Draft Grades

[Boltdog]

Looks like LAC at least came out ahead of their AFC West rivals when it comes to selections in this draft. Denver would be up there except Butt apparently won't be ready to go until sometime in October. Oakland took some chances on players as usual, but then again, they have less roster spots open than Chargers. KC has gambled everything on an Air Raid QB who has a big learning curve ahead of him...

[Bolt-O]

Vinnie Iyer, Sporting news:

Los Angeles Chargers: B-

Draft picks: Clemson WR Mike Williams, Western Kentucky T/G Forrest Lamp, Indiana G Dan Feeney, Miami S Rayshawn Jenkins, Iowa S Desmond King, Utah T Sam Tevi, Notre Dame DT Isaac Rochell

Tom Telesco got a whole bunch of picks to try to prop up the window with QB Philip Rivers, and he also passed on taking a potential replacement for him. Although Williams and the offensive linemen were nice, the emphasis to try to catch up fast should have been on the defensive value first.

[Millionaire Wussy]

If your problems with the draft start in the 6th round than I think it's a great draft. There's a reason those guys are available still, nit-picking them is a bit redundant.

That's probably true. Five excellent picks 1-5 is great enough. A+

[oneinchpunch]

nfl.com

Los Angeles Chargers
Draft picks: Mike Williams (No. 7 overall), Forrest Lamp (No. 38 overall), Dan Feeney (No. 71 overall), Rayshawn Jenkins (No. 113 overall), Desmond King (No. 151 overall), Sam Tevi (No. 190 overall), Isaac Rochell (No. 225 overall)
Day 1 grade: A-
Day 2 grade: B
Day 3 grade: B+
Overall grade: B+
The skinny: Mike Williams is a physically dominating receiver who will make life easier for Philip Rivers. He has enough speed to make plays, as well. Keenan Allen's injury forced the team's hand, as well. It will be interesting to see where second-round pick Forrest Lamp plays for the Chargers; he would be an excellent center. It was an excellent value pick. The Chargers again bolstered the interior of the line with Dan Feeney, who will play guard to protect Philip Rivers and block for Melvin Gordon. Hitting two interior linemen that early is a bit of a knock, as they need safety and linebacker help.

The Chargers' safety group needed an upgrade. Desmond King (fifth round) and Rayshawn Jenkins (sixth) should help in that effort. Finding an aggressive swing tackle in Sam Tevi in the sixth was a nice find, and adding versatile 3-4 lineman Isaac Rochell in the seventh was a solid pick.

[oneinchpunch]

Foxsports:

Los Angeles Chargers
Grade: A

The Chargers, on the other hand, were clear with that they wanted to do — they are making the push in 2017. Mike Williams, Forrest Lamp, Dan Feeney, and Sam Tevi will help the Chargers' offense this season. Rayshawn Jenkins and Desmond King are tremendous Day 3 values that will fit Gus Bradley's defense to a T.

[Millionaire Wussy]

I give TT an A++ overall grade for signing that Austin Ekeler running back too. That RB sounds perfect.

[Fleet]

PFF's Top 10 Value Picks
1. Jonathan Allen, DI, Alabama (Round 1, pick No. 17 overall)

The No. 2 overall player on PFF’s big board, Allen has been one of our favorite players in the class for quite some time. His 67 total QB pressures last season were easily the most among interior defenders in the FBS, and he also earned the eighth-highest grade in run defense. Allen also offers an upgrade to a huge need position where Washington lost their best interior lineman in Chris Baker.

New Orleans Saints

2. Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State (Round 1, pick No. 11 overall)

The fourth overall player on PFF’s big board, Lattimore somehow plummeted out of the top 10 to the delight of the New Orleans Saints. Lattimore is a true difference-maker at the cornerback position, arguably the third-most valuable position on an NFL roster. Lattimore allowed 18 catches all season long in 2016 and a 31.9 quarterback rating against.

San Francisco 49ers

3. Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama (Round 1, pick No. 31 overall)

There are the obvious off-field reasons for why Foster fell, but there is absolutely zero issue with his play on the field. He posted the highest grade we’ve ever seen from a linebacker in our three years of grading college games, and has all the athleticism to believe it will translate to the next level. Foster goes to a 49ers roster that suffered from some of the worst linebacker play in the NFL last year and should make a big impact in year one.

Cincinnati Bengals

4. Carl Lawson, Edge, Auburn (Round 4, pick No. 116 overall)

The word is that the medical evaluations on Carl Lawson had him off a few team’s boards, but fully healthy, this is a first-round talent dropping all the way to the fourth. His production as a pass-rusher last season was on par with Tennessee’s Derek Barnett and Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett, yet he comes off the board over 100 picks later than each. Lawson will be a bull-rush aficionado in the league with some of the strongest hands in the class. Back in the 2015 season, he whipped 2016 first-rounder Laremy Tunsil (then with Ole Miss), collecting six QB pressures in that game.

Seattle Seahawks

5. Malik McDowell, DI, Michigan State (Round 2, pick No. 35 overall)

Need, fit, value: it’s all here for the Seahawks. McDowell’s raw talent is on par with base ends like Solomon Thomas and Jonathan Allen, and he’s younger than both at only 20 years of age. The Michigan State defensive tackle, though, was frustratingly inconsistent, and it’s unclear if that will be resolved once he gets to the league. Of all the interior defenders in the draft class, only LSU’s Davon Godchaux earned a higher pass-rushing grade than McDowell in 2015.

Los Angeles Chargers logo header

6. Forrest Lamp, OL, Western Kentucky (Round 2, pick No. 38 overall)

For all the talk about a weak offensive line class, the Chargers were somehow able to manage the draft’s best offensive lineman all the way at the top of the second round. Lamp was the highest-graded left tackle in the FBS in 2014 and 2015 before finishing second in an injury-shortened 2016. That sort of consistency is reminiscent of Cody Whitehair a season ago, who ended up being a top-five center for the Bears as a rookie. There’s no reason to think that Lamp can’t have that kind of impact anywhere along the offensive line.

Miami Dolphins

7. Cordrea Tankersley, CB, Clemson (Round 3, pick No. 97 overall)

The deep cornerback class pushed down a lot of talented corners, making a handful of them fantastic value. No one stood out more in that regard though than Tankersley. The Clemson cornerback has a top-notch blend of length and speed that will allow the Dolphins to play press coverage regularly. This past year, Tankersley recorded 13 combined pass breakups and interceptions and allowed a 42.4 passer rating when targeted.

Carolina Panthers

8. Taylor Moton, G, Western Michigan (Round 2, pick No. 64 overall)

The sustained success of Taylor Moton across multiple positions, as well as at the Senior Bowl, makes us feel very comfortable about his projection to the next level. Moton has the flexibility to play either tackle, like he did as a senior, or guard, like he did as a junior. This past season, he surrendered eight total QB hurries and never more than two in a single game.

Los Angeles Chargers logo header

9. Desmond King, CB/S, Iowa (Round 5, pick No. 151 overall)

Desmond King has so many traits in the secondary that are unteachable. Unfortunately for him, speed is not one of them, and that’s why he slid. King’s ball skills and instincts in zone coverage are top notch. This past season, he broke up eight passes (plus he notched 12 in the 2015 season). He joins Casey Hayward and Jason Verrett, both who have stellar ball skills in their own right.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

10. Stevie Tu’ikolovatu, DI, USC (Round 7, pick No. 223 overall)

In the draft, pass-rushing prowess takes precedence, but there’s one position on the field where run defense still remains king. That position in nose tackle, and there’s no one more immovable at that position in this draft than Tu’ikolovatu. The USC nose tackle offers nothing as a pass-rusher, but he’s not playing anything other than first or second down. Tu’ikolovatu was the highest-graded nose tackle in run defense a season ago, recording 37 stops on the year.

[oneinchpunch]

Walter Football. This is pretty spot on to how I would grade the draft before these guys have ever taken a pro-snap. I haven't followed the draft anywhere near as much as years prior. I was pretty impressed, and I think the Lamp pick is my favorite. The only grade I would change is Tevi. I'd lower the grade to a C-. He has the size to be a monster, I just don't see it in his clips.

Los Angeles Chargers: Mike Williams, WR, Clemson: B Grade
There were better players available who filled needs, such as Jonathan Allen and Malik Hooker. Both would've made more sense than this. However, I don't think Mike Williams is a bad selection by any means. It makes sense to add Williams, as Keenan Allen has been so injury-prone over the past couple of years. Williams provides the Chargers with an excellent No. 2 receiver and some insurance just in case Allen gets hurt again. I have to imagine Philip Rivers is happy about this move.

Los Angeles Chargers: Forrest Lamp, G, Western Kentucky: A+ Grade
Wow, what a steal! Forrest Lamp could've been chosen as high as the early 20s, so it was a surprise that he fell out of the first round because he was the top interior offensive lineman by a wide margin. This is a great pick for the Chargers, who desperately needed to give Philip Rivers better protection in the twilight of his career.

Los Angeles Chargers: Dan Feeney, G, Indiana: A+ Grade
This might end up being the best pick in the third round. Sure, it's another guard, but the Chargers were desperate for offensive line help across the board, save for center. No one had to teach the Chargers that they had to bolster Philip Rivers' protection, and Dan Feeney provides great value in the third round when he could've gone early in the second frame.

Los Angeles Chargers: Rayshawn Jenkins, S, Miami: C Grade
I had Rayshawn Jenkins going in the seventh round, so I'm not a big fan of this selection. I can see why the Chargers picked him, however. Jenkins is a very good athlete and has strong upside. He also fills a need, but happens to be a project.

Los Angeles Chargers: Desmond King, S/CB, Iowa: A+ Grade
I wrote earlier that I didn't think I'd love a pick more than Jake Butt in the fifth round, but that apparently isn't the case anymore. Desmond King is an absolute steal in the fifth round. Back in the fall, he was projected to be a fringe first-round pick! King was torched at the Senior Bowl, and he dropped in our mock as a result, but I still thought he'd be chosen in the third frame. The consensus is that he'll have to move to safety, but I don't see why he wouldn't perform well there. King could potentially start for the Chargers sooner rather than later.

Los Angeles Chargers: Sam Tevi, OT, Utah: B Grade
The Chargers needed to continue to bolster Philip Rivers' protection, and Sam Tevi could do that. Tevi is a lengthy blocker, but lacks athleticism. Still, he could be a decent swing tackle for the Chargers.

Los Angeles Chargers: Isaac Rochell, DE/DT, Notre Dame: B Grade
I'm sure 3-4 teams, even those in Milan and Minsk, would've appreciated this pick of Isaac Rochell. However, I'm not sure where he plays for the Chargers, who are moving to a 4-3. My guess is he'll be a rotational, interior pass-rusher. That's my prediction with Rochell, as Rochell has solid athleticism and could be a decent contributor.

[chargerkdb]

If we land 4 starters, Williams, Lamp, Feeney and eventually King it will be an A+ for me.

[Formula 21]

MAKING THE PUSH.

Music to my ears.

[Formula 21]

I believe our first three picks are starters in this league. And the top two are potentially all pro. And I look forward to watching King develop.

Is this a franchise changing draft? No, But I believe it is enough to move us towards the top of the pile.

[Formula 21]