2024 Chargers Draft Superthread - Prospect Discussion - Draft Has Started

[blueman]

This is not just a MHJ or Bust Receiver board for the Chargers.

Flowers is the fastest of the group, with breakaway speed comparable to former Ravens wide receiver Marquise Brown. Perhaps the biggest concern with Flowers is his 5-foot-9 stature, but Hortiz said Flowers has the versatility to play both outside and in the slot.

"Zay, he plays inside and out for B.C., and you see the same ability coming up to this level," Hortiz said. "He's strong, even though he's not big, and certainly, he can fly. He can put pressure on a defense quickly. And he's got outstanding hands and [trackability], so he plays bigger than his size overall, I'd say."



Scouting Reports below on the other one in this draft.

He can take the top off the defense. He was consistent in 2022, showing elite separation skills and the ability to high-point receptions. He also was balanced, catching 35 passes when lined up in the slot and 37 when lined up out wide. That versatility will matter at the next level.

Very good burst and explosiveness.
— Great acceleration and long speed. True deep threat.
— Very good YAC threat. High-end athlete with natural vision.
— Quick, flexible route-runner. Can sink and burst out of route breaks with ease.
— Good ball-tracking skills. Can track the ball down the field as well as outside his frame.

• Sports a compact long-strider frame with good mass and proportional length.
• Sentient powder keg with supercharged explosiveness, suddenness, and lateral twitch.
• Uses his twitch and foot speed to offset DBs with foot fire, split, and diamond releases.
• Transition between micro-movements and instant explosion creates DB instability.
• Nuanced vertical threat with thrashing speed, throttle control, and stem intelligence.
• Shows glimpses of inhuman decelerative and retractive sink capacity on comebacks.
• Has the zone awareness and flexibility to bend around DBs and exploit blind spots.
• Has stellar body control in tight situations and can use late hands to control leverage.
• Can snare passes away from his frame with diamond technique and reset for RAC.
• Has the hand strength and authoritative grip to secure passes even through contact.
• Has exceptional contact balance and an unnaturally strong center of gravity for his size.
• Sifts through congestion like a sieve with explosive agility, oily hips, and leg churn.
• Plays with zealous physicality both as a RAC threat and as a combatant at route stems.
• Has great scramble IQ, creating second-wave separation and working back to the ball.
• Active, combative run blocker with great leverage IQ, urgency, and adaptability.

I'm not trying to alter opinions or campaign for a pick here.
I'm just showing you some very "interesting" comparable between what Joe Hortiz said about the Baltimore pick of Zay Flowers and what "Traits" he liked versus the receiver in this draft that people are writing off as if he's not worthy of the 5th pick.
I will ask if it's possible that the Chargers feel this player fits them better than (Dare I say His name?).
I'm just saying that it would behoove people to not just think it's MHJ or bust @ #5. That's all.

I dunno, they might. They brought him in for an interview, so there’s that in the mix.

[Berserker76]

This is probably a dumb question, but here goes. If some team does trade us a 1st round pick in 2025, are we able to trade that future pick to another team for a pick we can use this year? Just curious.

[SuperChargedRodney37]

Flowers is far from the only WR drafted in the first round by the Ravens, though. Bateman is a very different receiver, as was Brown. I think Flowers has worked out the best, but Baltimore has liked a wide variety of traits in its WR picks.

Hello Eaterfan,
Yes sir I understand Baltimore has done that in fact to the tune of 3 in the last 5 drafts.

However, what I was attempting to convey was this most recent draft and a particular type of skillset that Hortiz and the staff were looking for as it pertains to this offense. Although it was Monken as the OC last season, it was still very much a Greg Roman run concept with more speed and explosiveness in the passing game.
Hortiz has already spoken about the desire to get more speed on this offense, and I believe he will want to build off that particular skillset that was a first-year success in Baltimore and bring it here. The difference for Hortiz is that no matter which way he goes with that #5 pick. He will have a player that exemplifies even more of those previous traits.

[Jack Burton]

This is probably a dumb question, but here goes. If some team does trade us a 1st round pick in 2025, are we able to trade that future pick to another team for a pick we can use this year? Just curious.

Sure!! You can go 3 years in advance if the year you are drafting with any pick.

[SuperChargedRodney37]

Like I been saying, three firsts.

Yes sir.

The media will say, "If you trade #5 for #11 and #23 that you're getting 2 first rounders".

However, this is actually false and not how teams look at it. The teams look at the "additional" pick(s). So, in this case they actually swapped first rounders and acquire just 1 additional pick.
They have consistently said That's not enough and to look at pick #5 almost like a QB value.
They value the Receiver @ #5 at way more value than a singular pick at #23.

Another way they will look at it is this:
How many players do they have graded in this draft at "True" 1st round value? I've heard 16-18. So, the way they would look at this trade is the player at #23 to them is a 2nd round grade. Therefore, they would be trading an Elite Blue-Chip Player at a Premium Position pick #5 for simply a 2nd round pick equivalent.

That is want we call selling LOW. This is why the 2025 1st would have to be included because you may be in line for a 1st round graded player or at the least you leverage that pick for better value in 2025.

[Boltjolt]

I think Bowers will go to the Jets at 10 - meaning that is his floor
Have thought this for a couple weeks

Though they might need OT - I just think with A-A-Ron - they want to maximize his weapons and with Wilson, Williams and Hall, getting a TE like Bowers woudl bring the buzz the team would prefer over OT

I can see that too. He is old though and lasted 4 plays last season. They did sign two older OTs so Bowers makes sense.

Last night they did a mock in NFLN and gave them Odunze at 10 and then mentioned OT as well 🤷

If we move to 11 that's the chance we take I guess. If the Giants are desperate too, which I been hearing lately, maybe they want 5 just to be sure. But as Hortiz said, it would take a good package so originally I said we probably only get their 3rd. Now maybe 2nd and 3rd is possible. That would be great moving one spot but still doubt it happen because NY will say,. ....But we aren't going to draft MHJ.

Who the hell knows lol.

[dmac_bolt]

Flowers is far from the only WR drafted in the first round by the Ravens, though. Bateman is a very different receiver, as was Brown. I think Flowers has worked out the best, but Baltimore has liked a wide variety of traits in its WR picks.

Flowers is the first really good one, they whiffed on the prior attempts. Flowers also coincides with the "some" improvement being lauded to Lamar that many credit was solely due to Monken replacing Roman. I think Zay was a big factor in some of the QB play improvement.

Hortiz's glowing summary of Flowers points directly at Nabers imo, aligning with his comment previously that nobody was sure was liars month jest or confessions of a fanboy. Flowers immediate success may have cemented his belief that his scouting take was 100% genius and repeating it will repeat genius.

"Zay, he plays inside and out for B.C., and you see the same ability coming up to this level," Hortiz said. "He's strong, even though he's not big, and certainly, he can fly. He can put pressure on a defense quickly. And he's got outstanding hands and [trackability], so he plays bigger than his size overall, I'd say."

I really wanted LAC to draft Zay last year. damn TT all to hell! We likely aren't talking about MH2/Nabers if they did.

[powderblueboy]

Anybody catch the Joe Hortiz press conference?

https://x.com/LAC_Unleashed/status/1781023059698421921

https://x.com/alexinsdorf99/status/1781028040086110299

Chargers GM Joe Hortiz: "If four quarterbacks go ahead of us, we believe we have the first pick of the draft." re: a trade: "it's gotta be good value for us."
Asked again, he says he anticipates four quarterbacks going in the first four picks.


He knows this because he's in serious chatter with a few teams about pick #5, along with the jerk on the Cardinals.
Figures the Cardinals are going to trade out.

[Boltnut]

Nutty's Mock:

It hasn't changed much over the last few weeks. It is OL-Centric and has some Michigan players where they slot.
It starts with a trade-back with Minnesota. We get #11 and #23. No more. No less. The Cardinals do the obvious and take MHJ @#4.

#11 RT Taliese Fuaga: Best run blocker in the draft.
#23 LB Edgerrin Cooper: QB Hunter. A lot of the same traits that JH and JH like.
#39 DT Kris Jenkins: Michigan know-how.
#69 CB Mike Sainristil: Michigan know-how. Slot corners fall. Tough.
#105 WR Brendan Rice: Jerry's son knows how to run routes. Perfect for play-action.
#110 RG Zak Zinter: No more messing around @RG. Salyer can be depth @RG and @LT.
#140 TE Jared Wiley: Good at run/catch. Development.
#181 S Josh Proctor. Tough, physical.
#225 RB George Holani. FA Dobbins pushes RB down my mock. Holani is tough.
#253 EDGE Jaylen Harrell. Minter used him as pass rusher and dropped him into coverage a lot.

[powderblueboy]

If Arizona stays put and takes MH2 it will matter. That's the scenario where we get the most bang for the buck. If Arizona trades down it means 4 QBs
will be taken with the first four picks. In that case do we take MH2 or trade down? We still will get good value for trading down, but not the same kind if it's a QB.

If the Cardinals want to trade back and then up again to #5, Hortiz should make it clear they'll be able to keep practically nothing.

[Jack Burton]

Yes sir.

The media will say, "If you trade #5 for #11 and #23 that you're getting 2 first rounders".

However, this is actually false and not how teams look at it. The teams look at the "additional" pick(s). So, in this case they actually swapped first rounders and acquire just 1 additional pick.
They have consistently said That's not enough and to look at pick #5 almost like a QB value.
They value the Receiver @ #5 at way more value than a singular pick at #23.

Another way they will look at it is this:
How many players do they have graded in this draft at "True" 1st round value? I've heard 16-18. So, the way they would look at this trade is the player at #23 to them is a 2nd round grade. Therefore, they would be trading an Elite Blue-Chip Player at a Premium Position pick #5 for simply a 2nd round pick equivalent.

That is want we call selling LOW. This is why the 2025 1st would have to be included because you may be in line for a 1st round graded player or at the least you leverage that pick for better value in 2025.

I now get the sense after listening to Hortiz today that they want 3 1’s in this draft.

[SuperChargedRodney37]

I can see that too. He is old though and lasted 4 plays last season. They did sign two older OTs so Bowers makes sense.

Last night they did a mock in NFLN and gave them Odunze at 10 and then mentioned OT as well 🤷

If we move to 11 that's the chance we take I guess. If the Giants are desperate too, which I been hearing lately, maybe they want 5 just to be sure. But as Hortiz said, it would take a good package so originally I said we probably only get their 3rd. Now maybe 2nd and 3rd is possible. That would be great moving one spot but still doubt it happen because NY will say,. ....But we aren't going to draft MHJ.

Who the hell knows lol.

Yeah, Tackle or Bowers does make sense there. I have a gut feeling that Bowers is a Colt. I see a lot of vintage Dallas Clark in him, and he would be very good in that offense with the young Richardson at QB.
I would hate to see him with the JETE, Jets. They ruin a lot of talent.

https://twitter.com/i/status/858146281394323456