With only one week remaining in the NFL regular season, the teams eliminated from the playoffs will soon begin to scout the upcoming college football prospects in preparation for the 2022 NFL draft.
The Chargers are still thick in the hunt for a Wild Card spot and a win over the Raiders in Week 18 would guarantee an appearance in the postseason. No matter what happens in determining which teams make it in, it is never too early to start thinking about what rookies can make a difference for the team.
Los Angeles projects to upgrade their defense considerably in the offseason. The unit ranks 22nd overall with 361 total yards allowed per game. While the pass defense has been solid (12th in the league, 224.3 yards allowed per game), the run defense is in great need of support.
In 2021, the Chargers are giving up 136.7 yards per game on the ground, which puts them among the bottom three teams.
Based on those numbers, this three-round mock draft addresses some of the glaring needs on the defensive side of the ball.
Round 1 – EDGE Travon Walker, Georgia
It will be tough for the Chargers to pass up on many of the top wide receivers expected to still be on the board in the back half of the first round, but Walker is certainly no chump. Walker is a former five-star recruit that stayed home to play for the Bulldogs, where he shined in his first season as a Freshman All-SEC Team member. Defenses paid attention to him more as a sophomore, resulting in a down year, but 2021 saw him rack up 32 tackles (5.5 for loss), five sacks, and 25 quarterback hurries.
Walker possesses outstanding size and length, which he pairs with excellent mobility to out-maneuver linemen and zoom into gaps. His hands are powerful and he bashes opponents with vigor, knocking them off-balance and creating situations to hunt down the quarterback. He gets off the line at a breakneck speed and his light feet carry him throughout the rep.
Travon Walker shows how to take on and play through a trap block. pic.twitter.com/C8SIbmNUQs
— Brent Sobleski (@brentsobleski) January 1, 2022
No play better illustrates the power of Walker than this tackle for loss on Michigan running back Hassan Haskins in the Sugar Bowl. Walker slides low and primed for explosion as the center pulls to the edge to block him before surges upward into the defender’s chest. Walker bench-presses the reeling center back with one arm while the other snares Haskins attempting to breach the A-gap. Haskins is forced to abandon the lane and is swallowed up shortly after by the Georgia line.
Walker was a chess piece on Georgia’s front and proved he could generate production from every position. He can clean up his hand placement and creativity in his pass rush moves, but this is a player brimming with the intensity that can make an instant impact opposite Joey Bosa.
Round 2 – CB Trent McDuffie, Washington
For a second straight year, the Chargers spend early on a cornerback. McDuffie developed a reputation as a lights-out coverage man over his three seasons at Washington. He accumulated 94 tackles, two interceptions, eight pass breakups, and three forced fumbles who started all but three games over his collegiate career.
A twitchy, athletic player that takes no plays off, McDuffie has a seemingly unlimited battery that floods energy and explosion into every facet of his game. His footwork is clean and methodical, he keeps receivers on a leash, and he’s a willing tackler that can be an asset in the run game and off the edge. While a bit undersized for the position at 5-foot-11, McDuffie possesses the aggression and fearless mentality required for success at the boundary.
Just watch Trent McDuffie on this play: pic.twitter.com/NNS4INMOH4
— Ben Glassmire (@BenGlassmireNFL) September 3, 2021
That high-motor effort was on display when Washington played Oregon State. The Beavers run a reverse to the left side of the field and McDuffie’s assignment at the line ended up being the ball carrier. McDuffie saw the play develop, avoided the downhill traffic caused by the line, then activated his burners to chase down the receiver. What resulted was a brilliant display of closing speed that prevented a huge gain that would have set up Oregon State in the red zone.
Garnering recognition and praise as a first-round talent at the position, the Chargers would be lucky to land McDuffie here.
Round 3 – IDL Matthew Butler, Tennessee
There have been many leaky holes upfront for opposing running backs to take advantage of. The Chargers need a consistent big body on the line and they can find one in the third round in Butler. A “super” senior that exercised his fifth year of eligibility, Butler reaped the rewards of returning to school with a career-high season in tackles (47), tackles for loss (8.5), and sacks (5.0).
Butler is quick and fierce off the line, using his speed to stun offensive linemen on bull rushes. The athleticism also allows Butler to combat strikes with good leverage and enters blocks in a good position. His medium-sized build is nullified with exceptional lateral agility and can change directions briskly.
Tennessee DT Matthew Butler is a little-known prospect but is still intriguing nonetheless.
Here he shows a great first step matched with even better use of the rip move to leverage a sack here in the 1st quarter. pic.twitter.com/6qfgmTlHkr
— Nick Price (@PriceCheck3) November 15, 2021
Aligned across Georgia’s left guard in this rep, Butler is the first player off the line and presses the offensive lineman backward with a forceful shove. Butler works across the lineman’s chest and swims his right arm under the guard’s elbow to rotate him out of position and free up the inside lane to the quarterback. Butler presses forward, wards off the defender with the same arm, and envelops the quarterback for the sack.
Butler’s hands are also strong and he punches well, but he needs to get more accurate and violent in that area to get the upper hand early more consistently. Still, he’s an underrated diamond in a largely underwhelming class of defensive tackles whose flaws are fixable and can be ideally ironed out at the next level.
