Breaking down Chargers’ picks in The Athletic’s latest 7-round mock draft

The Los Angeles Chargers address both sides of the ball in Dane Brugler’s seven-round mock draft.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler released his new seven-round mock draft on Monday.

Brugler pays close attention to fit (scheme and culture) and draft trends, visits, and workouts than his own personal opinions.

With that, lets break down what one of the highly touted draft analysts is thinking for Los Angeles in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Round 1 | QB Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

Tua or Oregon’s Justin Herbert, that’s what it’s come down to in the majority of mock drafts. There’s been growing buzz recently that the Dolphins are leaning towards Herbert, which means that the Chargers would see Tagovailoa fall to their laps.

However, in the draft you never know what’s going to occur, which is why a trade up is possible if they feel like Tua is their guy. Even though he draws some durability concerns, Tagovailoa is an elite passer who possesses all intangibles need, projecting as a high-upside NFL starter if he stays healthy.

With Taylor expected to start, this would allow Tagovailoa to redshirt in his rookie season in order to get to full health before taking the reins.

We aren’t talking enough about Tagovailoa and the potential of him dropping farther than this due to the durability and medical concerns. Each team has its own appetite for risk and we don’t know how the Chargers feel, but it might be worth the risk for that organization.