Handing out awards for Chargers’ 2020 NFL draft class

Best fit? Best bang for the buck? Best draft call? Chargers Wire hands out some awards for the Los Angeles Chargers’ draft class.

The Chargers took six players in the 2020 NFL Draft, addressing primarily the offensive side of the ball.

There are many who believe draft grades are foolish because if the player that received a “D” turns out to be a Pro Bowler, then it doesn’t necessarily correlate to the letter grade.

So rather than going through all of that, why not hand out some awards in a different fashion?

Best Bang for the buck

K.J. Hill, WR

The fact that Hill was still on the board in the seventh-round is still mind-blowing. You would think that teams would get the idea that Ohio State is churning out solid wide receivers, with the most recent being Redskins’ Terry McLaurin.

Following the footsteps of McLaurin is Hill. Even though he was in a crowded wideout group, Hill still produced, displaying the technical finesse and route-running skills that had been coached up by Buckeyes wide receiver coach Brian Hartline. He was a standout at the Senior Bowl, too.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Hill win the WR3 role this upcoming season – even over fifth-round pick Joe Reed. Hill’s combination of route-running and ball skills will make out to be quarterback Justin Herbert’s best friend for the long haul.

The eyebrow-raiser

Kenneth Murray, LB

Go watch any of Murray’s games on YouTube and witness what a hunter in the middle of the field looks like. Arguably one of the most explosive linebackers from this year’s draft class, everything that Murray does looks like he was shot out of a cannon and you can feel the impact when he tackles a position player.

Whether it’s shutting down the screen game, stopping running backs behind the line of scrimmage or chasing after the quarterback, Murray’s name of the game is instincts, range and closing speed. Combine that with Drue Tranquill’s skillset, and you’re looking at one of the better linebacker tandems in the league moving forward.

Best fit

Justin Herbert, QB

Whether you liked the pick or not when it was announced, it made sense for a variety of reasons, with one of the main ones being that the Chargers needed a future at the most important position on the field. But Herbert fits like a glove with what they were looking for.

Back in January, I wrote a piece talking about why Herbert would be the perfect replacement for Philip Rivers, which can be found here. The bottom line is that his skillset is the most ideal for Los Angeles’ revamped offense and he possesses the talent and intangibles to lead the team moving forward.

Is he perfect? Absolutely not. There are things that he needs to improve upon getting to camp, primarily all mental. But with time and being able to sit behind Tyrod Taylor for a bit, he could really unlock his true potential as an NFL quarterback.

Best draft call

Alohi Gilman, S

I dare you to watch this video and not shed a tear or two. Gilman, the sixth-round pick from Notre Dame shared an emotional moment with his father after receiving the phone call from general manager Tom Telesco. “My pops gave me everything! Wouldn’t be here without him,” Gilman said in a quote tweet later on.

Should’ve been a Charger

Ben Bartch, OT

The Chargers failed to address the offensive line, which had many fans scratching their heads. Since they didn’t have a Day 2 selection, I thought they were going to select a tackle at the start of Day 3. What better way to address the position by taking the guy I’ve been vouching for since January, right?

Surprisingly, Bartch was still on the board when pick No. 112 rolled around. Instead, Telesco went with running back Joshua Kelley, which I thought was still a great pick. But Bartch would’ve been another small-school stud who would have offered competition at left tackle with the ability to play some guard.

Telesco said there was an offensive lineman that was available at one of their draft picks but they went in a different direction, which leads me to believe that he was their guy because the Chargers were one of four teams that met with him at the combine and he is the perfect model of a lineman that James Campen could develop into a stud at the next level.

Ultimately, Bartch went four picks later to the Jaguars.