Los Angeles Chargers 7-round NFL mock draft: Helping Justin Herbert

Los Angeles Chargers NFL mock draft: Round 2, 47th overall

Stacking talent around Herbert to put him in the best possible situation to succeed has to be the priority for the Los Angeles Chargers this offseason. Improving the offensive line is an absolute must, but wide receiver is a sneaky need for this team that could become a priority early in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Keenan Allen is still Mr. Reliable in the middle of the field and Mike Williams is an exciting big target on the outside. That being said, this team lacks impact depth at wide receiver and Williams will become a free agent after the 2021 season. In this second round of this NFL mock draft, the Los Angeles Chargers address their wide receiver depth with the addition of D’Wayne Eskridge out of Western Michigan.

Eskridge is an incredibly quick and explosive playmaker who changes directions on a dime and can leave defenders in the dust with his incredible raw speed. he is an efficient route runner who does a fantastic job of sinking his hips to create separation and displays soft hands a majority of the time. Eskridge is also a dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands, showing the ability to easily shake would-be tacklers in space and explode into the end zone once he finds a crease.

The 5-foot-9, 188-pound Eskridge certainly lacks ideal size at the wide receiver position. That being said, he plays much bigger than his actual size, fighting for the ball well in contested-catch situations and showing the toughness needed to compete in the middle of the field. While he is probably best suited as a slot receiver at the next level, Eskridge’s raw speed and quickness give him exciting upside on the outside as well.

Simply put, Eskridge is a dynamic weapon in the passing game who can legitimately make an impact at all three levels of the defense. Getting Herbert as many capable weapons as possible this offseason should be a priority and Eskridge stands out as an exciting fit for this offensive attack. Eskridge’s speed paired with Williams’ size and Allen’s well-rounded game would make the Chargers’ passing attack incredibly difficult to slow down.