For the San Diego Chargers 2016 NFL Draft, General Manger Tom Telesco looked to fill much needed postitions on the roster. The Chargers have put themselves in position to compete for the AFC West title for the next few years and targeted their needs to do so. The Chargers went into the draft with eight picks and did their best at feeling their needs with these picks.
San Diego Chargers 2016 NFL Draft Selections
1st Round, 3rd Overall: defensive end Joey Bosa (Ohio State)
2nd Round, 35th Overall: tight end Hunter Henry (Arkansas)
3rd Round, 66th Overall: center Max Tuerk (USC)
4th Round, 102nd Overall: inside linebacker Joshua Perry (Ohio State)
5th Round, 175th Overall: outside linebacker Jatavis Brown (Akron)
6th Round, 179th Overall: punter Drew Kaser (Texas A&M)
6th Round, 198th Overall: fullback Derek Watt (Wisconsin)
7th Round, 224th Overall: offensive guard Donavon Clark (Michigan State)
Chargers 2016 NFL Draft Grade: 8/10, B
San Diego Chargers 2016 NFL Draft Review
The Best Player: Former Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa was regarded by some to be the best player in the draft. Bosa gives the Chargers a much needed pass rusher in a division that is loaded at the position. Bosa is often compared former Bengals and 49ers star Justin Smith. San Diego definitely needed someone to step in and put the pressure on opposing quarterbacks as well as help out the Chargers seconday which San Diego basically ignored in the draft.
The Head-Scratcher: Anytime a punter is drafted it will be kind of a surprise. This is usually a position that can be addressed with an undrafted free agent but a sixth round pick on a punter isn’t too bad. The more shocking part about the pick is that they ignored a corner all together.
The Surprise: Jatavius Brown, the outside linebacker out of Akron. Brown was snubbed by the NFL by not even being invited to the Combine. This could lead him to having a chip on his shoulder and fight even harder to make the team and start for San Diego. If he can help build to the pass rush it might hide a weak San Diego secondary. A good quick pass rush can hide some holes among the defensive backs.
The Steal: Hunter Henry was widely considered the top tight end in the draft and could fit very nicely on the Chargers. Phillip Rivers has utilized tight ends well and Henry could explode on their offense. Antonio Gates in near the end of his career and Henry could learn a lot from him. This became a position of need after Ladarius Green signed with the Steelers and they got a good one in Henry.
Most Likely to Turn Heads in Training Camp: Derek Watt, fullback out of Wisconsin. Yes, he’s the brother of the J.J. Watt. It’s odd for a fullback to be the one who people notice at training camp but a good fullback can really help out the running back. The Chargers were terrible at running the ball in 2015 and Watt could help create some holes that Melvin Gordon could run through. If Watt is anything like his brother, he will work hard to become a force in the NFL.
The Rest: The Chargers took a few lineman to help protect Phillip Rivers. Max Tuerk, a center out of USC, could very well start next season and guard Donavon Clark out of Michigan State could be a solid guard in the NFL one day. Adding a few linemen will be helpful for the Chargers and they hope that the linemen they currently have will all stay healthy as well.
Joshua Perry, an inside linebacker out of Ohio State, will help out their defense. The Chargers went into the draft with the aim of improving offensively and defensively and they did that. San Diego uses the 3-4 defense and the Chargers are looking for some solid play out of their middle linebackers.
The Bottom Line: San Diego went into this draft after having a very rough 2015 season. The Chargers are usually competing for the AFC West title but ended up in last place. After this draft, the Chargers hope to compete again in a division that only seemed to improve this off-season and draft.
