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 to prove to them that they can prepare, practice and compete like pros.
Within all of the action on the football field, this is the 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 as more than just that, given his track record of drafting players that have been a part of the week’s long event.
Since 2017, Los Angeles has drafted 23 former and current players who have participated in the Senior Bowl:
G Forrest Lamp, Western Kentucky — 2017
G Dan Feeney, Indiana – 2017
S Rayshawn Jenkins, Miami – 2017
DB Desmond King, Iowa – 2017
DE Isaac Rochell, Notre Dame – 2017
DT Justin Jones, NC State – 2018
LB Uchenna Nwosu, USC – 2018
C Scott Quessenberry, UCLA – 2018
LB Drue Tranquill, Notre Dame – 2019
S Nasir Adderley, Delaware – 2019
QB Justin Herbert, Oregon — 2020
RB Joshua Kelley, UCLA — 2020
S Alohi Gilman, Notre Dame — 2020
WR K.J. Hill, Ohio State — 2020
WR Josh Palmer, Tennessee — 2021
TE Tre’ McKitty, Georgia — 2021
OL Brenden Jaimes, Nebraska — 2021
RB Larry Rountree, Missouri — 2021
S Mark Webb, Georgia — 2021
OL Zion Johnson, Boston College — 2022
S JT Woods, Baylor — 2022
DT Otito Ogbonnia, UCLA — 2022
OL Jamaree Salyer, Georgia — 2022
Since he took the job in 2013, some of Telesco’s most significant values when evaluating players are production, statistics, and 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 have issues or are constantly in trouble with off-the-field stuff. Instead, Telesco brings in good football players that are tough and competitive and fits the culture of what the Chargers want to be both on and off the field.
There will be plenty of players that should draw the attention of Telesco and the rest of the staff on hand, both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.