Find out some potential targets for the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2021 NFL draft.
With the 2020 regular season behind us, figuring out how the Chargers can build their roster this offseason to get back to their winning ways is the main priority.
A big part of the roster-building process is the NFL draft. I’ve been hard at work watching film and doing scouting reports on these prospects, which will eventually start rolling out soon.
To get ahead, I reached out to draft expert Dane Brugler of The Athletic to get his thoughts on what Los Angeles might do come April.
What’s the best-case scenario for the Chargers if they stay at No. 13?
Northwestern offensive tackle Rashawn Slater.
I’m focusing on four positions for the Chargers in this draft: offensive tackle, guard, defensive end and cornerback. Of those four, which is the deepest in this draft class and which is the weakest?
Tackle and edge defender look like the deepest of those four positions. Both positions extend into Day 2 and even Day 3. Cornerback is close, as well, making guard the weakest of those four, especially with Kentucky’s Darian Kinnard returning to school.
If the Chargers don’t select a pass rusher in the first two rounds, they could be looking for one in the middle of the draft. What are some possible options that could end up being double-digit sack guys down the road?
I don’t know about double-digit sacks guys, but Pitt’s Rashad Weaver is really intriguing, especially if he’s still around in the third round. Houston’s Payton Turner has a relentless motor. Notre Dame’s Daelin Hayes has yet to play his best football.
The same thing but for offensive tackles?
Northern Iowa’s Spencer Brown is very raw and I worry about the power, but he is still developing and could end up being a steal. Cincinnati’s James Hudson is a former defensive lineman with minimal experience, but he plays with outstanding balance, light feet and strong hands. And then Marshall’s Josh Ball, who is a Florida State transfer, is another interesting value. Wish he were better in the run game, but he has pass pro skills.
Who are some late-round cornerbacks that could contribute right away?
Arizona State’s Jack Jones comes with character flags, which is why he will still be available in the late rounds, but his toughness and athleticism are NFL-ready. California’s Cam Bynum doesn’t have NFL speed or twitch, but he is smart, tough, and doesn’t make mental mistakes, which could get him on the field early.
With the Senior Bowl coming up, who are some players to watch for Los Angeles?
Oklahoma State OT Teven Jenkins, Notre Dame OT Liam Eichenberg, Michigan CB Ambry Thomas and Oregon State EDGE Hamilcar Rashed. Four talented players in the top-3 round mix who could be fits for the Chargers.
Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez drops his first four-round mock draft for Los Angeles.
The Chargers sit at 2-7 on the season, which has had many fans looking towards the future already, knowing that the team’s playoff chances are nearly nonexistent.
As we approach the end of November, I figure it’s a good time to lay out the direction Los Angeles could go in next year’s draft with the assumption that they will be picking within the top-10.
With that being said, I used The Draft Network’s mock draft simulator to take a crack at predicting what L.A. might do based on positional need and players that fit their scheme.
Let’s dive into the four-round mock draft!
Round 1, No. 5, EDGE Kwity Paye, Michigan
The hope is that the Chargers are in a position to select Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell, but they might have to sneak in the top-3 to have a chance at him. With Sewell off the board, Los Angeles addresses a position which I believe is a bigger need than most anticipate it being.
You can never have too many pass rushers in this league, and with Melvin Ingram set to hit free agency after this season, the Chargers could be looking to add another dominate force to pair with Joey Bosa and Uchenna Nwosu.
This season, Paye has been lights out. He has 25 pressures….in three games.
Paye, the 6-foot-3 and 271 pounder, is an explosive and speedy pass-rusher who wreaks havoc in opposing backfields, both against the pass and run. He needs to add more counters to the bag of tricks, but he has the skillset to be productive for a very long time at the next level.
Kwity Paye was simply unblockable against Minnesota, really impressive start to his 2020 campaign pic.twitter.com/29O4IZwHUy
Reid has been the only consistently health Spartan along the offensive line over the last two seasons, starting 26 of 26 games at right tackle. That fact means his departure leaves a hole in a unit that can ill afford to have holes at this point in time.
That begs the question, now what? What does the MSU staff do to replace the lone consistent starter on the offensive line.
I’ll go through a few names to keep an eye on in a bit, but it is worth mentioning that Reid’s day at tackle may have been numbered anyway. I’m not sure what the “rep chart” at MSU looks like on the offensive line right now, but there’s a chance Reid would be kicking inside to guard this season. Reid, listed at 6-foot-4, doesn’t exactly fit the profile of what the new staff wants in its tackles. It may not seem like a big deal because it’s only a couple of inches, but 6-foot-6 and taller–with long arms–is the new standard. Reid’s experience is nice, but he and every other lineman are learning a new offense with new blocking schemes. MSU dabbled in zone blocking in 2019, but will go full fledged in 2020. Lastly, Reid’s best future is at guard or even center. He’s built and moves like an interior lineman.
On paper it looks like MSU lost a shoo-in starter at right tackle, but that might not be how the staff is looking at this depending on what their plans for Reid were.
Let’s get to some names to keep an eye on for the right tackle spot.
Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with Northern Iowa offensive tackle prospect Spencer Brown
Every NFL team knows the key to winning the draft is matching value with need, and mining the later rounds for underrated prospects from smaller programs who may have fallen through the cracks.
One small-school prospect who should be getting plenty of attention this season is Northern Iowa offensive tackle Spencer Brown, who recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about the challenges of COVID-19, the best defenders he’s faced in his career, and what fans can expect from him in 2020.
JM: This is a big season for you. The spread of COVID-19 has brought many challenges. How are you finding ways to work out and improve your game with so many restrictions in place?
SB: When the virus started to really make its impact, it was right after Spring Break. We were on our break anyways. I was back home and I ended up converting my mom’s garage into a weight room. She’s a local principal so she had access to a weight room when no one else did (laughs). I was able to take advantage of that. We took some things out of there and I set myself up in the garage. I did that for about a month and a half.
My roommates’ parents wound up getting me a squat rack for my garage. I came back here to Cedar Falls and set up in the home gym. I have all the weights and equipment that I need. I’ve been doing my lifts out here ever since. I really can’t complain.
JM: What are your hoping to achieve individually and as a unit this season?
SB: For myself, I just want to contribute to the offense as best as I can. I just wanna be the best player that I can be within our scheme. There are various areas of my game that I can improve on. I’m well aware of that. I accept that and I’ve already began to work on my craft. As an offense, we’re looking to improve. We were rock solid last year and the plan is to be rock solid this year as well. We should be able to get on a roll. We have some great talent coming in. As long as we’re playing hard, things should go well for us.
JM: What can you tell me about the scheme?
SB: We run a lot of multiple tight end sets. We have some different personnel groups. We can run some power, we can spread things out, we have different reads. It really doesn’t matter. We have a great quarterback in Will McElvain. He can throw the football and he can also take off and run with it. It’s a fun offense to be around. We have a lot going on. We’re versatile and we have some fun with it. As an offensive linemen, it’s fun to run inside zone one play and outside zone the next. It keeps you on your toes and it can be challenging in a good way.
JM: What are a few traits that an offensive linemen must possess in order to be successful?
SB: For one, you have to be nasty. You have to be able to take another man and put him on the ground. You have to be smart about it though. I’m learning how to be a smarter player. You have to eliminate the holding penalties and the personal fouls. There’s no room in the game for stuff like that. I didn’t fully understand that coming in. As I started to get around the older offensive linemen, you start to gain some clarity. I’ve also realized how important it is to understand where and how a defensive linemen lines up. I have to know where the linebackers are.
You also have to be genuine. As an O-linemen, you have to know who you are and what your role is. You don’t get a lot of glitz and glamour playing this position. You’re doing the grunt work. You might be banged up all season long. Nobody cares. You have guys falling into your legs on just about every play. You have to know your role and be genuine with it.
Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
JM: What’s your favorite part about playing in the trenches?
SB: Everybody in the trenches knows that we’re going to be hitting each other all day long. That goes for both the offensive and defensive linemen. I can look at the D-linemen in front of me and tell him, “Hey, we’re running inside zone and we’re gonna double team you” and he’s gonna respond like, “Yeah, I already knew that” (laughs). There’s not a lot of smoke and mirrors to what we do. We know what’s at stake. I have to move that man from where he is to where he doesn’t want to be. It’s that simple.
JM: Who are some of the best defensive linemen you’ve done battle with up until this point?
SB: I remember playing against Iowa two years ago. I went up against Anthony Nelson. He was playing defensive end for them. He’s with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers now. He’s one of the best players I’ve ever gone up against. Justus Reed from Youngstown State is a handful. I have a teammate at Northern Iowa, Elerson Smith. I get to go up against him every single day. I can’t take a day off with that guy (laughs). In my mind, he’s the best defensive end in the country. I’ll stick by that.
JM: Funny, I recently interviewed Elerson. He’s a heck of a player.
SB: Oh yeah, he really is. He’s definitely made me a better player. I’m always ready to go up against him 1-on-1 in scrimmages. We’re always going at it. Once it’s over, it’s over and we’re good friends again (laughs).
JM: Do you feel like you’re more developed in pass protection or as a run blocker at this point in time?
SB: At this point in time, I would say that I’m a little more polished in pass protection. I’m obviously a lot smaller than most defensive linemen so people expect me to have a tough time getting underneath them but I always find a way to get it done.
JM: You believe you’re a little more polished in pass protection. How do you handle speed differently from power?
SB: With speed, you know exactly what to expect in those obvious passing situations. The quarterback has to make a long drop and I know those speed rushers are coming into the game. I just have to run those speed rushers right up out of there. If I can get on them early and win at the line of scrimmage, I can run them past the quarterback and allow my QB the space and time to move up and toss a dime. With those power guys, you have to be able to stop them in their tracks. I have to lower my base and win with technique. If I get my hands on their chest plate, they can’t generate a whole lot of power.
JM: Do you have a preferred pass set?
SB: When I was a little younger, all I really knew was a vertical set. Now that I’m a senior, I’ve definitely taken some strides. I like learning new sets and incorporating them into my game. I really enjoy a jump set, a quick set. I usually don’t do it right away but maybe I’ll mix that in. A lot of guys don’t expect that quick set. I like using it on third-and-15 for example. They’re expecting me to go straight backwards. If I give them a quick set and get my hands on them right away, it really throws them for a loop.
JM: What can Northern Iowa fans expect from Spencer Brown this coming season?
SB: They can expect me to do the best that I can. I’m one of 11 guys on offense and I’m going to do my part to the best of my ability. I’m confident that we’re going to win a lot of football games.
