And With The 5th Pick Of The NFL Draft Chargers Select....Discussion

[Bolt4Knob]

If you want Kittle for #5, offer the 49ers the pick for Kittle then. They will say "yes" faster than you can blink and the Chargers would get laughed at by everyone for not maximizing the value of the pick.

Maybe 5th pick is a bit high for Kittle but if you drafted Travis Kelce with the 5th pick - would it have been a bad pick

[Ghost of Quacksaw]

That's all very nice that you've read how "evaluators" rate Nabers only a shade below Marvin Harrison. I asked how YOU came to the conclusion that Malik Nabers is on Jamaar Chase's level. I don't care that a bunch of mock draft nerds say Malik Nabers is great. Many of these "experts" don't have a clue. What is it that you see in Nabers leading you to believe he is going to make an impact as great as Jamaar Chase?

I'm not CBF, but I'll say that Nabers has rare separation speed and explosiveness-- he has that separate gear that Jamar Chase has-- while also being aggressive and hard-nosed. I see him as a bigger, even better Steve Smith, the guy who excelled with the Panthers for long time.

[Boltjolt]

They're winning with Kelce, not because of Kelce. They'd have made all the same SBs with Tyreek instead of Kelce. There are only two irreplaceable parts, Mahomes and Reid.
Kelce is notable for off the field reasons in addition to on the field ones. Only the latter are relevant to the debate.

Bowers is good and helps fill a need but getting a WR, Edge, DT, or CB will help the team out much more, and equally importantly offer more cap savings.

Pitts' rookie deal was the 6th highest TE cap hit and taking Bowers at 5 would force us to a similar deal. The only way we get surplus value on Bowers is if he is immediately HoF level.
Compare that to all the other positions where you'd save 10-15 mil compared to FA values.

For example lets say we need 1 WR and 1 TE and have $10 mil to spend on top of the pick. If you draft Bowers and you have 10 mil to spend on a WR, which probably gets you around DJ Chark.
Now lets say you draft Nabers/Odunze, for 10 mil you can get Dalton Schultz. The second combination is much better than the first.
You can do the same drill with every other high value position and the team as a whole is better off filling TE with a FA than using #5 on Bowers and trying to fill a different major need via FA.

Kelce was on the team with Tyreek as well so it wasnt instead of him. It was Tyreek plus Kelce. Kelces first season without Tyreek there, he set career highs in receptions and TDs. Not to say he didnt have good numbers before. Tyreek only had 1 season with Kelce where he had more receptions than Kelce did....and that was his last season there.

So sorry, if Keenan is back i dont think WR is a big need,.... we will have some good ones but sure we can draft another in round 3 or 4 and there will be some good ones there and an even smaller cap hit.

[bman6555]

Maybe 5th pick is a bit high for Kittle but if you drafted Travis Kelce with the 5th pick - would it have been a bad pick

If you can guarantee Kelce, no. However you are not guaranteed an upper echelon HoFer (at his position) in any draft pick. While Bowers could be Kelce, that is a best case scenario. Most likely he isn't and instead will be a top 12 TE in the league. The #5 pick right now you could trade straight up for any TE (even probably LaPorta) in the league. It's crazy to pick a guy (Bowers) and expect him from day #1 to be the most valuable player at his position in the league.

[Boltnut]

Yes good point, if you get an Ogden or a Pace, by all means use your top 5 pick on an all pro left tackle. Alt is not that level, and we need a right tackle, we have an all pro left tackle.

I think anybody who has watched Alt or Fashanu play understand their value. Are they Ogden or Pace...? Who knows.
The better question is... will they make the Chargers a SB contending team...? That is the only question that is important.
Protecting the franchise QB is Harbaugh's greatest responsibility. Running the ball more effectively (and more often) is his goal.
Does Pipkins deliver on either of those goals...? I'll let Harbaugh make that decision.
Can Alt or Fashanu deliver those goals...? I don't think anyone really questions either of those two players abilities.
I would even suggest that Fuaga can do those things. @#5...? If you have 3 qualified OT's, it seems wise/safe to trade back.
Trading back allows for proper slotting and helps you build a complete roster anyways.

[Boltnut]

The strength of this draft is WR, OT, QB..in other words offense....especially at the top end. If you want defense it absolutely requires trading back. I see no defensive player in this draft worthy of the #5 pick.

That is probably true... although there are some mocks (experts) that would disagree with you.
I would probably go OT @#5. But my opinion of this class' DE's and CB's are different from yours.

I suspect Jim Harbaugh has different views also. While with the 49ers, they selected Aldon Smith @#7.
He had 14.5 sacks over his last 2 years @Mizzou. Both Dallas Turner's and Latu Laiatu's numbers are comparable or better.

I suspect Horitz values secondary and OT more than you do as well.
The Ravens don't have to draft @#5 very often. But @#6 they drafted Ronnie Stanley. @#16 they drafted Marlon Humphrey. @#14 they drafted Kyle Hamilton. There are draft tendencies and general philosophies that must be considered.

[sonorajim]

Yes, because they didn't draft or sign an elite offensive tackle, cornerback, or pass-rusher who is on Travis Kelce's level. I guarantee they would rather have an all-time great offensive tackle, pass-rusher, or cornerback than an all-time great tight end, though.

Hard to say. In retrospect. Kelce was drafted in 2013 by KC. Since then they've been in 3 SBs, W 2- L1 in the last few years. 10Ws would have been better, albeit extremely unlikely.
I doubt they would willingly take those Lombardi's off the shelf for maybes.

Starting with a clean slate to build a team it's widely considered most important, No 1 QB, 2 OLT, 3 Edge.
Since we're picking and have very good ones already, a great TE can reasonably enter the conversation. It will be up to our GM, HC & staff re talent and fit on their projected 2024 Chargers roster. TE is a team need, among others.
I like Bowers' talent / need fit. I think the LAC draft team takes Bowers, a WR or trade down.

[Bolt4Knob]

If you can guarantee Kelce, no. However you are not guaranteed an upper echelon HoFer (at his position) in any draft pick. While Bowers could be Kelce, that is a best case scenario. Most likely he isn't and instead will be a top 12 TE in the league. The #5 pick right now you could trade straight up for any TE (even probably LaPorta) in the league. It's crazy to pick a guy (Bowers) and expect him from day #1 to be the most valuable player at his position in the league.

Unless the guy is Lawrence Taylor - hard to say that about any draft pick

I still like Bowers at 5 -- or a trade down.

[BigBad]

[wu-dai clan]

Oh bullshit.

[21&500]

That's what she said.

Seriously though, this isn't the first time I've heard concerns about his power.
now will a Ben Herbert help? No doubt.
But this weakness has to be assessed to see if there's not a bigger issue because for a guy his size, power shouldn't be an issue.

[CanadianBoltFan]

I don't know what Joe Alt is and you don't, either. Same with Brock Bowers.

We do know what Kyle Pitts, Penei Sewell (projected as a left tackle but has had no problem playing on the right side), and Micah Parsons are now. From this point if Pitts plays to the level he was expected to coming out of college, most teams would still pick Sewell, Parsons, and Slater over him if they were to redo that draft.

A bit early to write off 23 year old Pitts. He is younger than some prospects in this draft. Lets give him a real coach and real QB before we close this chapter. The one year he had Matt Ryan he had 1000 yards...as a rookie.