Tag: Chargers NFL draft

Instant analysis of the Chargers’ selection of Notre Dame OT Joe Alt at No. 5 overall

The Los Angeles Chargers selected Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt with the 5th overall pick, adding offensive line help at right tackle.

Turns out that last-minute scramble over the JC Latham tea leaves was all for naught.

Los Angeles stuck with their guns on Thursday, making Notre Dame’s Joe Alt the first tackle off the board after months of speculation that they’d select him with their first round selection. Alt will flip to the right side for the Chargers, a move he’s been preparing to make in the lead-up to the draft, likely for this very scenario.

An NFL legacy – his father John played 13 seasons for the Chiefs in the 80s and 90s – Alt’s athleticism as a former quarterback and tight end will be the calling cards for easing his transition to the right side. He said at the NFL Combine that his experience at tight end especially should help him, considering he has some familiarity with putting his hand in the dirt from that side of the formation.

An agile, finesse tackle with high-end recovery ability, Alt generates push in the run game in a different way than what was perhaps expected from a Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz draft selection. But his smoothness as a pass protector will quickly plaster over any potential concerns that he’s not a true mauler in the run game. Notre Dame ran a balanced offense while Alt was there, and he was a key reason why running back Audric Estime had such a productive season in 2023.

This pick likely forces Trey Pipkins, set to count $8.75 million against the salary cap, to the bench. Pipkins’ contract does not allow for cap savings in a trade until after June 1. Despite having two seasons left on his deal, the Chargers could also easily escape the contract following the 2024 season, saving $6.75 million against the 2025 cap if they were to release Pipkins.

What time will the Chargers make their first pick in the 2024 NFL draft?

Here is the estimated time for the Chargers’ first-round draft pick.

The NFL draft kicks off today, and we will see which player the Chargers select to improve their roster.

If you don’t want to sit around and watch most of the draft and would rather tune in just when Los Angeles is on the clock, here is our best approximation of when that will be.

Our best guess is you’ll want to tune in at 5:40 pm PT.

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We’re basing our guess on last year’s draft. In 2023, the Seahawks selected cornerback Devon Witherspoon with the No. 5 overall selection at 5:49 pm PT.

Things went a little faster in 2022, with the Giants selecting edge defender Kayvon Thibodeaux at 5:41 pm PT.

The fifth pick in the 2021 NFL draft was at 5:57 pm PT.

The fifth pick was at 5:55 pm PT the year before that.

The bottom line is to play it safe. 5:40 pm PT is when you should tune in. That’s when you can find out if the Chargers stick and pick or trade down.

Report: Chargers to host Florida State DT Braden Fiske on pre-draft visit

The Chargers are interested in an athletic defensive tackle.

Former Florida State defensive tackle Braden Fiske will be traveling to Los Angeles for a top-30 visit with the Chargers, according to The Draft Network’s Justin Melo.

Fiske arrived at Florida State this past season from Western Michigan, and he played a big role for the Seminoles. In 13 appearances, he had 43 tackles, nine tackles for loss and six sacks. In 2022 at WMU, he had 59 tackles, 12 TFLs and six sacks before making his way to FSU.

Fiske, the 6-foot-4 and 292-pounder, was a standout at the NFL Scouting Combine. He led all defensive tackles in the vertical (33.5″), broad jump (9’9), and 40-yard dash (4.78 seconds).

That immense athleticism shows up on the football field, as Fiske plays with good movement skills and quickness. While he possesses below-average length, Fiske is crafty with his hands and is strong at the point of attack.

The Chargers signed Poona Ford last week, but they still need to fill out the interior part of the defensive line depth chart.

Chargers 2024 offseason preview: Pending free agents, cap space, team needs, draft picks

Examining the Chargers’ offseason, including team needs, pending free agents, and salary-cap space.

After finishing 5-12, the Chargers are set to enter the offseason. While their focus is bringing in their next head coach, they will quickly have to shift gears and get ready for the roster reconstruction.

Los Angeles is still a couple of months away from the new league frenzy, but it’s not too early to look at what to expect then, starting with 27 players who are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents.

  • Essang Bassey
  • Will Clapp
  • Michael Davis
  • Austin Ekeler
  • Alex Erickson
  • Gerald Everett
  • Alohi Gilman
  • Will Grier
  • Jalen Guyton
  • Jaylinn Hawkins
  • Justin Hollins
  • Austin Johnson
  • Joshua Kelley
  • Dean Marlowe
  • Kenneth Murray, Jr.
  • Tanner Muse
  • Easton Stick
  • Cameron Tom
  • Nick Vannett
  • Nick Williams

Cap space

The Chargers are projected to be $44 million over the salary cap in 2024, the second-worst situation in the NFL.

Team needs

Interior defensive line: Brandon Staley made the point to bolster the interior part of the defensive line with the signings of Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson two offseasons ago. Joseph-Day was released after Staley was fired and Johnson will be a free agent. Nick Williams will be, too. That leaves Morgan Fox, Otito Ogbonnia and Scott Matlock. The Chargers need more juice up front with players who can rush the passer and defend the run.

Running back: Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley are set to hit the free agency market, leaving Isaiah Spiller as the primary back on the roster. After having lackluster rushing offenses the past few seasons, the Chargers need to make the point to add at least two backs to improve this positional group, one as a pure runner and the other with a multi-dimensional skill set.

Wide receiver: Mike Williams and Keenan Allen are still on the roster, but given they are slated for cap hits of over $30 million and the Chargers are going to be strapped for cash, they could be dealt to clear up some space. Even if Allen is brought back, he is not getting any younger. Joshua Palmer has shown that he can be a reliable receiver. The jury is still out on Quentin Johnston, who struggled in his rookie season. The bottom line is that Los Angeles still lacks speed and dynamic playmakers at the position.

Tight end: The Chargers needed to upgrade the tight end room last offseason and after failing to do so, they saw how crucial it was they neglected it. While they got some contributions from Gerald Everett in the passing game, Los Angeles didn’t have an impactful blocker, which was detrimental in the running game. Everett is set to be a free agent, leaving Donald Parham and Stone Smartt as the tight ends on the roster. They need a bonafide No. 1.

Secondary: The Chargers finished with the third-worst pass defense during the regular season. Some of the issues were attributed to Staley’s scheme and the others were the players. Michael Davis’ play was up and down. Davis will be a free agent. Asante Samuel Jr. made plays in coverage, but struggled as a run defender. As for the safeties, Derwin James was far from the player we’re used to seeing, often getting beat in coverage. Alohi Gilman was consistent, but he will be a free agent.

Center: The anchor of the Chargers’ offensive line of the past two seasons, Corey Linsley, is likely going to retire due to a heart issue that kept him sidelined for most of 2023. Will Clapp, who started in place of him, is a free agent. Brenden Jaimes got three starts to close out the season when Clapp got hurt and he played well, but they need a true starting center with experience.

Draft picks

The Chargers have the No. 5 overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft, and they are projected to have seven total picks.

2024 NFL draft order: Where Chargers are projected to pick after Week 17

How the loss to the Broncos impacted the Chargers’ current draft positioning.

The Chargers fell to 5-11 after losing to the Broncos.

After the loss, Los Angeles is still projected to have the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Here is a look at the top 10 selections after Week 17:

1. Chicago Bears (from CAR, 2-14)

Panthers’ strength of schedule: .518

2. Washington Commanders (4-12)

Strength of schedule: .515

3. New England Patriots (4-12)

Strength of schedule: .518

4. Arizona Cardinals (4-12)

Strength of schedule: .562

5. New York Giants (5-11)

Strength of schedule: .514

6. Los Angeles Chargers (5-11)

Strength of schedule: .526

7. Tennessee Titans (5-11)

Strength of schedule: .529

8. New York Jets (6-10)

Strength of schedule: .507

9. Atlanta Falcons (7-9)

Strength of schedule: .423

10. Chicago Bears (7-9)

Strength of schedule: .463

2024 NFL draft order: Where Chargers are projected to pick after Week 16

How did the loss to the Bills impact the Chargers’ current draft positioning?

The Chargers fell to 5-10 after losing to the Bills.

After the loss, Los Angeles is projected to have the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. This comes a week after being slotted to have the 8th pick.

Here is a look at the top 10 selections after Week 16:

1. Chicago Bears (from CAR, 2-13)

Panthers’ strength of schedule: .522

2. Arizona Cardinals (3-12)

Strength of schedule: .561

3. Washington Commanders (4-11)

Strength of schedule: .518

4. New England Patriots (4-11)

Strength of schedule: .522

5. New York Giants (5-10)

Strength of schedule: .514

6. Los Angeles Chargers (5-10)

Strength of schedule: .525

7. Tennessee Titans (5-10)

Strength of schedule: .525

8. Chicago Bears (6-9)

Strength of schedule: .467

9. New York Jets (6-9)

Strength of schedule: .514

10. Atlanta Falcons (7-8)

Strength of schedule: .420

2024 NFL draft order: Where Chargers are projected to pick after Week 15

How did the loss to the Raiders impact the Chargers’ current draft positioning?

The Chargers fell to 5-9 after losing to the Raiders.

After the loss, Los Angeles is projected to have the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. This comes a week after being slotted to have the 10th pick.

Here is a look at the top 10 selections after Week 15:

1. Chicago Bears (from CAR, 2-12)

Panthers’ strength of schedule: .519

2. New England Patriots (3-11)

Strength of schedule: .523

3. Arizona Cardinals (3-11)

Strength of schedule: .557

4. Washington Commanders (4-10)

Strength of schedule: .515

5. Chicago Bears (5-9)

Strength of schedule: .357

6. New York Jets (5-9)

Strength of schedule: .511

7. New York Giants (5-9)

Strength of schedule: .511

8. Los Angeles Chargers (5-9)

Strength of schedule: .511

9. Tennessee Titans (5-9)

Strength of schedule: .532

10. Atlanta Falcons (6-8)

Strength of schedule: .424

2024 NFL draft order: Where Chargers are projected to pick after Week 14

How did the loss to the Broncos impact the Chargers’ current draft positioning?

The Chargers fell to 5-8 after losing to the Broncos.

After the loss, Los Angeles is projected to have the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. This comes a week after being slotted to have the 12th pick.

Here is a look at the top 10 selections after Week 14:

1. Chicago Bears (from CAR, 1-12)

Panthers’ strength of schedule: .520

2. New England Patriots (3-10)

Strength of schedule: .525

3. Arizona Cardinals (3-10)

Strength of schedule: .557

4. Washington Commanders (4-9)

Strength of schedule: .529

5. Chicago Bears (5-8)

Strength of schedule: .466

6. Las Vegas Raiders (5-8)

Strength of schedule: .498

7. New York Jets (5-8)

Strength of schedule: .511

8. New York Giants (5-8)

Strength of schedule: .516

9. Tennessee Titans (5-8)

Strength of schedule: .520

10. Los Angeles Chargers (5-8)

Strength of schedule: .525

Week 0 Scouting Notebook: A look at potential Chargers prospects in 2024 NFL draft

Here are a handful of prospects for Los Angeles Chargers fans to watch in Week 0.

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 2024 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 0.

Grading Chargers’ Day 2 picks in 2023 NFL draft

Here is what we thought of the Chargers’ selections of Tuli Tuipulotu and Daiyan Henley.

After addressing the offense with wide receiver Quentin Johnston with the No. 21 overall selection, the Chargers switched gears and stacked deck on the defensive side of the ball on Day 2.

With their second-round pick, Los Angeles selected former USC edge defender Tuli Tuipulotu.

The Bolts needed to add depth behind Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack, and they did so by bringing in one of the most productive pass-rushers at the position last season.

Tuipulotu was a force for the Trojans in 2022 with 13.5 sacks (second-best in the nation), 37 quarterback hurries and 22 tackles for loss.

When rushing the passer, Tuipulotu has the upfield explosion, heavy and determined hands, lateral agility and rush instincts to avoid blockers and change gaps as well as the strength and effort to impact the run game.

Projecting as their third edge defender this upcoming season, Tuipulotu can stand up and rush from the outside and reduce inside as a five-technique and be a mismatch against guards, similar to Bosa. By Year 2 or 3, he could end up being a solid starter

Grade: A

In the third round, the Chargers took one of my favorite players in this draft, selecting former Washington State linebacker Daiyan Henley.

After letting Drue Tranquill walk in free agency, Los Angeles needed depth behind starters Eric Kendricks and Kenneth Murray. The addition of Henley not only bolsters the position but supplies the room with a player in the same mold as Tranquill.

Henley is a complete player with excellent speed and range, good vision to play through blocks, an understanding of pass concepts that allows him to excel in coverage, burst and aggression as a blitzer and plenty of special teams experience.

A wide receiver and defensive back convert, Henley’s only been playing the position for three years, so he needs to refine the little details of the position. But he has the necessary traits and makeup to become a starter for the Bolts in his second season, especially after the presumed departure of Murray, who is a free agent after the upcoming season.

Grade: A