San Diego finds itself on the clock in the third installment of our 2016 NFL Perfect Mock Draft. The Chargers are in a prime position here to trade down for a team looking to beat the Dallas Cowboys for Myles Jack or even grab a quarterback like Jared Goff before the San Francisco 49ers’ pick comes up. When it comes to mock drafts, though, my philosophy is you use what you know. The Chargers are picking at three so that’s where I’m keeping them.
You can catch up on all the teams’ perfect drafts by clicking here.
Round 1, Pick 3 – Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss
2015: Three-year starter, All-SEC first team. preseason All-American, 6-foot-5, 310 pounds
With Tunsil falling into their laps after I have the Tennessee Titans taking Bosa with the first pick. A lot of people feel like Tunsil should go there and he might. But I have an issue passing up Bosa for a guy that only played in five games last season, even if he is the consensus best tackle in this draft. That being said, there’s no way the Chargers let Tunsil slip past them and, if he is there at No. 3, there’s no way they trade away this pick.
UPDATE – Round 2, Pick 35 – Emmanuel Ogbah, Oklahoma State
2015: 63 tackles, 16.5 for a loss, 12.5 sacks, four passes defended, one fumble recovery, three forced fumbles, 6-foot-4, 273 pounds
Round 3, Pick 3 (66) – Pharoh Cooper, WR, South Carolina, 5-foot-1,, 203 pounds
2015: 66 catches, 973 yards, eight touchdowns, 24 rushes, 111 yards, one touchdown, 12 punt returns, 55 yards
Three straight picks from the SEC? Why not. This is a top-heavy draft at wide receiver, but after the first five guys are off the board (Laquon Treadwell, Michael Thomas, Josh Doctson, Will Fuller and Corey Coleman) the rest of this group will drop. The Chargers have already helped themselves by signing Travis Benjamin away from Cleveland, but Cooper makes a lot of sense here. Cooper should be a guy that can run in the 4.40-4.50 range that Philip Rivers and San Diego can develop into a good NFL receiver.
Round 4, Pick Pick 102 – Nick Vannett, TE, Ohio State
2015: 19 catches, 162 yards, zero touchdowns, 6-foot-6, 257 pounds
Vannett didn’t put up a lot of numbers in his final season at Ohio State, but that’s not going to keep him off draft boards. The Buckeyes play a completely different style of football than the pros do and Vannett is a quintessential pro-style tight end in size and athleticism. He was a four-star recruit coming out of high school four years ago for a reason. The Chargers re-signed Antonio Gates, but lost Ladarius Green to free agency. It’s time for Gates to help coach up his replacement.
UPDATE – Round 5, Pick 175 – Romeo Okwara, DE, Notre Dame
2015: 49 tackles, 13.5 tackles for a loss, nine sacks, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble, 6-foot-5, 265 pounds
Round 6, 179 – James Bradberry, CB, Samford
2015: 45 tackles, four tackles for a loss, two interceptions, 11 passes defended, 6-foot-1, 211 pounds
Bradberry was originally recruited as a safety at Arkansas State, but transferred to D-1 FCS Samford so he could move back to corner. His size and speed make him almost a prototype zone corner with a 4.50 40 that should be fast enough to run with most receivers with a little safety help over the top. Bradberry’s best move might be to go back to safety in the pros, but he’s big and versatile enough to do both.
Round 6, Pick 198 – Ken Crawley, CB, Colorado
2015: 40 tackles, 1.5 for a loss, one interception, one fumble recovery, 10 passes defended, 6-0, 187 pounds
Crawley is another big, productive corner that the Chargers should be able to work into the starting line up by the end of the season. He started all four seasons at Colorado and had a solid combine, laying down a 4.43 40-yard dash.
Round 7, Pick 227 – Kevin Byard, Safety, Middle Tennessee State
2015: 66 tackles, one for a loss, four interceptions, six passes defended, 5-foot-11, 216 pounds
The Chargers come into this draft with needs all over, but in the suddenly pass-happy AFC they have to be able to line up a quality defensive backfield. Byard is the kind of player that gets a little overlooked coming from a smaller FBS school, but his size and production should make him a valuable addition to the roster.
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