Los Angeles Chargers: 2020 NFL Draft Grades and Analysis

Finally, in the fifth round, the Chargers decided to cash in on this historically deep receiver class with the selection of Joe Reed.

I’ll be the first admit, I did not watch any of Joe Reed’s film before the draft. He simply was never on my radar and a guy I had just overlooked. After sitting down the last few days and watching a couple of his games, I really like what I see.

Reed will be used as the deep threat and the gadget player in Anthony Lynn’s offense. They will want to get Reed out in space with the ball in his hands and let him go to work. Screens and sweeps will be a massive part of Reed’s usage in the NFL. Making people miss is what Reed is all about and the Chargers intend to keep it that way.

That’s not to say he can not go deep though. According to Pro Football Focus, he has never dropped a pass that was 20+ yards downfield. That’s pretty impressive.

Another area Reed is going to immediately contribute in is special teams. Reed will almost certainly be given the job of return man when the season begins. He was special at Virginia as a return man and hopefully, that can carry over to the pros.

Death, taxes and Telesco drafting a player from Notre Dame.

This is my least favorite pick in the draft and one that still does not make much sense to me. Could the Los Angeles Chargers use another body at safety? Sure. However, this pick could have been used to fill a much more pressing need on the roster like defensive tackle or offensive guard.

I can at least see and respect what type of players Telesco and Lynn want on their football team. Every pick thus far has exemplified high-quality character and has shown to be a leader on and off the field. Gilman is no exception. Gilman will bring his passion and heart to a defense that is not lacking in hard-working individuals.

Gus Bradley will most likely use Gilman in the same safety/linebacker hybrid role as recently departed free agent, Adrian Phillips. He will also serve as the back-up to star strong safety Derwin James. Gilman plays with an incredibly high tempo and just like Murray, he is much stronger against the run than he is against the pass.

For what it’s worth, the Chargers do already have a ton of coverage linebackers and safeties, so I do not hate the focus on run-stuffing players in this year’s draft. I just wish this pick had been a run-stuffing defensive tackle instead of a safety.