Tag: chad reuter mock draft

Chargers attain balance in Chad Reuter’s 4-round mock draft

The Los Angeles Chargers draft two offensive linemen, Hunter Henry and Melvin Ingram’s replacement and a cornerback.

NFL Media’s Chad Reuter released his latest four-round mock draft, where he sees the Chargers building around quarterback Justin Herbert with their first three picks and filling in the holes on the defensive side of the ball with their next two.

With their first-round selection, Los Angeles selects former Northwestern offensive tackle Rashawn Slater.

Slater is not the tallest or longest of offensive tackles, but he will be a solid starter at the next level. Not only will he help Justin Herbert’s development, but also open holes for Austin Ekeler and whomever else the Chargers line up in the backfield the next few years.

I feel like a broken record saying this but drafting Slater would be splash. Slater might be moved inside due to his lack of arm length, but he has the athletic skill set and overall technique to be an All-Pro blind-side protector in the NFL.

In Round 2, L.A. stays on the offensive side of the ball by selecting former Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth.

With Hunter Henry a pending free agent, the Bolts could be looking for his replacement if he signs with another team this offseason. Like Henry, Freiermuth is a versatile tight end to get the job done in the receiving and blocking department.

With their first selection of the third-round, the Chargers get an interior offensive lineman after finding their tackle of the future by drafting former Ohio State center Josh Myers.

With Dan Feeney set to be a free agent, the team could be looking to upgrade at the position. Myers is a seasoned run blocker who possesses good intelligence, athletic traits, and effort to block in space effectively, while possessing good strength to anchor down vs bigger rushers.

Los Angeles uses their compensatory selection at the end of the third-round to address another need, drafting former Kentucky cornerback Kelvin Joseph. Joseph is an aggressive and physical corner who thrives in press coverage with his height, length and ball skills.

Finally, with their fourth-round pick, L.A. takes former Oregon State outside linebacker Hamilcar Rashed Jr as a replacement to Melvin Ingram, who is currently a pending free agent.

Rashed’s pass-rush arsenal lacks variety, and his production is based more on effort and athleticism than technique. However, Rashed is only scratching the surface of his ability and shows the athleticism, coverage skills, competitive toughness, and physical traits to be a productive player in the NFL.

Chad Reuter’s four-round mock draft predicts the Bucs will wait to find an OT

In his new four-round mock draft over at NFL.com, Chad Reuter predicts the Buccaneers will address their defensive line first.

It’s only been a week since Tom Brady signed his contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but already the buzz is building around this team and their potential Super Bowl run.

With Brady now joining an offense that averaged 28.6 points per game last year, tied with the Saints for third-most in the NFL, the priority becomes protecting the six-time Super Bowl champion, who will turn 43 before the season starts. Former Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston was sacked 47 times last season, while Brady was sacked only 27 times with the Patriots.

Now that Brady is a Buccaneer, most mock drafts predict the Bucs will select an offensive tackle with the 14th pick in round one to help shore up the porous O-line. Chad Reuter’s new four-round mock draft over at NFL.com seems to be one of the exceptions, however. Reuter has the Bucs taking Auburn senior defensive tackle Derrick Brown at No. 14.

Per Reuter:

“The Bucs can find a right tackle later in the draft — in fact, they might draft two outside linemen this year. Getting a stud like Brown with the 14th pick is too rich to pass up, even with Ndamukong Suh returning to the Bucs on a one-year deal.”

With Suh, Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaq Barrett all returning next season, you’d think the Bucs would prioritize the O-line early on. In Round 2, Reuter has the Bucs passing on an OT again, instead opting to use the 45th pick on Georgia running back D’Andre Swift. Getting Swift in that spot would be a huge get for the Bucs and their backfield. Several mock drafts even had Swift going to the Bucs in round one.

Reuter has Tampa Bay finally picking up an offensive tackle in the third round in the form of Matt Peart from Connecticut. In round four, he predicts the Bucs take safety Geno Stone out of Iowa.

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