Tag: Zion Johnson Chargers

2022 NFL draft: Chargers’ biggest positional needs entering Day 2

Laying out the positions that the Los Angeles Chargers still need to address following their selection of Zion Johnson.

After adding Zion Johnson in the first round, the Chargers have filled their hole at guard.

But the show must still go on.

Here’s a look at Los Angeles’ biggest remaining positional needs on the roster entering Friday’s session.

Right Tackle

Tom Telesco and Brandon Staley both said on Thursday night that Johnson was drafted to be the team’s starter at right guard. Matt Feiler was also listed as being in the plans at left guard, which leaves the question of right tackle lingering. The Chargers seem to be comfortable with the thought of Trey Pipkins and Storm Norton battling it out for the starting job, but The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has L.A. selecting Washington State’s Abraham Lucas with the 79th selection. Other possible options in the draft include Louisiana’s Max Mitchell, Ohio State’s Nicholas Petit-Frere, or Penn State’s Rasheed Walker.

Cornerback

Staley’s defense places a huge amount of responsibility on the cornerback position, part of the reason why Washington’s Trent McDuffie seemed like a logical fit at 17th overall if Johnson was off the board. With JC Jackson and Asante Samuel Jr., the Chargers have two building blocks at corner, but the team seems to have lost some of the optimism about Michael Davis that resulted in his 3 year, $25.2 million extension prior to the 2021 season. A drafted corner could come in the form of a slot only type, with plans to keep Samuel on the outside, or it could be a lengthy outside corner, with Samuel kicking inside to the slot. Some options to keep an eye on during Day 2 include Nebraska’s Cam Taylor-Britt, Sam Houston State’s Zyon McCollum, Pitt’s Damarri Mathis, and Cincinnati’s Coby Bryant.

Edge defender

This is the direction I had the Chargers going in my final 7 round mock draft on Thursday morning. Depth behind Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack is questionable right now after LA chose not to retain Kyler Fackrell or Uchenna Nwosu. Chris Rumph II was a fourth round pick a season ago, but he’d need to make a big leap to fill those shoes. Luckily for the Chargers, this draft class is stacked with EDGE talent from top to bottom. Every player I ranked from 6-10 in my EDGE rankings on Wednesday is still on the board, but I wouldn’t be holding my breath for any of them to fall to LA at 79. Focus on names like DeAngelo Malone (Western Kentucky), Dominique Robinson (Miami (OH)), Myjai Sanders (Cincinnati), and Amare Barno (Virginia Tech). 

Wide Receiver

Josh Palmer made strides as a rookie, and there’s no reason to believe he’s not in LA’s long-term plans. But the Chargers still lack a burner who has the speed to get under Justin Herbert’s moonshots downfield. The most likely options on the roster currently are Jalen Guyton and return specialist DeAndre Carter, neither of whom should prevent Los Angeles from targeting the right receiver on Day 2. I’ll be watching the closest for Calvin Austin III (Memphis) or Danny Gray (SMU), but if neither of them makes it to 79, I like Tyquan Thornton (Baylor) or Isaiah Weston (Northern Iowa) a bit later in the draft.

Running Back

Perhaps Chargers fans can be saved from the curse of yet another Day 3 RB draft pick if LA opts to turn to the position on Friday night instead. Austin Ekeler is a showstopper in the backfield, of course, but young guys like Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree III have struggled to gain their footing behind him. With every running back still on the board entering Day 2, the Chargers could find themselves in a valuable position to take their pick of some of the best available. The Athletic’s Daniel Popper listed Texas A&M’s Isaiah Spiller and BYU’s Tyler Allgeier as prime targets at 79. I’d add Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III, on the off chance that he slips down the board, as well as players worth later looks like Georgia’s Zamir White or Michigan’s Hassan Haskins.

Analysts grade Chargers’ selection of Zion Johnson in 2022 NFL draft

Find out how national experts and analysts felt about the Los Angeles Chargers’ first night of the draft.

The Chargers bolstered their offensive line with the pick of former Boston College guard Zion Johnson with the No. 17 overall selection in the 2022 NFL draft.

I gave Tom Telesco and company an ‘A’ for the pick because he made it a priority to maximize the offense, which will keep Justin Herbert upright and create consistent holes for Austin Ekeler in the running game.

How did the national experts and analysts feel about Los Angeles’ first night of the draft? Here is a look at their grades for the selection of Johnson.

NFL Media’s Chad Reuter

“Leading up to the draft, I thought Johnson would be a good fit for the Chargers because he fills a big hole at right guard. I’ve graded him as a first-round pick for quite a while because he’s smart, hard-working, experienced, and does not give ground to any defensive lineman. He’s a 10-year starter with Pro Bowl potential. The Bolts may still look to add a right tackle, but the team can find value at that spot later in the draft.”

Grade: A

Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski

“The coaching staff can immediately insert the rookie into the left guard spot and bump Matt Feiler to right tackle, where he’s previously experienced success as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Or, Johnson can play right guard and solidify the interior, though right tackle would remain a problem area. Either way, the Chargers are now much stronger along the interior because Johnson  looks like a future 10-year starter.”

Grade: A

Yahoo Sport’s Eric Edholm

“This is a fascinating pairing, one we didn’t see coming. Johnson was a tackle and guard at BC, but most NFL scouts believed his best spot in the pros was inside, at either guard or center. But the Chargers’ biggest OL vacancy is at right tackle. Hmm. We’ll reserve judgment on the positional fit and laud Johnson: a smart, savvy, competitive, and high-character blocker. Justin Herbert’s O-line got better, but now we wait to hear where Johnson lines up.”

Grade: B-

Sports Illustrated’s Kevin Hanson

“The Chargers hit with last year’s first-round pick (Rashawn Slater) and continue to boost their protection for Justin Herbert with Johnson. Johnson is smart and polished, plays under control and with good balance. Including his two seasons at Davidson, Johnson has double-digit starts at three different positions—left guard, right tackle and left tackle—and took reps at center during Senior Bowl week. While he can handle a spot start at tackle if necessary, he’s ideally suited to the play guard for the Chargers.”

Grade: B

Pro Football Focus’ Anthony Treash

“This is a quality pick for the Chargers, who will now put Johnson at right guard and move 2021 starter, Matt Feiler, to right tackle (where he ranked fifth in pass-block grade back in 2019). As lead draft analyst Mike Renner highlighted in the 2022 PFF Draft Guide, there are a few cons to his game. He’s a polished and stout performer with standout production. Johnson earned an 80.0-plus grade as both a pass- and run-blocker last season, recording just one penalty en route to an honorable mention PFF All-American honors. He then proceeded to light up the Senior Bowl as he didn’t lose a single pass-blocking rep during Senior Bowl week.”

Grade: Good

Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer

“The Chargers’ offseason has been about trying to make a Super Bowl run with Justin Herbert. After they got their left tackle rock in Rashawn Slater in last year’s first-round, they get the ideal player to upgrade the right side, either inside or outside. Johnson does a little bit of everything well with his all-around skill set, featuring his natural agility and power.”

Grade: A

Fox Sports’ Rob Rang

“A year ago, the Chargers hit a home run with Rashawn Slater. L.A. might have duplicated that selection with the burly Johnson, whose girth, power and intangibles made him one of the safer prospects in this draft. Whether at guard or center — Johnson can play both — the Chargers got tougher up front and accomplished their No. 1 goal of protecting the investment in Justin Herbert.”

Grade: A

Chargers’ updated offensive line depth chart after selection of Zion Johnson

Looking at the Los Angeles Chargers’ offensive line depth chart following the addition of Zion Johnson.

The Chargers drafted offensive lineman Zion Johnson with the No. 17 overall selection in the 2022 NFL draft.

Here is what Los Angeles’ offensive line depth chart will look like following the addition of Johnson.

Position Starter 2nd 3rd 4th
LT Rashawn Slater
LG Matt Feiler Brenden Jaimes Ryan Hunter
C Corey Linsley Will Clapp
RG Zion Johnson
RT Trey Pipkins Storm Norton Foster Sarell

From Tom Telesco’s presser, the plan is to start Johnson at right guard and keep Matt Feiler at left guard rather than moving him to right tackle.

Brandon Staley said they will still evaluate the offensive line throughout the remainder and after the draft. But Telesco said they’re comfortable with Trey Pipkins and Storm Norton.

Chargers’ Brandon Staley on Zion Johnson: ‘Our top player on board at 17’

Brandon Staley sounds off on the newest member of the Los Angeles Chargers, Zion Johnson.

Head coach Brandon Staley took to the podium to give fans some insight on new Charger Zion Johnson.

“We’re really looking for power players on offense, particularly inside”

Staley emphasized Johnson’s journey from non-scholarship Davidson, where he started as a 255-pound tight end, to Boston College, where he ended his career as a 320-pound guard. With 10 ⅝” hands, 34” arms, and 32 reps of 225 lbs on the bench press, Johnson stood out to the Bolts as a “really strong player”, per Staley. Staley also expressed optimism about the power of the interior offensive line, citing Matt Feiler and Corey Linsley as the other two parts of a “really impressive trio”.

“If we hadn’t taken Zion Johnson, it was gonna happen shortly after us”

Staley let us in on the Chargers’ thought process, which was that they felt as though Johnson was coming off the board sooner rather than later. He called it “rare” that an interior lineman is thought of as highly as Johnson. Staley also said that while the Chargers were obviously focused on acquiring the best player at 17, their focus was on the offensive line. Instead of reaching for a tackle, the Bolts chose to stick to their guns and take Johnson, who Staley described multiple times as a “complete football player”.

“He was the top player on our board at 17”

Staley described the decision to pick Johnson as “unanimous”, as he was the highest-rated player left on the Chargers board as they came on the clock by both the scouting and coaching staffs. He mentioned Johnson’s exploits at the Senior Bowl, where the former Eagle excelled at both guard and center, and in Boston, where the pro-style system exposed the Chargers staff to “things that translate to the NFL level”. Staley also let everyone know that Johnson “aced” the interview process in addition to being an on-field standout.

Takeaways

Chargers fans should be thrilled to have Johnson in the building. The former computer science major has shown the smarts, toughness, and well-rounded game worthy of a first-round pick and day one starter in Los Angeles. It’s interesting that his spot will seemingly be at right guard, which remained open until today since the Chargers hadn’t brought back Oday Aboushi, who missed part of the season with a torn ACL. The fact that Staley emphasized Feiler as a cornerstone of the interior trio means that Trey Pipkins or a later draft pick could be the Week 1 starting right tackle.

It can be hard for fans to get excited about offensive line picks this high in the draft, and understandably so. But with how glowingly Staley talked about Johnson in Thursday’s presser, it’s hard not to be excited about his potential as a Charger. With Rashawn Slater firmly entrenched on the left side and Feiler, Linsley, and Johnson making up the interior, LA has four high-caliber offensive linemen to protect Justin Herbert and open lanes for Austin Ekeler in 2022.

Analysis of the Chargers’ pick of OL Zion Johnson with No. 17 overall selection

What the selection of Zion Johnson means for the Los Angeles Chargers.

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The Chargers have drafted a new starting guard in the form of Boston College guard Zion Johnson at No. 17 overall.

Johnson clocks in at 6’2 ⅝” and 314 pounds with 34” arms, which are long enough to play tackle if teams asked him to. Johnson also has experience at left tackle, where he played in stretches as an Eagle.

With a 9.55 RAS score, Johnson has elite testing numbers nearly across the board. The only middling number is the 10-yard split, suggesting a tiny deficiency in getting off the ball at the snap.

Johnson’s best traits come in pass blocking, which will be music to Justin Herbert’s ears, as he has a great anchor, foot speed, and lateral agility. As a run blocker, he is solid, as he plays with good leverage and power at the point of attack. Overall, it is the skillset to be a Day 1 starter.

With Johnson officially a Bolt, Los Angeles could be poised to move Feiler to right tackle, where he played for the Steelers in 2019. PFF had him at his best that season with a grade of 75.9.

Or, the team could be in a position to plug Johnson in as the starting right guard, which was formerly played by Oday Aboushi last season, and keep Feiler at left guard.

That would leave the right tackle spot as a question mark. However, the Chargers may believe Trey Pipkins, who has been working with Duke Manyweather, the best offensive lineman developer this offseason, as the starter.

The bottom line is that both Herbert and Austin Ekeler should be thrilled to welcome Johnson to Los Angeles for years to come.

Twitter reacts to Chargers’ selection of OL Zion Johnson

The reaction social media had to the pick of Zion Johnson to join the Los Angeles Chargers.

With the No. 17 overall selection in the 2022 NFL draft, the Chargers took former Boston College offensive lineman Zion Johnson.

Here’s the reaction social media had to the pick of Johnson to join the Bolts.

2022 NFL draft: Chargers pick OL Zion Johnson with No. 17 overall selection

The Chargers bolstered their offensive line with the selection of former Boston College guard Zion Johnson.

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The Chargers have taken former Boston College offensive lineman Zion Johnson with the No. 17 overall selection.

Johnson transferred from Davidson in 2019 where he played in all 13 games and saw 7 starts at left guard. Johnson then spent the 2020 season at left tackle, starting there in all 11 games.

Finally, he returned to his natural left guard spot in 2021 where he started 11 out of 12 games there while starting at left tackle for the final game.

The former Davidson and Boston College lineman gives Los Angeles the flexibility to move Matt Feiler to right tackle, where he played well as a starter on the Steelers.

It also retains the nasty run-blocking combo on the left side, where standout Rashawn Slater and Johnson would be combining to open gaping holes for Austin Ekeler and company.