2022-23 Official Charger Draft Superthread

[Fleet 1]

With the start of College Football its time to start keeping an eye on future players.. This is always a deep discussion and its great that we have so many members here who are into the draft.

As the season goes on keep an eye on players and discuss them here. This discussion always makes me a better football student .

Just sitting here watching Pitt vs WV and completely forgot Addison was at USC now.

Aloha

[Boltnut]

Dang Fleet... you're putting us to work right off the bat.
No rest for the wicked. And there are a number of wicked here!
I look forward to learning from you, brothers...

[beachcomber]

CB Cameron Brown, Ohio State:



This is a high-risk, high-reward player to buy into. Brown has an extensive injury history and has missed much of the last two seasons. However, when he is healthy, he is a true lockdown cornerback and can be a problem for opposing receivers. He is a big-bodied corner who is very physical and has a great initial punch that jams receivers at the line of scrimmage. He is great in zone coverage and can close on receivers quickly to break up passes. He can be successful in either man or zone concepts; just don’t put him inside in man coverage. When he plays inside and in man coverage, he seems overwhelmed by all the motions and players crossing his face. Besides that, he can play pretty much anywhere on the field and will be good at it. He is great against the run and relishes the opportunity to make a tackle. He needs to stay healthy, and if he can do that, he will have a productive NFL career. Unfortunately, his injury history makes him a very difficult player to predict where he will be drafted because he has first-round talent; he just doesn’t have the playing time.

[beachcomber]

Edge Protection Hits Recent Low:

This is definitely not a typical draft year (2023) because the offensive tackle position is the weakest it has been in recent memory.

That seems to be a theme with this (tackle) class, where you have much smoke but don't get any flame. It feels like we are getting many prospects with great traits and exceptional in one area of the game, but lacking in the other aspects of the position.

There will be teams in the upcoming draft who will overdraft a player because it's their biggest need (RT), but that is a scary proposition this year.

https://www.si.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft/2023-nfl-draft-stock-watch-treasures-and-fools-gold#gid=ci02a9633ab00026a3&pid=edge-protection-hits-recent-low

[beachcomber]

Dallas Cowboys: Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor

In three of the past four drafts, Dallas has selected a defensive tackle on Day 2 of the NFL Draft. It would theoretically continue in this scenario unless Ika rises to the middle to late portion of the first round. They have also used two Day 3 selections on the position over the past two years. Leadership has allocated resources but return on investment to this point has been low. Ika gives them significantly more mass at the heart of the defense and would upgrade the run defense.

Denver Broncos: Noah Sewell, LB, Oregon

Josey Jewell has flashed for Denver when available but he missed all but two games in 2021. There is little else on the roster impeding Sewell's path to starting for that team. The younger brother of Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell shows good anticipation and awareness. The American Samoa native also displays good closing speed making plays sideline to sideline.

New Orleans Saints: Arik Gilbert, TE, Georgia

At 6-foot-5, 255 pounds, Gilbert has great top end speed and ball-winning traits. He was productive as a true freshman in Baton Rouge two years ago but there is significant intrigue surrounding the LSU transfer and his capabilities after missing all of last season. Despite his other-worldly physical gifts, Gilbert will have to share targets in Athens this fall. The Bulldogs also have former top 100 overall high school recruiting talents Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington at the position.

New Orleans was hopeful that Adam Trautman would replace Jared Cook at tight end but the former has just 42 receptions over two seasons. Gilbert would give Jameis Winston a star at the position in his return to the great state of Louisiana.

San Francisco 49ers: Eli Cox, C, Kentucky

When Alex Mack retired, everyone assumed that San Francisco would make a play for free agent JC Tretter, who had been released by the Browns. Tretter then announced his own retirement to focus on his duties with the NFL Players Association. Cox is following a similar path as Jaguars third-round draft pick Luke Fortner, who played guard at Kentucky prior to moving to center his final season.

Here is the real connection between San Francisco and Cox: Kentucky offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello was the quarterbacks coach for the 49ers last year. Kentucky offensive line coach Zach Yenser was an assistant offensive line coach on Kyle Shanahan's staff last year. If it is a match, then general manager John Lynch will have better intel than any other franchise.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2023-nfl-draft-one-prospect-for-each-nfl-team-to-monitor-during-the-college-football-season/

[beachcomber]

PFF Rank
14Peter Skoronski


POSITION
T
CLASS
Jr.
SCHOOL
Northwestern
AGE
—
HEIGHT
6' 4"
WEIGHT
315
SPEED
—

The most technically sound offensive tackle in the draft class, Skoronski has been that way since he was a true freshman. He earned an 81.4 overall grade that season, and he improved that to 83.8 in 2021. While not the physical specimen we saw in this past year's tackle class, Skoronski gets the job done.

PFF Rank
24Bijan Robinson


POSITION
HB
CLASS
Jr.
SCHOOL
Texas
AGE
—
HEIGHT
6' 0"
WEIGHT
220
SPEED
—

This is about as high as you'll ever see us rank a running back. A big portion of that is because Robinson can be so much more with his receiving ability. Robinson finished with 79 broken tackles last season, the third-most in the country. But he did it in only 10 games.

[TexanBeerlover]

Was thinking about this very topic prior to 53 cuts. It’s more important than I ever thought, especially with high selections, to understand “A” player, natural position in the NFL and specific role needed to fill in roster construction.

Next part, once you’ve identified that, is positional value, DE > OT> CB> LB as priority needs…….First in class - those positions will be off the board if Chargers/Telesco stand down and wait for own draft slot. However, close as we think Chargers are, calling my shot, next years draft could be different (trade up) not into top 10, but move up to grab a top 20 prospect.

A lot depends how season goes obviously. Key player to watch is Kenneth Murray and ILB position. Run defense still needs a Dante Hightower type in the middle. A great match-up to watch Saturday is Oregon vs Georgia. Georgia lost 5 on defense in first round last draft but still returns intriguing prospects -

Georgia, OLB Nolan Smith 6-3 237
Sure looks elite, not sure he slides out of top 10? But definitely has to be considered.

Oregon, also grew a pair, a long boundary corner -

Christian Gonzalez 6-2 200

And probably my odds on favorite to be Chargers 1st rd selection in the 2023 Draft, the brother of Penei Sewell -

ILB Noah Sewell 6-3 250.

New Head Coach of the Ducks is last years Georgia Defensive Coordinator Dan Lanning. He would be a plug and play fit for Chargers, just like Slater & Zion, except this time on defense as a run stopping dominant tackler who has ability to also cover TE’s and blitz the QB.

Other high end prospects that love to see in Charger powder blue-
- Trenton Simpson, LB Clemson
- Peter Skoronski, OT Northwestern
- Myles Murphy, DE Clemson
- Bryan Breese, DE/DT Clemson

That’s my Magnificent 7. No WR’s, TE’s or Notre Dame prospects (see beginning of post).

[21&500]

Fleet runs a tight ship
that's why I'm here.

let the grind begin.

[dmac_bolt]

I watched the Pitt WVa game but I forgot to take notes. Don’t draft the WR that gently tip drilled a perfectly thrown pass to the DB for a pick six. It was a really good game though, as entertainment. First real football I’ve seen this year, it felt good.

[kgbpasha]

Watched Penn State vs Purdue.

Joey Porter Jr. had some tough assignments.
Looks a bit flat-footed sometimes.
Has the "length" that gets talked about.
It showed up when needed.

The talent and pedigree is there.
In a deep secondary class, I think
he could be a first day pick depending
on how the rest of this season goes for him.

[Fouts2herbert]

I was just looking at the OTC guys that will be Free Agents in 2023 and it occurred to me that all 7 picks the chargers have will make the roster again next year…with the Herbert extension looming, I anticipate the chargers will let most of them walk in FA…guys like parham, norton, fehoko, campbell, and guyton will be either restricted or earned rights free agents, but everyone else is unrestricted, even if the chargers return all the ERFAs and RFAs, they’ll still be losing as many as 14 players, maybe they bring back 2-3 of those guys but that’s 11-2 bodies that’ll need to be replaced next offseason…

So yeah, this upcoming draft is going to be a special one for the chargers because with fewer and fewer holes on the roster this draft will finally help the chargers establish the depth they should’ve had consistently going back on the entire TT era…I wrote this up to try and figure out which positions the scouts might keying on in 2023…of course crazy injuries could affect these needs going into the 2023 draft…

QB2 will either be bringing back stick or daniels or signing another veteran, no draft priority

RB3 ekeler and spiller will probably get backed up by a rookie RB very small draft priority rountree might just get bumped back up to RB3?

FB filled

WR5 might be a rookie, another vet like carter, or one of the guys on the PS…low priority?

TE4 not sure they’ll need one and all three TEs are under contract thru end of 2023 unless the chargers don’t tender parham…low priority?

OT slater and norton will be under contract thru 2023 unless they don’t tender norton..RT1 might be pipkins if he plays well otherwise that becomes a big draft priority…maybe mid round guy drafted for depth if pipkins succeeds or 1st rounder if he doesn’t…

OG the team is solid here and everyone here starters and depth locked up thru end of 2023…low draft priority?

C how much longer will linsley last? This could be draft priority or it could be finding a backup heir apparent to linsley, it all depends on linsley’s health…worth noting that clapp will be UFA so they have to find a backup or heir apparent to linsley in next years draft so C2 will be priority unless jaimes succesfully transitions to center…maybe a day 2 pick?

EDGE 1-3 is set thru 2024, so EDGE4 will continue to be a need with KVN becoming an UFA…I think they can find a veteran or someone off the PS, this position is already loaded…low priority?

DT with Tillery leaving, fox being an UFA, and fehoko being an RFA in 2023 this position will return 4 players for next year, maybe next year gaziano gets to stick on the roster, maybe brown, maybe covington comes back to the 53, IDK, but maybe they draft someone although I think this has become low, very low, draft priority…

LB I can’t imagine them drafting one in 2023, they like nieman on STs and they like amen, they still have K9 for a couple more years, loyd will be around, and reeder would not be expensive to resign…LB might be the lowest draft priority on the team, but you never know…

CB with jackson, samuel, davis, leonard, and taylor locked up thru end of the 2023 season and also campbell will be restricted if they choose to tender him…this position is probably set for 2023 draft but they might still draft one late because staley…

S this position has question marks, derwin, gilman, and woods locked in thru end of 2023 season but gilman made the roster by default and woods looks like he’s a project, webb is on PS and injury prone, Nas is becoming a UFA…would not surprise me if they used a 1st or 2nd rounder on a safety in 2023 draft…

P might just get resigned
K is under contract thru 2023
LS is locked up

so in the up coming 2023 draft the priority picks will potentially be right tackle, safety, and center——edge 4 and running back 3 or wide receiver 5 will be lower in the priority list, which leaves staley with a seventh round pick to go shopping for CB, LOL

[TexanBeerlover]

Early game thoughts (Georgia/Oregon) -

Georgia still elite. Great tackling scheme.

Georgia Freshman Starks reminds me already of Stingley freshman film. Washington TE 6-7 270 is a monster. So much talent. Oregon is undermanned and undersized. Noah looks sub 6-2 not 6-3. Slower change of direction than I remember. Know it’s only one game and still could be first round selection, but not trading up for him. Very partial to Oregon but totally outclassed. First quarter ended. Bulldogs on Oregon 1 yard line 7-0 would take miracle for Ducks to stop it from being 14-0.