Head coach Brandon Staley took to the podium to give fans some insight on new Charger Zion Johnson.
“We’re really looking for power players on offense, particularly inside”
Staley emphasized Johnson’s journey from non-scholarship Davidson, where he started as a 255-pound tight end, to Boston College, where he ended his career as a 320-pound guard. With 10 ⅝” hands, 34” arms, and 32 reps of 225 lbs on the bench press, Johnson stood out to the Bolts as a “really strong player”, per Staley. Staley also expressed optimism about the power of the interior offensive line, citing Matt Feiler and Corey Linsley as the other two parts of a “really impressive trio”.
“If we hadn’t taken Zion Johnson, it was gonna happen shortly after us”
Staley let us in on the Chargers’ thought process, which was that they felt as though Johnson was coming off the board sooner rather than later. He called it “rare” that an interior lineman is thought of as highly as Johnson. Staley also said that while the Chargers were obviously focused on acquiring the best player at 17, their focus was on the offensive line. Instead of reaching for a tackle, the Bolts chose to stick to their guns and take Johnson, who Staley described multiple times as a “complete football player”.
“He was the top player on our board at 17”
Staley described the decision to pick Johnson as “unanimous”, as he was the highest-rated player left on the Chargers board as they came on the clock by both the scouting and coaching staffs. He mentioned Johnson’s exploits at the Senior Bowl, where the former Eagle excelled at both guard and center, and in Boston, where the pro-style system exposed the Chargers staff to “things that translate to the NFL level”. Staley also let everyone know that Johnson “aced” the interview process in addition to being an on-field standout.
Takeaways
Chargers fans should be thrilled to have Johnson in the building. The former computer science major has shown the smarts, toughness, and well-rounded game worthy of a first-round pick and day one starter in Los Angeles. It’s interesting that his spot will seemingly be at right guard, which remained open until today since the Chargers hadn’t brought back Oday Aboushi, who missed part of the season with a torn ACL. The fact that Staley emphasized Feiler as a cornerstone of the interior trio means that Trey Pipkins or a later draft pick could be the Week 1 starting right tackle.
It can be hard for fans to get excited about offensive line picks this high in the draft, and understandably so. But with how glowingly Staley talked about Johnson in Thursday’s presser, it’s hard not to be excited about his potential as a Charger. With Rashawn Slater firmly entrenched on the left side and Feiler, Linsley, and Johnson making up the interior, LA has four high-caliber offensive linemen to protect Justin Herbert and open lanes for Austin Ekeler in 2022.