Every year after the draft, we are able to get an ideal of what the roster will look like going into the upcoming season. There will be some new faces in a starting role and some that will have their job as a starter or roster spot on the line.
Today, we are taking a look at the biggest winners and losers after the 2019 NFL draft.
Winners
CB Trevor Williams, Michael Davis
Entering the draft, the Chargers had strong interest in the cornerbacks in this year’s class. It appeared that they were going to select one early on given the need for a No. 3 after Trevor Williams’ injury concerns and Michael Davis’ average play as a starter when he came in halfway through the 2018 season.
Los Angeles didn’t address the position at all, which means that Williams and Davis should benefit from this as opposed to worrying that their starting job could be on the line because of a rookie. Assuming that Williams stays healthy, he should have his starting status back Week 1 when L.A. takes on the Colts.
Wide Receivers
The Chargers lost Tyrell Williams earlier this offseason to the Raiders, causing many to believe that the team was going to add a mid-late round flier to compete for the No. 3 spot. Los Angeles didn’t select one at the position, meaning that there will not be a serious contender added to a fairly packed group.
Artavis Scott, Travis Benjamin, Geremy Davis, Dylan Cantrell and undrafted free agents Trevion Thompson and Jason Moore will all have the opportunity to fight for the job over the next few months. At the moment, Scott and Cantrell appear to be the fan-favorite, but it wouldn’t be all that surprising if Benjamin wins the job because of his experience in that role.
OT Sam Tevi
Even though the Chargers didn’t have many glaring needs on the roster, the right tackle position was the one that needed immediate attention. After Sam Tevi’s sophomore slump, most people felt like Los Angeles was going to go with a player in the first round like Jawaan Taylor or Cody Ford after they took a surprising tumble.
L.A. ultimately waited two rounds later to grab former Sioux Falls offensive tackle Trey Pipkins. As soon as the selection was announced, it meant that Tevi’s status as a starter was likely safe since Pipkins is viewed as a project to general manager Tom Telesco.
It doesn’t mean that Tevi will be the starting right tackle the entire season, but it’s certainly hinting that he will be penciled in as the starter Week 1 to give Pipkins time to develop.
Losers
FS Rayshawn Jenkins, Jaylen Watkins
If the free safety position wasn’t addressed early on in the draft, fans would’ve been stunned. Instead, the Chargers didn’t waste much time by grabbing former Delaware FS Nasir Adderley in the second round with pick No. 60 overall.
The selection of Adderley basically solidified Watkins and Jenkins’ status as backups. It shouldn’t come as a surprise because the chances of them starting were very slim. We mentioned that Jenkins is suited better as a strong safety where he can play closer to the line of scrimmage and Adderley is far more superior than Jenkins at the position.
QB Cardale Jones
Chargers quarterback Cardale Jones has spent the majority of his career sitting behind Philip Rivers, but this might be it for him. After the signing of Tyrod Taylor and draft selection of former North Dakota State product Easton Stick, Jones may be seeing himself out.
The selection of a quarterback is still puzzling, but Los Angeles appears to really like Stick and knew weeks prior to the draft that they were going to select him at some point. Jones could be a candidate for the practice squad, but the chances are slim. L.A. will most likely release or trade him soon.
DT Justin Jones
I expected the Chargers to double dip at the defensive tackle position within the first three or four rounds of the draft. They snagged Jerry Tillery in the first round, but waited six rounds later to grab Cortez Broughton. How does this negatively impact Justin Jones then?
With Tillery and Broughton joining the team, they are both three-techniques, which is what Jones plays. Tillery will likely be Week 1’s starter, but Broughton has a strong chance of being a more superior option than Jones, meaning that he may see his snap count go down after expecting to see an uptick.
There’s a lot to like about Broughton’s game, and the former Cincinnati product has the opportunity of being the Chargers’ steal from this year’s class when all is said and done.
