Tag: Chargers 2023 NFL draft

Kellen Moore applauds Brandon Staley’s offense-first draft strategy

Kellen Moore was taken by surprise when Brandon Staley selected Quentin Johnston with the Chargers’ first-round pick.

The Chargers had work to do in the offseason to prepare for a bounce-back 2023 campaign, and with the draft behind them, their roster is starting to take shape.

After speculation surrounding whether or not they’d favor building on offense or defense first, the team elected to choose TCU wide receiver Quinten Johnston with their first-round pick to give quarterback Justin Herbert another option to throw to.

Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore applauded that decision in comments made to the media after the draft. Speaking to reporters about his thoughts on the team’s draft class, he made it clear that the team’s strategy in the annual selection meeting took him by surprise.

“Brandon [Staley] is this defensive guy and he’s drafting these offensive guys, I like this,” Moore explained. “It’s a lot of fun. Q [Johnston] really stood out for us as we went through the process. Everyone kind of sees the measurables, the size as far as the height and the weight.

“What he did for TCU from his versatility, I thought, was really, really special. His ability to kind of catch-and-run, he was a fly-sweep guy. He got the ball in a lot of different ways. You saw a lot of versatility in his game that maybe, initially, someone may not have necessarily anticipated. We were really excited that he was there and available for us.”

Johnston will have to prove himself to see a significant number of snaps in the regular season but should benefit from the mentorship of receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams when training camp begins in July.

For his part, Moore seems committed to converting on every ounce of promise that Johnston showed on film last season. With some time, the seasoned coordinator could unlock hidden potential in his newest offensive weapon.

5 potential targets if Chargers trade down in 2023 NFL draft

Here are five players that the Chargers could target if they were to trade down in the 2023 NFL draft.

We can assume who the Chargers will take when they’re on the clock all we want, but the unthinkable is always bound to happen come draft day.

Teams will do whatever it takes to get their guy, so trades will occur. So let’s say there’s a team that wants a quarterback or skill player, but they feel like they won’t be there when they pick they’re going to trade up.

If Los Angeles was to trade down and stockpile draft picks, who might they consider?

Here are five players that could be in consideration for the Bolts if they trade down:

Los Angeles Chargers three-round 2023 NFL mock draft Thursday 5.0

Here is the fifth installment of three-round Thursday, laying out different scenarios on how the draft could play out for the Chargers.

The 2023 NFL draft is still a couple of months away, so we will supply you with in-depth coverage between now and then to inform you who the Chargers could be targeting while they’re on the clock.

With that being said, this will be the fifth installment of the three-round mock draft Thursday, where I will lay out different scenarios every week on how the first three rounds could play out for Los Angeles.

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Chargers 2023 NFL draft target: Utah TE Dalton Kincaid

Putting Utah TE Dalton Kincaid under a microscope to highlight his strengths, weaknesses and fit with the Chargers.

Over the next couple of months, we will be looking at a handful of draft prospects leading up to the 2023 NFL draft.

With the Chargers having needs at various positions, we will do our best to evaluate the players that we feel fit the team precisely.

Today, I take a look at Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid.

Vitals

Height: 6-4

Weight: 240

College Bio Page

Stats

One-Liner

Kincaid is a prolific pass catcher with great hands who can win all over the field with his athleticism and play speed and can create valuable yardage after the catch, but he must further develop his play strength and fine-tune his route tree, projecting as a passing game playmaker from Day 1 who could ascend into a great every-down tight end.

Strengths

Great athlete with good long speed, quickness and burst…Can get vertical in a hurry…Is a threat as a runner after the catch, with acceleration, impressive power, contact balance to break tackles, and gain valuable YAC…Athletic enough ability to sink when breaking on routes…Natural hands to catch everything thrown his way…Leaping ability, excelling at adjusting to the ball while it is in the air, putting himself in position to make the catch…Uses his strength in contested situations to box out defenders to make a play on the ball…Versatility, can play in-line, Y-off and WR alignments effectively…Very willing blocker, will compete to maintain his blocks.

Weaknesses

Lighter build…Competes in the run game, but doesn’t have the most strength or keep his feet moving at the point of attack…Route tree is something that can be improved.

Red Flags

N/A

Fit Likelihood

High

Grade

1st

Highlights

Chargers 2023 first-round draft pick set

With the Chargers’ season now complete, their position for the first round of the 2023 NFL draft is locked in.

The Los Angeles Chargers’ season concluded Saturday night after a massive collapse to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

With Super Wild Card Weekend now complete, their position for the first round of the 2023 NFL draft is locked in.

The Chargers own the No. 21 overall pick after the Cowboys beat the Buccaneers on Monday night. Had Tampa Bay defeated Dallas, Los Angeles would’ve held the No. 20 overall selection.

The previous five players selected No. 21 overall have been cornerback Trent McDuffie (Chiefs), edge defender Kwity Paye (Colts), wide receiver Jalen Reagor (Eagles), safety Darnell Savage (Packers) and center Billy Price (Bengals).

The NFL Draft kicks off from Kansas City, Missouri, on April 27th and ends on April 29th. So we’ll be spending the next three months covering potential draft prospects, and there will be mock drafts.

Week 1 Scouting Notebook: A look at potential Chargers prospects

Here are a handful of prospects to watch for Los Angeles Chargers fans this Saturday.

We want to welcome back The Scouting Notebook.

The Scouting Notebook will feature prospects to keep an eye on when most of the college games occur. While some may think it’s too early to start talking about the 2023 NFL draft, there’s never a bad time to talk about the future of the Chargers.

That said, here are the players to watch for in Week 1.