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Looking at the Chargers’ selections and seeing how they stacked up with other draft analysts’ big boards.
Analysts and fans are justifying the team’s picks based on value throughout the draft. Did they get a steal? Was it about right? Did they reach?
So we will look at the Chargers’ selections and how they stacked up with other draft analysts’ big boards.
What the selection of Jordan McFadden means for the Los Angeles Chargers.
LA has addressed their lack of depth on the offensive line.
Clemson’s Jordan McFadden became the latest rookie to join the Chargers when he was selected with the 156th overall pick. A three-year starter and team captain at Clemson, McFadden started 39 straight games between left and right tackle.
McFadden profiles as a guard in the NFL at just 6’2” despite his 34” arms. With above average foot speed, he should excel in zone blocking concepts, and his length will serve him well to reach defensive linemen from the interior.
McFadden had a 7.10 RAS with elite speed grades, but his player card illustrates the size concerns that will preclude him from staying on the outside in the NFL. It’s a tad reminiscent of LA’s selection of Jamaree Salyer a season ago. Salyer, of course, went on to start double digit games at left tackle and is penciled in as a starter at guard entering the 2023 season.
McFadden’s rise up the depth chart will likely not be as auspicious. However, it does fill a valuable need for a Chargers team who had few depth options on the offensive line and struggled with injuries a season ago. He’ll likely enter the season as the swing guard, but could theoretically compete for the swing tackle spot as well if LA thinks his experience at Clemson outweighs his outlier size.
He’s a bit of a lunger in pass protection and his play strength varies due to his smaller stature, but a move inside will give McFadden a smaller area to work with. That way, he can use his speed to catch opposing linemen off guard and won’t have to reach for players trying to slip past him.
Bottom line: the Chargers needed depth on the offensive line. McFadden is an experienced leader who will add that depth wherever LA asks him to.
The Chargers added depth to the offensive line.
The Chargers have taken former Clemson tackle Jordan McFadden with the No. 156 overall selection in the 2023 NFL draft.
McFadden was a proven offensive lineman in college, logging 2,960 snaps in his five seasons, with 39 career starts split between left tackle (27) and right tackle (12).
He was named first-team All-ACC and won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy for the top blocker in the conference after his final season with the Tigers.
McFadden has exceptionally long arms at over 34 inches, but he is 6-foot-2, which might suggest a position change to guard at the next level.
