2020 NFL Draft: Top team needs for the Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers will be looking to re-tool their offense and add depth to their defense in Thursday’s 2020 NFL draft.
A new era is beginning for Los Angeles Chargers’ football this off-season. The Chargers will officially be moving into their new stadium, as well as switching to these incredible new uniforms that were revealed on Tuesday. This will also be the first season since 2004 without 16-year veteran quarterback Philip Rivers.
Excitement is in the air for the Chargers but uncertainty as well. General manager Tom Telesco and head coach Anthony Lynn could both find themselves on the hot seat with another mediocre season after earning a record of 5-11 in 2019. An exciting free agency has helped calm the nerves but nailing the draft will be even more important for the team’s success this season.
While Telesco has earned a reputation as a quality drafting general manager, he will need to have his best draft yet to stay competitive in the AFC West. The Chargers can not afford to waste the number six overall pick on a player that will not help them win a super bowl in the next five years.
Let’s take a look at the top five team needs the Chargers will hope to address in this week’s draft.
1. Quarterback
As much as Anthony Lynn can act like he thinks Tyrod is the answer, the Chargers need and will be using a high draft pick on a rookie quarterback in this draft or the next. Two arguments could be made that perhaps the Chargers’ biggest need isn’t a quarterback right now but neither hold any real substance.
The first argument is that Tyrod does provide a serviceable option if you don’t think any of the quarterbacks in this draft are franchise guys. Keep building the team for next year and then draft a rookie quarterback in 2021. Not a bad plan but not a very likely one. Expect Telesco to use his first-round pick on a quarterback to battle it out with Tyrod in training camp.
The second argument is last year’s fifth-round pick, quarterback Easton Stick. He showed flashes of high-quality play in last year’s preseason but there were a lot of issues as well. Stick will most likely, as with most fifth-round quarterbacks, not end being a starter in the NFL. Stick does, however, have the potential to become a high-end backup or Taysom Hill-esque gadget player.
Possible Options: Justin Herbert, Oregon (first round), Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (first round), Jordan Love, Utah State (first round), Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma (day two)