ESPN’s Mel Kiper projected the Chargers’ picks both on the offensive and defensive side of the football in his latest three-round mock draft on Wednesday.
Here’s an in-depth look at all three of Kiper’s picks and how each would fit.
Round 1, No. 28, DT Jeffery Simmons, Mississippi State
The Chargers not only need to add depth up front, but they have to do so with physical and fast playmakers. That’s why the selection of former Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons would be a great investment.
I thought the Chargers might target a defensive tackle with the 17th pick last year, but Vita Vea and Daron Payne were both off the board. They ended up with Derwin James, one of the best picks of the entire draft, but still have a need along the interior of their defense. Simmons might not be picked in Round 1. He tore his ACL in February and could redshirt this season. But he’s a top-15 talent, and he’s going to be on my Big Board. And he could be a steal here.
Simmons was one of college football’s most disruptive defensive lineman in 2018. The former Mississippi State combines natural athletic ability with power, explosiveness and quickness that allows him to penetrate gaps and win one-on-one situations.
But unfortunately, there are red flags surrounding Simmons as he hit a woman in 2016 and he tore his ACL in training following the 2018 season. There’s no denying that it would be a steal, but this all doesn’t really scream general manager Tom Telesco’s type of flavor when it comes to the evaluation process.
Round 2, No. 60, QB Will Grier, West Virginia
The Chargers brought in Tyrod Taylor in free agency, but many media pundits ignore that and continue to mock a quarterback to them early on. This time Kiper sends former West Virginia QB Will Grier to Los Angeles in the second round.
Is it time to start thinking about life after Philip Rivers? He’s 37, although he hasn’t shown signs of declining. Grier, my fifth-ranked quarterback, is going to go somewhere on Day 2, and teams looking for a long-term project like the Chargers and Patriots make sense for him.
L.A. has certainly been doing their homework on Grier, along with all the other top quarterback in this year’s class. The team met with the former Mountaineer at the Reese’s Senior Bowl and attended his Pro Day, but it shouldn’t say much.
The Chargers have been doing their due diligence for years now and give off the impression that they’re going to select one, but they come out without addressing it. The depth chart at the moment and how they feel about Philip Rivers suggests that they won’t draft one since there are three players on the active roster.
Look out for one next year, where the class will be deeper.
Round 3, No. 91, OT Bobby Evans, Oklahoma
The Chargers need to shore up the right tackle position as Sam Tevi underperformed in 2018 and shouldn’t remain as the team’s starter, which means Los Angeles would benefit from selecting former Oklahoma offensive tackle Bobby Evans.
Evans, who blocked for Kyler Murray in high school and college, played left and right tackle for the Sooners and could be a swing tackle as a rookie.
Evans was a three-year starter for the Sooners, where he played on both sides. He stands at 6-foot-4 and 312 pounds, possessing nearly 35-inch arms. Even though he’s not much of an athlete, but Evans excels with grip strength, hand placement and a nasty streak to keep defenders from getting in the backfield.
Evans might start out on the bench at the beginning of the season, but there’d a good chance that he becomes the starting right tackle if Tevi started to struggle.
