The Chargers surprised everybody on Thursday by taking DE Joey Bosa with the No. 3 overall pick. Now, the question becomes: Who’s next?
The Chargers still have glaring needs to address, including offensive line, safety, inside linebacker and tight end. Luckily, with just three teams picking ahead of them in the second round and another pick coming early in Round 3, GM Tom Telesco is well positioned to make another sizable impact on Friday.
Two names to watch at the top of the second round are OT Jason Spriggs (Indiana) and OT/G Cody Whitehair (Kansas State).
Spriggs was a four-year starter and is a pure left tackle with light feet and a scrapper’s disposition. Whitehair is another mauler who plays through the whistle; a college tackle, his future may be inside at guard.
It is no secret the Chargers need to get tougher in the trenches. By combining either of these blockers with Bosa, Telesco would go a long way towards remedying that weakness.
Another player worth monitoring — and the one everybody is talking about — is ULCA’s Myles Jack. A top-five talent, Jack is still on the board because of concerns about a degenerative knee issue that may require microfracture surgery at some point.
Jack has already conceded knee issues may shorten his NFL career.
“Nobody knows how long anybody is going to play in this league,” Jack said. “To play three years in this league would be above average.”
While that may be true, the Chargers are not going to spend a top-35 pick on a Band-Aid.
If Telesco is looking for a safety in the second round (and he views Jack as a safety, not a linebacker), he may go for Bosa’s teammate, Vonn Bell. Boise State playmaker Darian Thompson and Duke tackling machine Jeremy Cash are also possibilities.
It is more difficult to forecast what the Chargers will do in Round 3, because: 1) that choice will be impacted by who the team selects in Round 2; and 2) it is difficult to know exactly who will be on the board with the No. 66 overall pick.
Telesco, like most GMs, has a cluster of players he will consider at No. 66. Among the players who are likely part of that cluster are CB/S Sean Davis, FS DeAndre Houston-Carson, OT Willie Beavers and TE Jerell Adams.
