A-
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers let Kinchens fall into their laps, and walked away with a A-.
by MOHOLOKA ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 13 picks
· 6 steals
· 3 reaches
Give the war room a raise for the dealing alone. The Chargers came out ahead on every exchange that mattered, and it was not close. They executed a plan and it shows in the A-.
Getting Kinchens where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. The edge rusher hole is the one line item this class does not answer.
On the needs board they went 4 of 8, with wide receiver the one that mattered most.
Add it up and this is about as clean as a draft weekend gets.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 20th overall pick they get a weapon on the perimeter, and a steal at that. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Troy Fautanu is a better player than the Round 2 slot suggests; smart patience, rewarded. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Zach Frazier at No. 51 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Christian Haynes slid further than he should have, and slot 69 is lovely value for the offensive lineman. It fills a real need, too.
You do not let a safety like Kamren Kinchens reach the 84th pick and blink. They did not. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Taking Bucky Irving in Round 4, Pick 10 is close to grand larceny; a running back that good had no business lasting this long. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They jumped the gun on Roger Rosengarten, taking him earlier than his grade liked. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Mason McCormick in Round 4, Pick 36 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Luke McCaffrey at pick No. 140 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Tip Reiman in the 178th pick is fair value, right on his grade. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Dillon Johnson in pick 181 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They took Frank Gore Jr. at par in the Round 7 slot, which is nothing to complain about. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They paid sticker price for Kimani Vidal in No. 253, and that is fine. A need, and now a little less of one.