Chargers Draft Preview: First Round

The Chargers will have the following draft picks, assuming that we are compensated for Michael Turner with a third and Florence with a fourth or fifth.

1. Round 1 # 16
2. Round 3a
3. Round 3b
4. Round 4a
5. Round 4b
6. Round 5
7. Round 6
8. Round 7

There are a number of ways we could go in this draft and there is no real needs, but there are definitely some vast improvements that can be made in certain areas. The positions I feel that need to be addressed most are (in this order): G/T, ILB, S, DE/DT, RB.

The first player I'm going to mention is Duke Robinson of Oklahoma (6-5, 330), a very versatile player that can play tackle or guard. This pick would address the weakness on the right side of the line as well as the impending loss of Mike Goff. Jeromy Clary at RT has been a bit lackluster of late also and we will see how that situation pans out, but you can't really go wrong with a player like Robinson.

Next at ILB, two high energy players, either of them would be able to bring an instant spark on defense and develop into leaders, Rey Maualuga and James Laurinaitis. Maualuga at USC (6-3. 260) is a high impact player that has a way of controlling the game when he is on. I find his type of play to be a little similar to Shawne Merriman, and if Merriman is kept around they could be a fearsome duo. Laurinaitis (6-3, 240) from Ohio State has been a consistent contributor his entire career and could also upgrade us in the middle with his aggressive play, contrasting with incumbent Matt Wilhelm. A physical presence could be provided by either of these players and could help shore up our desperate defense. At this point I prefer Laurinaitis mainly because of his edge in coverage, but we will be lucky if either of them are left on the board when we pick.

The highest rated safety is William Moore of Missouri (6-1, 230). I'm not too high on Moore though, as he has been inconsistant and at times has lapses in play leading to bad reactions and mistakes. That is the last thing we need at safety and we should probably play it safe with a better coverage safety later in the draft if we go in that direction. Moore has all the physical tools but just doesn't seem to be the right fit for our team.



At DT the only real prospect that has first round potential is BJ Raji out of Boston College (6-1,323). Raji has the size, but as with with Moore I just don't see him on our team. Jamal is still playing good football which makes this less urgent, but he is getting older and a replacement must be found soon. I just don't think we should settle with Raji as Jamal's replacement with more talented players at other more needy positions.

Now I doubt that we will go runningback in the first round, but as I've said before I don't believe Sproles is the answer if we can sign him back, and LT is not going to last much longer with the Chargers. This means that we are going to be faced with a runningback situation and there are some worthy candidates this year. One player that has stuck out for me is Shonn Greene of Iowa (5-10, 230). Greene is just a huge bowlingball type player that can run people over and has deceptive game speed. Greene, a junior, exploded this year for 1850 yards and 20 touchdowns, with no games where he rushed under 100 yards. Greene can more than carry the load by himself if necesary. Greene is expected to go late first to second round so he may be considered a reach from our position. If we go for a runningback a little later, I also like Rashad Jennings, though his competition is suspect in Div.1-AA.