The Athletic’s Dane Brugler released his new seven-round mock draft on Wednesday.
Brugler pays close attention to fit (scheme and culture), draft trends, meetings, etc rather than his own personal opinion.
The highly-touted draft analyst kicks off the Chargers draft with the selection of former Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
“The Chargers don’t need another wide receiver to be an explosive offense – they already are with Justin Herbert at quarterback. But the idea of dropping Waddle’s special athleticism into that scheme (with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams) would be tough to pass up,” Brugler said.
In a piece I recently wrote that lays out three bold predictions, the first thing jotted down was that Los Angeles would take a pass-catcher in the first-round as opposed to an offensive tackle or cornerback.
I said that general manager Tom Telesco could roll the dice on one, knowing that Mike Williams will be in the final year of his contract and Jalen Guyton didn’t do enough to warrant himself as a starter after a slew of drops.
If Waddle was the pick, he would give quarterback Justin Herbert a dynamic weapon who can win with speed, quickness and route running ability to consistently separate and win with the ball in his hands, as well as a player who can return kicks and punts at a high level.
In the following round, that’s where L.A. finds their left tackle of the future, taking former Texas OT Samuel Cosmi.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Cosmi gone by the time the Bolts are picking at No. 47, especially after blowing it up at his pro day. However, if he’s still on the board, it should be a no-brainer.
Cosmi’s pass-blocking technique will need to improve and he will need to get stronger, but due to his length, natural balance, athleticism, and movement skills, he has a high ceiling in the NFL.
With their first pick in the third-round, the Chargers find their boundary corner opposite Michael Davis in former Stanford CB Paulson Adebo.
Adebo hasn’t played in over a year after a season-ending injury and the pandemic caused him to opt out of his senior season. When he is on the field, Adebo’s fluid body control, reactive athleticism and play-making abilities make him a plug-and-play corner.
To round out Day 2, Los Angeles addresses the offensive line again with the selection of former Clemson OL Jackson Carman.
Due to his skillset, Carman projects as a right guard, where he could compete for a starting job with Oday Aboushi. Given his strength, sufficient length and power, he could kick out to right tackle, where he could handle a role as a long-term starter.
To start Day 3, L.A. bolsters the interior part of the defensive line with the pick of former Ohio State defensive tackle Tommy Togiai.
Togiai is an undersized interior defender with good power, hand usage and agility, projecting as valuable piece to the rotation from Day 1 and eventual starter.
In Round 5, the Bolts address the safety position, taking former Texas SAF Caden Sterns.
While his tackling is maddening, Sterns is a rangy playmaker who has fluid athleticism, high football intelligence and impressive ball skills who is capable of playing either safety position, in the slot and in the box.
To kick off Round 6, the Chargers add more depth at the outside linebacker position, selecting former Oregon State OLB Hamilcar Rashed.
His pass-rush arsenal lacks variety, and his production is based more on effort and athleticism than technique. However, Rashed is only scratching the surface of his ability and shows the athleticism, competitive toughness and physical traits to be a productive NFL pass rusher.
With their second pick in the sixth-round, Los Angeles add another cornerback, taking former LSU CB Kary Vincent, Jr.
Vincent Jr. is a speedy and versatile defensive back who played inside at nickel and some safety. His quickness in his movements, elite top end speed and ball skills could help him carve up a significant role inside at the next level.
To conclude the draft, L.A. takes former SMU tight end Kylen Granson.
While he lacks strength to be an effective run-blocker, Granson can create mismatches with his physicality, speed and explosiveness as a receiver, projecting as a receiving tight end or big slot receiver.
