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

[CanadianBoltFan]

We would draft Alt to play right tackle. Penei Sewell, Jack Conklin, Ryan Ramczyk, and many others made the transition from the left to the right side in their rookie years. Tyron Smith was a right tackle at USC, played right tackle his rookie year with the Cowboys, and moved to the left side on his way to what could be a Hall of Fame career. Lane Johnson played both left and right tackle at Oklahoma. These are all All-Pros. Making a move from left to right tackle or vice-versa is not the impossible task so many are making it out to be.

Alt was recruited as a tight end out of school. He played some tight end during his freshman year at Notre Dame. I think asking him to switch from tight end to offensive tackle is a little bit harder than moving from the left side to the right.

We use the 5th pick on a RT tackle when you can trade down and have a plethora of good tackles to choose from, including a couple who actually are right tackles? This is the deepest tackle draft in years.

[Fouts2herbert]

We use the 5th pick on a RT tackle when you can trade down and have a plethora of good tackles to choose from, including a couple who actually are right tackles? This is the deepest tackle draft in years.

This^ why switch a guy from his natural position if all you want to do is replace pipkins...unless something else afoot, I think some folks just want to reset the LT spot, perhaps some might still believe Slater is not LT material...

[blueman]

Salyer has played everything but center, his best natural fit in college was RT. He played LT at a pretty decent level for us when he had to. He played not so good at guard last year (no one did lol). In a fair competition, I would wager he would easily beat out Pip (who was a Staley/TT pet project if there ever was one). Not that Pip these days is terrible, but he would seem to be at his ceiling, and we need an upgrade there IMO. Let Salyer beat him out for the position, and draft a true guard (if McFadden’s tape shows too much of a project). It’s a deep draft for OL, I’d feel better about a top guard plugged in as a rookie than a rookie RT.

[Boltnut]

Salyer has played everything but center, his best natural fit in college was RT. He played LT at a pretty decent level for us when he had to. He played not so good at guard last year (no one did lol). In a fair competition, I would wager he would easily beat out Pip (who was a Staley/TT pet project if there ever was one). Not that Pip these days is terrible, but he would seem to be at his ceiling, and we need an upgrade there IMO. Let Salyer beat him out for the position, and draft a true guard (if McFadden’s tape shows too much of a project). It’s a deep draft for OL, I’d feel better about a top guard plugged in as a rookie than a rookie RT.

That's my preference. Improves your RT and allows you to get a proper fitting RG.
Trading back nets you extra picks (one of them being a quality RG...?)
I was stumping for Salyer @RT back before Pip was resigned.
Pip can be depth @OT. After 2024, you can cut Pip and save yourself $6.75m on 2025's cap, too.

[Boltnut]

LT: Slater
LG: Zion
OC: Sedrick Van Pran
RG: Zac Zinter
RT: Salyer

Harbaugh & Co should be able to coach that group up.

[DerwinBosa]

We use the 5th pick on a RT tackle when you can trade down and have a plethora of good tackles to choose from, including a couple who actually are right tackles? This is the deepest tackle draft in years.

Because maybe Harbaugh and Hortiz believe Alt is THAT good. You keep saying, "This is the deepest tackle draft in years." I remember hearing how the 2013 Draft was the "deepest in offensive lineman" of all time. Guess what? Of the six offensive linemen drafted in the top 11, only Eric Fisher and Lane Johnson had successful careers, and we ended up with D.J. Fluker, who played more right tackle in college than Lane Johnson did--who came to Oklahoma as a quarterback.

[beachcomber]

How have you determined that Alt isn't so much better than the other offensive tackles in this draft?

I'm intrigued with Fuaga, myself, but passing on Alt and trading back for Fuaga better not result us in ending up with another D.J. Fluker while Alt turns into a great player.

would surmise that Fuaga, Guyton, Fautanu and Suamataia are safer than not gambits, and.... can't say the same 'bout the likes of Amarius Mims, Patrick Paul, Jordan Morgan nor JC Latham ????

[DerwinBosa]

would surmise that Fuaga, Guyton, Fautanu and Suamataia are safer than not gambits, and.... can't say the same 'bout the likes of Amarius Mims, Patrick Paul, Jordan Morgan nor JC Latham ????

Fuaga's stock seems to be rising now. We don't know where any of these guys will be rated when teams complete their draft boards, but Fuaga is getting a lot of hype now. Today I saw a mock draft in which he was taken sixth overall by the Giants, with Alt going seventh to the Titans.

As I wrote before, I don't care who it is or how it's done. I want at least a top right tackle or pass-rusher out of this draft. That will be a big first step to building the type of team Harbaugh wins with. Get me both a top right tackle and a top pass-rusher and I will be doing backflips.

[CanadianBoltFan]

Because maybe Harbaugh and Hortiz believe Alt is THAT good. You keep saying, "This is the deepest tackle draft in years." I remember hearing how the 2013 Draft was the "deepest in offensive lineman" of all time. Guess what? Of the six offensive linemen drafted in the top 11, only Eric Fisher and Lane Johnson had successful careers, and we ended up with D.J. Fluker, who played more right tackle in college than Lane Johnson did--who came to Oklahoma as a quarterback.

How do we know Harbaugh loves Alt? We do know he loves Bowers, he recruited him hard.

That was a weak tackle draft actually when Eric Fisher was the top tackle taken. Actually a very weak draft in general when Eric Fisher taken 1. He was not an elite prospect. Joeckel 2. Dion Jordan a bust at 3. OMG that draft was horrible. The OL was bad thoughout except for Lane Johnson. Fluker was a TT reach.

This is one of the worst drafts I have seen. the 2024 draft is a strong draft. And its not just hindsight. I remember thinking at the time Eric Fisher is about as ho hum as a first pick can possibly be.

Fisher solid career but not eliite
Joeckel bust
Fluker bust
Cooper bust
Warmack bust

Man what a bad draft. The player that shoud have gone first was 27th DeAndre Hopkins, thats how many busts there were

[CanadianBoltFan]

Fuaga's stock seems to be rising now. We don't know where any of these guys will be rated when teams complete their draft boards, but Fuaga is getting a lot of hype now. Today I saw a mock draft in which he was taken sixth overall by the Giants, with Alt going seventh to the Titans.

As I wrote before, I don't care who it is or how it's done. I want at least a top right tackle or pass-rusher out of this draft. That will be a big first step to building the type of team Harbaugh wins with. Get me both a top right tackle and a top pass-rusher and I will be doing backflips.

You might be dispppointed about the right tackle. I think Harbaugh and Hortiz will draft linemen for sure, but it might not be a high pick for a starting right tackle. We need a center more because we dont have one. We are not getting out of Pipkins contract. They might coach him better than Nugent.They might draft a guard like Minter and kick Salyer out to rght tackle.

Improving our line doesnt have to mean using a high first pick on a right tackle

Problem is Chargers have so many needs. What we dont need QB, LT, K What we do need...whole new RB room, whole new TE room, speed at WR, C RT, DL, Edge, LB, CB, S if no Gilman

[Fouts2herbert]

LT: Slater
LG: Zion
OC: Sedrick Van Pran
RG: Zac Zinter
RT: Salyer

Harbaugh & Co should be able to coach that group up.

what do they do with pipkins, they can't cut or trade him due to cap reasons and he'd be getting paid almost 8mil to be the swing tackle in your scenario?

[Fouts2herbert]

let's not forget how good the O-line looked from preseason until Lindsley got sick...and the fact that the all four remaining guys had a down year goes to show you how important Lindsley was, he wasn't just a great center, he was the undisputed leader of the O-line, the rest of the guys fed off of him and he set the tone for the whole group...his absence was devastating for the rest of the guys...