Los Angeles Chargers: 2020 NFL Draft Grades and Analysis

While the Chargers may not have gotten great value with their sixth overall, Telesco made a great move trading away his second and third-round picks in the draft with the New England Patriots for the opportunity to draft the run-stuffing linebacker Kenneth Murray out of Oklahoma.

Murray will immediately contribute to a defense that ranked 31st in yards allowed on the ground last season. The Chargers could not stop the run at any point in time last season and it showed late in games. Murray will change that, as he is a plug and play starter on the defense and could help the Chargers go from an above-average defense to an elite one.

I love this pick by the Chargers and it is my favorite pick in their entire draft class. The main reason I did not give it an A+ was due to the value given up in the third round that could have been used to fill another hole on the roster.

Also, while Murray has the potential to be an elite player in this league, he has a lot of work to do in coverage before he can be considered a three-down linebacker. He was never asked to cover much in the Oklahoma defense and when he was, he did not look good at all.

However, he has insane athleticism and speed at the position and at this point, there is no reason to believe he can not turn that flaw into a strength if he’s willing to put in the time.

Murray will be instrumental in slowing down quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, which is something they will need to do consistently if they want to win a Super Bowl in the near future.