The 2023 NFL draft is still three months away, but we will supply you with in-depth coverage between now and then to inform you who the Chargers could be targeting with they’re on the clock.
With that being said, this will be the first installment of the three-round mock draft Thursday, where I will lay out different scenarios every week on how the first three rounds could play out for Los Angeles.
Round 1, No. 21, WR Zay Flowers, Boston College
The Chargers head into the season with a new offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore, who is expected to unlock the true potential of Justin Herbert. To do so, they need to find the missing piece to the puzzle, which is a speed element. And Flowers could be that.
While undersized at 5-foot-9 and 182 pounds, Flowers is a very experienced and dynamic receiver, with not just deep speed but the quickness and, twitchiness in space, making him a threat with the ball in his hands, as evident from leading the ACC with 503 yards after the catch.
This the guy y'all not talking about enough, draft Zay Flowers. pic.twitter.com/yERxLmtwgE
— Mace (@realmaceblack) January 24, 2023
Round 2, No. 54, EDGE Derick Hall, Auburn
The Chargers have their fingers crossed in hopes of seeing Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack on the field together for a full season. However, they can’t bank on Bosa staying healthy. Additionally, Mack is not getting any younger. So that’s why it’s important they bolster this position earlier in the draft.
At 6-foot-2 and 256 pounds with 34 3/8-inch arms, Hall is a high-motored and powerful rusher with a thick frame. He has the length, strength, explosiveness and violent hands to cause fits for offensive tackles. And while proven as a pass rusher, Hall excels as a run defender.
Auburn DE Derick Hall has some of the best speed-power conversion of any pass rusher in the 2023 NFL Draft. He sticks his foot in the ground and takes Bama RT JC Latham for a ride. pic.twitter.com/NNCjRJTbMS
— Ryan Roberts (@RiseNDraft) January 4, 2023
Round 3, No. 85, TE Sam LaPorta, Iowa
The Chargers continue to give Moore more pieces to work with to put around Herbert to get the most out of him. And with Gerald Everett only having one more year on his contract, Donald Parham’s injury concerns looming, and Tre’ McKitty’s underwhelming play, tight end needs to be addressed.
For an Iowa offense that struggled for nearly the entire season, LaPorta still made every bit of good out of it.
LaPorta has good hands, route running to work all areas of the field and yards-after-the-catch ability, as evidenced by him breaking 14 tackles on 53 catches for 592 yards with a low 7.3-yard average depth of target. Additionally, he has the strength and competitiveness as a blocker.
Iowa TE Sam LaPorta: YAC threat pic.twitter.com/D2ranQzeJQ
— Gavino Borquez (@GavinoBorquez) February 2, 2023
