pick, in most peoples eyes Bowers does.
He grades out better than Latu.

The year you refer to we had a healthy Allen and Williams. Since then we have not. Everett is a free agent. Doubtful we re-sign him. Parham too.


I did not snap at letting Ekeler go for this coming season. That was last year. Ekeler sucked but so did Kelly and Spiller. So what would you have done? Cut Ekeler and then what?
He was the best offensive player outside of Herbert the year before. I don't have a crystal ball do you?

Right tackle is a need, whether you want to believe it or not. Joe Alt appears to be a good option for that spot. So does trading down and taking Taliese Fuaga. I couldn't care less that Pipkins started at right tackle last season. He wasn't good. By your logic, Washington shouldn't draft a quarterback second overall because it still has its starting quarterback from last season, Sam Howell, under contract. The Chiefs shouldn't have traded up for Patrick Mahomes in 2017 because they still had Alex Smith under contract. That's ridiculous. If you have a weakness on your team as bad as Pipkins is at right tackle, why wouldn't you look to improve it if there's a talent such as Joe Alt sitting right there for you? It's what the Lions did when they selected Penei Sewell seventh overall in 2021, even though the offseason before they signed Halapoulivaati Vaitai to a five-year contract away from the Eagles so he could be their starting right tackle for the foreseeable future.

No, I wouldn't take a quarterback in this draft, even if we had the first overall pick. If you have a certain position filled with a great talent, you don't use your first-round pick there. We DON'T HAVE THAT at right tackle. NOT EVEN CLOSE. We HAVEN'T HAD THAT at right tackle for 15+ years.

As far as moving Salyer out to right tackle is concerned, it's an option if Harbaugh and Hortiz don't like what they see in the offensive tackle prospects in this draft. Is it the ultimate solution? No.

You admitted you don't watch much college football, and yet you're on here acting like we have to take Bowers fifth overall and there's no reason to draft a right tackle at that spot. Clearly you don't watch a lot of college football because a few weeks ago you said Darnell Washington barely touched the ball when he was a tight end at Georgia, which was totally false. So, what are you basing your opinions on this in draft? What you read from Mel Kiper and websites run by people who haven't and never will work in an NFL front office?

Yes, we don't have a starting tight end at the moment. Am I worried about it? No. If we choose not to draft Bowers, there are still plenty of other options to fill that spot. We filled it with free agents in 2021 and 2022, after Hunter Henry left for New England following the 2020 season. There are other tight end prospects in this draft we could get after the first round, and they could develop into starters. Many teams have accomplished this over the years, including the two most recent Super Bowl participants, and the teams they beat in the conference championship games. I'm sorry, but if your primary reason to take Bowers fifth overall is because we don't have a starting tight end and you think we're fine with Trey Pipkins at right tackle, that's foolish.

I said after Week 1 or 2 this fall that we needed to move on from Ekeler, whom we chose not to re-sign last offseason, after this season was completed. You did snap. You said he was a top priority to re-sign, which made absolutely no sense because we didn't re-sign him last offseason. I didn't have a crystal ball, but I knew well enough that his prime was running out and there was no reason to bring him back after 2023, especially with the way it went last offseason. You seemed pretty panicked there about losing Ekeler, just as you do now with the idea that we won't draft Brock Bowers. It's all right. We'll be fine if Harbaugh and Hortiz choose to go in a different direction in Round 1.