Could the Los Angeles Chargers draft a defensive lineman in the first round?
By Sean Begler
In a recent article, Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco told Eric Williams of ESPN.com there is a correlation between a lack of fourth quarter sacks and the Chargers loosing leads in the fourth quarter in six games of last season.
With all that said, can we conclude that the Chargers are leaning towards drafting a player that would help with fixing this issue?
Rushing the passer does not begin and end with the most outside lined player on a defensive front. The defensive tackles are an important feature. If a team’s defense has reliable center pieces in their front seven, opposing teams have to plan for them as well as the pass rushers.
Newly hired defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s system could utilize another big body. Switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defensive scheme also deems for larger personnel up front. With the current roster, it would make sense to draft a player suited towards playing defensive end or defensive tackle in Bradley’s system.
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In most mock drafts, the Chargers are poised to pick up a safety. An unarguable position of need. However, with the depth at safety in this year’s draft, one could argue that safety could wait until the second or third round. With the increasing importance of a team’s ability to reach opposing quarterbacks, it might be wise to draft a player who could help with rushing the passer with the No. 7 overall pick.
Currently, the Chargers have superstar Joey Bosa and recently franchise-tagged Melvin Ingram as their top pass rushers. Last year, Bosa and Ingram showed their ability to close in on quarterbacks and give offensive linemen fits. If they could receive even more help on the defensive line, their play could substantially increase.
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Would you like to see the Chargers draft a defensive tackle or defensive end with their first-round pick in the 2017 draft? Let’s talk about it in the comments bellow.