The Chargers have seen a slew of talented players come through the draft. While they’ve hit home runs in the early rounds, some of their best players have come in the mid- late-rounds.
Among the few is star wide receiver Keenan Allen, who was selected in the third-round of the 2013 NFL draft.
In the eyes of Pro Football Focus’ Mike Renner, Allen is Los Angeles best value draft pick dating back to 2006.
Allen famously fell to the third round after running a slow 4.7 40-yard dash while returning from injury. That hasn’t mattered one iota for Allen on the football field, as he went for over 1,000 yards as a rookie and never looked back.
Coming out of Cal, Allen was projected to go anywhere from the mid-first round to the mid-second round after setting the school record in receptions. But a red-flagged drug test and slow 40-yard dash time caused his slide.
In his first year as the organization’s general manager, Tom Telesco struck gold by getting Allen with pick No. 76.
Early on in his professional career, Allen was dinged by injuries. However, he has managed to stay healthy over the course of the past four seasons, averaging 100 receptions and over 1,000 receiving yards in that timespan en route to four Pro Bowl appearances.
