We have officially approached draft week, which means the rumors and murmurs are at an all-time high.
NBC Sport’s Peter King does one mock draft a year, which is always the Monday before the draft. King’s mocks contain good information on each of the 32 teams.
With the Chargers’ selection, they pass on a quarterback all-together and draft an offensive tackle with former Georgia product Andrew Thomas.
For four days, until 4 p.m. Sunday, I had Tua Tagovailoa in this spot. I truly don’t know if GM Tom Telesco loves the well-scarred Tagovailoa enough to take him. He might, and it would make sense. The Chargers are in a megastar market, and they do not have one on the roster, and Tua would immediately become the billboard on the 405 owner Dean Spanos would love.
But I made the switch for a couple of reasons. Anthony Lynn doesn’t view—at least now—Tyrod Taylor as a bridge quarterback. He thinks he can be a good NFL starter. And with the business side of football so up in the air in 2020 because of the pandemic, I think it’s more important to build the best football team rather than have the best marketing plan. The Chargers have 31-year-old Bryan Bulaga—who has missed 13 games in the last three years—at one of the tackles, and no other solid guy on the roster. I hear the Chargers are planning to use Bulaga at right tackle. So they’re absolutely denuded on the left side of the line, and here’s the first-team all-American left tackle from the SEC sitting there for them. A Telesco team to be so bereft of building blocks at tackle is not good. And the Chargers have loved Thomas, a legit two-year left tackle at Georgia against the highest level of competition in the college game, throughout the fall and winter.
If it goes this way, this is the kind of decision that defines careers—Telesco and Thomas . . . and even Tua.
In King’s mock draft, he has the Dolphins trading up to the No. 3 spot with the Lions to take Oregon QB Justin Herbert. With the Chargers staring Tagovailoa right in the eyes, he elects to pass up on him.
Why?
King notes that he’s not sure how general manager Tom Telesco and the rest of the front office views Tua, given his injury history. On top of that, he mentions how coach Anthony Lynn doesn’t view Tyrod Taylor as a bridge, for now.
Instead, he gives the Bolts Thomas to solidify the left tackle position, while Tua slips to the No. 13 overall selection where the Patriots come and trade up to draft him.
Thomas is a great player who would bolster the offensive line, but I believe drafting a quarterback should be priority No. 1.
While Lynn has mentioned that he believes Taylor is capable of starting, it doesn’t necessarily mean for the long run.
With Tyrod only having one more year left on his contract, I don’t know why the Chargers would pass on a quarterback. It’s way too much of a risk to bank on him without having a proven rookie behind him.
Well, what if he thrives?
Okay, but then he will likely command top dollar and Los Angeles has way too many notable free agents next offseason. The best way to building a championship roster if having a quarterback on a rookie deal with a fifth-year option.
I personally believe it would be a mistake to pass up on Tagovailoa. Sure, the durability concerns are real, but it would be a risk worth taking to draft one of the most prolific passers that the draft has seen in quite some time.
Bringing in Tagovailoa would certainly sell tickets in their new stadium since he was one of the most well-known and polarizing players in college football for the past couple of years.
Tua would be in the perfect situation by being able to redshirt during his rookie season to completely heal while Taylor starts before he takes the reins in 2021.
If Los Angeles passes on Thomas or any of the top offensive tackles in Round 1, there will still be plenty of great options beyond that.