The Chargers have a knack for using the third and final day of the draft to find players that go on to make their presences known as early as their rookie seasons.
Recently, Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski named fourth-round pick running back Joshua Kelley as his prediction to be the most productive rookie for Los Angeles.
Well, you can add another player into the mix.
ESPN’s Todd McShay, who wasn’t able to partake in the draft coverage because he was diagnosed with COVID-19, released his thoughts from the event, which included his instant-impact Day 3 picks.
Among the five listed was former Virginia wide receiver Joe Reed, the team’s fifth-round selection.
Reed is built like a running back at 6-foot and 224 pounds, and he has some speed. But what I really like about this pick is his versatility. Reed has experience out wide, in the slot and occasionally in the backfield. And I love the fifth-rounder’s special-teams ability — he has 17 career tackles with that unit and was one of the more dangerous return men in the country at Virginia. He might not see a ton of targets early on behind Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, but his ability to line up all over and make contributions on special teams should provide an impact in Year 1.
It was expected that the Chargers were going to take a wide receiver a lot earlier on, but they were unable to because they didn’t have a Day 2 selection after sacrificing the picks to move up and get linebacker Kenneth Murray.
The expectations also included them getting a true vertical threat. With Reed, the 6-foot and 224 pound wideout, he was primarily used on short passes. But he typically turned them into big gains, forcing 15 missed tackles on 77 receptions, per Pro Football Focus.
Reed isn’t slow by any means, as he ran a 4.47 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. But he was hindered by the poor quarterback play in college, which resulted in limited opportunities down the field.
It’s expected that Reed will be used as a gadget player, lining up in the slot, out wide, and even in the backfield. He will be used in sweeps, shovel passes and slants, similar to the role that the 49ers gave Deebo Samuel last season. He could also develop into the deep option that Los Angeles could benefit from.
Along with that, he should be the frontrunner to win the starting kick returner job, given his impressive production for the Cavaliers, which included becoming the first player in school history with two kickoff returns in the same season.
Joining Kelley and Reed is K.J. Hill, the team’s seventh-round selection, who could make an immediate impact in Year 1. Hill, the savvy route runner and ball magnet, could carve up a role in the slot.