Handing out awards for Chargers’ 2021 NFL draft class

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez neglects the draft grades and gives out some awards to some of the players selected.

The Chargers took nine players in the 2021 NFL draft.

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

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

Best bang for the buck: OT Brenden Jaimes

I figured that the Chargers would address depth along the offensive line with one of their two third-round picks, given the pool of talent still available. But even though the team passed up on the position altogether when many were projecting them to, Los Angeles still got a high-upside lineman in Round 5.

Having started 40 games at Nebraska, Jaimes is a battle-tested lineman who is an excellent technician in pass protection. He gives L.A. much-needed depth and versatility on the line. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him carve up a starting role next year.

The eyebrow-raiser: OT Rashawn Slater

Turn on any Northwestern tape dating back to 2017 when Slater was a freshman and he will have you in complete awe with his play on the field. But if you really want a clinic, go watch the 2019 tape against Ohio State, where he stymied Chase Young through all four quarters.

Slater is a menace up front. He is technically sound with his upper and lower body, very intelligent, physical and consistent which shows both in the pass and run-blocking department. It’s rare that a defender is getting by him or he’s consistently generating movement in the run game.

Best fit: CB Asante Samuel, Jr.

Prior to the draft, the player who was viewed as the ideal fit for the Chargers was Jaycee Horn, but Samuel Jr. also fell in the same conversations.

Samuel Jr. can play outside and defend the slot. He flourishes in man coverage, where he’s smooth at flipping his hips and running with receivers as well as in zone coverage, where he shines when reading route concepts and making plays on the football.

Samuel Jr. can do it all and him having a skillset tailor-made for what head Brandon Staley requires at the position will go a long way.

Most enticing: EDGE Chris Rumph II

Rumph enters the NFL with not a lot of sand in his pants but the guy is an energizer bunny when he is on the field.

He will need to get into an weight room to add strength to hold up against NFL offensive linemen and make an impact in the run game, but Rumph has the athleticism, bend, range and motor to be a top-notch pass rusher in this league.

Plus, it’s exciting to think what Staley can do with him after he contributed to the career year that Rams’ Leonard Floyd had in 2020.

Best phone call: WR Josh Palmer

It doesn’t happen that often that a player is asking for the team to send them the playbook already when he receives the draft phone call. Well, Palmer might have been the first.