Predictions for the upcoming draft continue to flood the Internet as we are now nearly two weeks away from the first-round kicking off.
The latest comes from Pro Football Focus’ Mike Renner, who gives the Chargers their future face of the franchise and an impact cornerback and linebacker.
Here’s a look at his projections for Los Angeles:
- Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
- Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU
- Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB, Appalachian State
L.A. kicks off the draft by answering what life after Philip Rivers will look like. The team has expressed their confidence in Tyrod Taylor, but I believe he will serve as the bridge, given the fact that Taylor has one more year remaining on his contract and they’re in a prime position to grab one of the top quarterbacks.
Even though he has flaws to his game, Herbert has elite athletic tools and above-average accuracy to be a capable NFL starter. Giving the former Oregon product a system that matches well to his strengths and a plethora of play-makers the Chargers possess will allow him to maximize his potential.
In Round 2, Los Angeles lands a cornerback that will compliment Casey Hayward on the outside. Even though Michael Davis has done a decent job in the starting role, Gladney is by far a more superior player at the position that’s capable of manning the spot for the next decade.
Gladney wasn’t an interception machine at TCU, but he possesses the speed to erase angles, the route anticipation to click and close and the ball skills and the length to get always get his hands on the football and make a play.
The Bolts solidify their defense with a linebacker in the third-round. After the departure of Thomas Davis and Jatavis Brown, as well as knowing that Denzel Perryman has one more year remaining on his contract, the positional group needs to be addressed.
Davis-Gaither is a great athlete with the speed and acceleration to make stops in the running game out in space. He is also strong in both zone and man coverage where his change-of-direction skills and range standout. For the Chargers, he would make out to be the Will linebacker, while Drue Tranquill becomes the permanent Mike linebacker.