Senior Bowl continues to be important piece of Chargers’ evaluation process

Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco continues to value the Senior Bowl, very highly.

The draft starts in Mobile.

For the 32 NFL teams in attendance, the Senior Bowl is a chance to see some of college football’s top players square off in a week of practices and a full game to wrap things up in order to prove to them that they can prepare, practice and compete like pros.

Within all of the action on the football field, this is team’s first opportunity to sit down and get to know the prospects after watching them for years at their perspective school and talking to their coaches to gain more information on them.

While many clubs view this as just the first step of the pre-draft process, Chargers general manager Tom Telesco sees it more than just that, given his track record of drafting players that partook in the event.

Since 2017, Los Angeles has signed or drafted 12 contributors who have participated in the Senior Bowl:

G Dan Feeney, Indiana – 2017

S Rayshawn Jenkins, Miami – 2017

DB Desmond King, Iowa – 2017

DE Isaac Rochell, Notre Dame – 2017

LS Cole Mazza, Alabama – 2017

DT Justin Jones, NC State – 2018

K Michael Badgley, Miami – 2018

LB Uchenna Nwosu, USC – 2018

C Scott Quessenberry, UCLA – 2018

LB Drue Tranquill, Notre Dame – 2019

S Nasir Adderley, Delaware – 2019

Telesco stuck to his guns in this year’s draft, selecting four players who participated in the Senior Bowl out of the team’s six selections.

QB Justin Herbert

RB Joshua Kelley

S Alohi Gilman

WR K.J. Hill

Why does Telesco love Senior Bowl players so much? Since he took the job in 2013, some of his biggest values when evaluating players is production, statistically and the time spent at school. Another thing that he covets is not only good players, but good people.

It’s rare that any of the guys brought in constantly have issues or are constantly in trouble with off-the-field stuff. Telesco brings in good football players that are tough, competitive and fit the culture of what the Chargers want to be both on and off the field.

I was present at this year’s Senior Bowl, and the four attendees that were selected by Los Angeles, stood out. Three of them – Herbert, Kelley and Hill – were my “practice players of the week”.

Here is what I had to say about Herbert:

During the red zone drills, he was dropping dimes in the corner of end zone. In the two-minute drill, Herbert looked composed, he was accurate with nearly all of his throws and each one had pop, displaying his arm talent that he is coveted for. Even when facing pressure, he was quick to diagnose it, never panicked, rolled out and found his targets each time. He didn’t really take any shots downfield, but his decision-making was precise and he showed great vision to efficiently work through his reads, which is something that he needs to do a better job at. For his phenomenal week, Herbert was named Practice Player of the Week.

Here is what I had to say about Kelley:

Like Herbert, Kelley had a stout week of practices. But he topped off his impressive week with a great performance on Saturday. The 5-foot-10 and 214 pound back finished with 15 carries for 105 yards rushing. Kelley is a competitive, full-speed ahead ball carrier with the vision, lateral agility, contact balance, toughness receiving/blocking traits that project him as a reliable horse in the backfield. If the Chargers move on from Melvin Gordon, Kelley is a name to watch for as a replacement.

Here is what I had to say about Hill:

Last year, it was former Ohio State and current Washington Redskins’ Terry McLaurin who made his money at the Senior Bowl. Following the footsteps of McLaurin is Hill. Hill has been productive and polished all week, displaying the technical finesse that has been coached up by Buckeyes wide receiver coach Brian Hartline. That was no different on Thursday, but he added a little spunk to his day with an eye-popping one-handed catch. The instincts and route mechanics that Hill boasts are traits that could go a long way if he was added to the Chargers wide receiver group.

As you can see, I was very fond of their week in Mobile. It appears that Telesco and the rest of the team’s evaluators were, too.

Chargers pegged as worst-to-first candidate for 2020 season

An NFL Network analyst believes that the Los Angeles Chargers will have a bounce-back season in 2020.

After finishing with a 12-4 record and earning a trip to the playoffs during the 2018 season, the Chargers followed that up with a dud of a season in 2019, going 5-11 and finishing last in the division.

Many analysts pegged Los Angeles to go to the Super Bowl this time around last year, but they clearly failed to live up to all of the hype that they received.

The talent was there, but the woeful campaign was a result of injuries to key players, a coaching change midway through the season and failing to finish games as a handful of those 11 losses were within a touchdown.

Heading into the new decade, the Bolts have the majority of the roster intact, but they received some more reinforcements with offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga, guard Trai Turner, cornerback Chris Harris Jr. and defensive tackle Linval Joseph via free agency and some through the draft.

The biggest difference is at the quarterback position where Philip Rivers will no longer be the one under center after 14 seasons as the starter. The show will now be ran by Tyrod Taylor and first-round selection Justin Herbert.

With the pieces that the Chargers have, NFL Media’s Bucky Brooks believes that they’re good enough to turn it around after a dreadful outcome last season.

“We can talk about that defense being lights out with [Joey] Bosa, [Melvin] Ingram, Derwin James and Kenneth Murray, but let’s look at the obvious,” Brooks said. “Justin Herbert. I know Tyrod Taylor is slated to start, but let’s say Justin Herbert gets the opportunity to run this offense.

The weapons that he has on the outside with Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Hunter Henry. But what about Josh Kelley? Joshua Kelley playing the role as the running back. Look, get your t-shirts ready. I think it’s going to happen in L.A. The Chargers with their draft picks can get it done.”

Not mentioned by Brooks, who should be a huge contributor on the offensive side of the ball, is running back Austin Ekeler. Ekeler made a significant impact as a runner and a pass-catcher, which is why he earned a four-year contract extension earlier this offseason.

Even though Rivers won’t be calling the shots anymore, I believe Los Angeles is still capable of getting the job done with Taylor or Herbert, especially with the new offense that they’re going to run, which should be similar to the Ravens of last season, and given the amount of talent they have from top to bottom.

The most vital key to any kind of success for them is health of the players. Like last year, if they can’t stay injury-free it’ll be hard to have a bounce-back season. If they do, the Chargers are capable of making some serious noise during the regular season and into the playoffs.

Another key to success will be dethroning the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, who are 27-3 against AFC West teams since 2015 and have claimed four straight division titles.

What scouts said about Chargers RB Joshua Kelley ahead of draft

NFL evaluators seemed to like Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley coming out of college.

The Chargers drafted former UCLA running back Joshua Kelley in the fourth-round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

The selection of Kelley had fans scratching their heads because while running back was a position of need, the offensive line and cornerback position were seen as bigger needs.

Nonetheless, Los Angeles got a great player who should solidify the backfield that will now consist of him, Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson.

Going into the draft, Kelley finished with a third-round grade from me, but how did those in the league feel about him?

The Athletic’s Bob McGinn spoke with a few NFL scouts to get their opinions on Kelley.

The first scout compared him to Packers’ Jamaal Williams, but he believes that Kelley is a bit more talented.

Similar to Jamaal Williams. I’d take Kelley by a nod because he has more upside than Jamaal. He may not get much love on draft day, but he’s going to be a good pro.

The second scout highlighted his football intelligence.

He’s going to play for somebody. He’s too knowledgeable, know what I mean?

The third scout wasn’t as high on him as the two others were.

I got him buried. Tight hips, dances too much. Dime-a-dozen running back.

Overall, I believe that Kelley is going to surprise many in his first season. Rather than serving primarily as a short-yardage and goal line back, I believe he is capable of receiving 10-15 carries per game and being productive and efficient with those.

Even though I expect the Chargers to implement a backfield committee, I can see Kelley eventually becoming the feature back. His well-rounded skillset as a runner and passing game ability should allow him to receive a good amount of touches down the road.

Projecting first-year roles for each of the Chargers draft picks

The majority of the Los Angeles Chargers draft class should play a role in their rookie seasons.

The Chargers had six selections in the 2020 NFL Draft, and they made the most with them, taking players that can make an impact as early as Year 1.

Here’s what kind of role each of the Bolts’ six picks should have in their rookie seasons:

QB Justin Herbert

The Chargers finally found their quarterback of the future. Herbert is in the most ideal position, as he will be able to sit behind Tyrod Taylor this season and improve the weaknesses to his game with new quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton and simply get adapted to the speed of the NFL and learn the new system. Luckily, the new offense implemented this season will likely be similar to the Ravens’ offense last year to tailor to the strengths of Herbert, which shouldn’t require too much change to what he was used to. I don’t expect the team to rush Herbert into the fire unless the team is horrible, which I don’t see being the case unless injuries occur. If I were to guess, I could see Herbert playing two or three games this season, if that.

LB Kenneth Murray

The Chargers traded back up into the first-round to draft a player that they were very high on with the hopes of him adding a spark to the defensive side of the ball. Murray should enter the season as the starting Will linebacker while Drue Tranquill starts as the Mike linebacker. His playing time will be significant, playing a vital role in stopping the run, limiting yards after the catch and serving as an additional blitzer. His zone coverage skills need work, but he has the speed to run with running backs out of the backfield as well as tight ends. Murray and Tranquill will be an intriguing linebacker tandem for years to come.

RB Joshua Kelley

Kelley is projected to serve as just a short yardage back in his rookie season by many, but I believe he’s going to be used more than that. While Kelley has the power to run through defenders, which would come in handy in those situations, he also has good change-of-direction, vision, burst and passing game ability to make an impact on any down. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Chargers run a committee backfield with Kelley, Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson. The former UCLA product could see 10-15 carries per game, especially if they emphasize the running game moving forward.

WR Joe Reed

Known as a yards-after-the-catch threat, Reed’s speed will be put to use in a variety of roles. But his lack of route savvy and separation skills holds him back from being a pure vertical option. Nonetheless, Reed will be used as a gadget player, lining up in the slot, out wide, and even in the backfield. He will be used in sweeps, shovel passes and slants, similar to role that the 49ers gave Deebo Samuel last year. Given his impressive production as a kick returner in college, he will have also serve as a return specialist. I expect Reed to average five targets/touches per game on offense.

S Alohi Gilman

Gilman was a bit of a head-scratcher to some, but it made sense. After the departures of Adrian Phillips, Derek Watt, Jatavis Brown and Nick Dzubnar, the Chargers needed more special teamers, which is the area Gilman should make an immediate impact (if he can win a roster spot). Now that Phillips is gone, finding his replacement as the team’s dime linebacker is just as important. Gilman, who plays better in the box with his great instincts and physical demeanor to make plays, will have the opportunity to compete for the job.

WR K.J. Hill

I expect Hill to live up to his title as the seventh-round steal in Year 1. Known for his crafty route-running to always make himself open and ability to catch everything thrown to him, Hill has the leg up on the WR3 job over rookie Joe Reed, Andre Patton and Darius Jennings. Mike Williams and Keenan Allen will line up on the outside while Hill plays in the slot. He should be an additional weapon for Tyrod Taylor, receiving five-seven targets per game.

1 stat to know about each of Chargers’ draft picks

The Los Angeles Chargers 2020 draft class boasted some enticing numbers from college.

The Chargers came away with an impressive haul of draft picks this past weekend.

We picked out one stat to know about each of the Bolts’ draft picks from their collegiate career. These numbers should make supporters feel even more intrigued about the incoming rookie class.

QB Justin Herbert

Passes of at least 20 yards, 12 TD to only 2 INT thrown in 2019

Throughout his colleigate career, Herbert showed tremendous deep ball touch, along with accuracy, all while appearing calm and cool in demeanor. His touch and accuracy on deep balls is superb, leading his receivers precisely. Herbert wasn’t given many opportunities to air it out due to the high volume of quick throws or pre-determined reads, but when he did, they sure were pretty. When he cleans up his upper body and lower body mechanics along with some mental aspects of the game with quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton, the throws seen on tape where he missed his receivers badly shouldn’t happen anymore. He should also benefit from having a solid wide receiver corps.

LB Kenneth Murray

146 tackles for loss or no gain since 2017

Murray flies around the football field with his hair on fire, which has translated into his crazy production. The rare combination of closing speed quickness to attack alleys, ability to cover a large amount of ground laterally and tenacious tackling ability will do wonders in the middle of the defense for the Chargers alongside Drue Tranquill to prevent ball carriers from having any success.

RB Joshua Kelley

1,000-plus rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns in two seasons

After transferring from UC Davis, Kelley didn’t fail to produce for the Bruins. The 5-foot-10 and 212 back showed that he is capable of being more than just a short yardage back at the next level. Kelley has great lower body strength, smooth change of direction, vision and burst with passing game ability to make an impact. Kelley is a runner who could make some serious noise for the Chargers for years to come.

WR Joe Reed

106 kick returns, 3,042 yards, five touchdowns

Not only did Reed show the ability to be a yards-after-the-catch (YAC) ace, that skillset was on display when returning kicks for the Cavaliers. Reed is one of only 10 players in FBS history with at least at least 3,000 kick return yards and five kick return touchdowns, averaging 28.7 yards per return in his career. For the Chargers, he will serve as a gadget player, lining up in the slot, out wide and in the backfield to do a variety of tasks, but he should be a special teams stud right off the bat.

S Alohi Gilman

Set school single-game record with 19 tackles (vs. Clemson in 2018)

Gilman might not be an instant impact maker on the defensive side of the ball due to the crowded secondary. However, he will make a huge contribution on special teams due to his his aggressiveness when coming downhill and high-volume as a tackler (as displayed above). Gilman will have the opportunity to earn snaps as the team’s dime linebacker over time.

WR K.J. Hill

Finished as Ohio State’s all-time leader in receptions (201)

The Chargers got excellent value with Hill, who I had graded as a fourth rounder. Known as a precise route-runner, Hill has vacuum hands to reel in any ball thrown his way, showing the ability to adjust to off-target passes and having several one-handed grabs throughout his collegiate career. He should be a contributor in his rookie season, and will do wonders with Justin Herbert throwing him the ball for years to come.

Chargers announce rookie jersey numbers for 2020 season

The Los Angeles Chargers announced the jersey numbers for their 2020 draft class.

The Chargers announced the jersey numbers for their 2020 rookie class on Sunday.

we've got numbers folks ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/cGIxCw28Gt

— Los Angeles Chargers (@Chargers) April 26, 2020

QB Justin Herbert – 10
LB Kenneth Murray – 56
RB Joshua Kelley – 27
WR Joe Reed – 12
S Alohi Gilman – 32
WR K.J. Hill – 84

One takeaway from the announcement of the jersey numbers is that Gilman will wear No. 32, which was previously worn by safety Nasir Adderley. This upcoming season Adderley will wear No. 24.

Jerseys for Herbert and Murray are now available for purchase.

POLL: Who was your favorite pick of the Chargers 2020 draft class?

K.J. Hill was our favorite selection made by the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Chargers made six selections in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Four were spent on the offensive side of the ball, while the other two were on the defensive side of the ball.

Another look at Los Angeles’ haul

Round 1 – Justin Herbert, QB

Round 1 – Kenneth Murray, LB

Round 4 – Joshua Kelley, RB

Round 5 – Joe Reed, WR

Round 6 – Alohi Gilman, S

Round 7 – K.J. Hill

We felt like L.A. brought in players that could make an impact right away as well as others that will be key pieces down the road.

Wide receiver K.J. Hill was our favorite because the Chargers managed to get excellent value, and we believe that he is going to be able to produce in a similar fashion as Keenan Allen because of his route-running ability.

We want to hear who your guy’s favorite selection was. Vote in the poll below to let your opinion known.

[polldaddy poll=10543448]

4 takeaways from Chargers’ 2020 NFL Draft

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez breaks down his thoughts on the Los Angeles Chargers’ haul from the 2020 NFL Draft.

The 2020 NFL Draft is officially history.

Here are four takeaways from the Chargers’ draft class:

Life after Philip Rivers

A new era begins for the Chargers. After 16 years with Philip Rivers under center, Justin Herbert takes the reins. Herbert was selected with the team’s first-round pick (No. 6 overall)

With Tyrod Taylor on the roster, I wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t see Herbert take a single snap at all this upcoming season – barring any injuries. Using 2020 as a redshirt year would be beneficial for Herbert.

Even though Herbert possesses the talent to become a successful NFL quarterback, there are still some deficiencies in his game that need improvement, primarily his processor and eye discipline.

Overall, Los Angeles knew that they were in a prime position to land one of the top signal-callers and they didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger on the one that the scouting department and team personnel has loved for years.

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Scouting report, highlights of Chargers fourth-round pick RB Joshua Kelley

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez breaks down the scouting report on new Los Angeles Chargers RB Joshua Kelley.

To get familiar with the Chargers’ fourth-round selection running back Joshua Kelly, here is my pre-draft scouting report along with game highlights.

Joshua Kelley | UCLA | #27 | Senior | Los Angeles, CA | 5105 | 212

40-Yard Dash: 4.49 seconds
Bench Press: 23 reps
Vertical Jump: 31 inches
Broad Jump: 121 inches
3-Cone Drill: 6.95 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.28 seconds

Career: Over his 43 games, Kelley rushed 647 times for 3,442 yards and 31 touchdowns. He also amassed 38 receptions for 264 yards and a score. First team All-Pac-12 in 2019 and Senior Bowl invitee.

Red Flags: N/A

Strengths: Solidly balanced and built to absorb hits without slowing down. Accelerates quickly out of his cuts to clear the first wave of defenders. Enough quickness to out-pace defenses when given room. Trusts his blockers and the design of the play, running square to the line of scrimmage. Even though he was limited, good receiver out of the backfield. Hardly ever puts the ball on the ground.

Weaknesses: Upright runner, doesn’t have breakaway speed. Methodical cuts between the tackles, lacking natural explosion in short-areas. Lacks creativity in space. Technique in pass protection needs work.

Final Word: Kelley possesses quickness, burst, lateral agility, contact balance along with passing game ability to make defenders respect him, but he lacks breakaway speed and needs refinement in pass protection, projecting as an NFL starter by Year 2.

Fit Likelihood: Medium

Final Grade: 3rd Round