D
Los Angeles Chargers
A passer of the future in McCarthy, and a D, for the Chargers.
by LM69 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 4 steals
· 3 reaches
Somebody took the Chargers to the cleaners. The deals they made bled real value, and the whole class wears it.
So much rides on J.J. McCarthy that the rest of the class almost grades on a curve behind him. McCarthy has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced.
They will answer for taking linebacker early while edge rusher and interior defensive lineman went begging. Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
Landing Jones that late papers over a lot of smaller sins.
Add it up and it is a weekend the front office will hope everyone forgets, edge rusher very much included.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 14th overall pick they get their guy under center for the next decade, though the board says they badly overpaid. A real need, handled.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Jordan Morgan at slot 35. It fills a real need, too.
Fair-plus on Ladd McConkey, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Edgerrin Cooper is a better player than pick 68 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
They zigged when the board said zag, taking Junior Colson at linebacker with edge rusher and interior defensive lineman open.
Matt Goncalves in pick No. 109 lands just on the right side of the ledger. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
James Williams at the 139th pick is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the safety. A minor itch, scratched.
Cedric Gray slipping to the Round 5 slot is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
AJ Barner at the 183rd pick is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They read the board right and Christian Jones was the payoff at the 222nd overall pick. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A market-rate cornerback, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Josh Wallace. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A big swing on Carson Steele at pick 256, well ahead of any board in the building. The roster fit checks out.