All 253 picks of the NFL draft have been made so now comes the next phase, signing the players that weren’t drafted to free-agent contracts.
We’ll be compiling a list of all of the signings that the Los Angeles Chargers make right here, so continue to check back in for updates.
Andre Patton, WR, Rutgers
Artavis Scott, WR, Clemson
Austin Ekeler, RB, Western State
Sean Culkin, TE, Missouri
James Onwalu, LB, Notre Dame
Michael Davis, CB, BYU
Dillon DeBoer, C, Florida Atlantic
Nigel Harris, LB, South Florida
Eli Jenkins, QB, Jacksonville State
Younghoe Koo, PK, Georgia Southern
Mike Moore, LB, Kansas State
Brad Watson, CB, Wake Forest
Dontre Wilson, RB, Ohio State
Mason Zandi, OL, South Carolina
Despite being a three-year starter at Rutgers, it wasn’t a surprise to see Andre Patton go undrafted. It was a bit of a surprise to see Artavis Scott not be picked. Scott is small at 5’10”, but he made big plays at Clemson and could help a team in the slot. In L.A., he’ll likely have to earn a role on special teams as the team is stacked at the wide receiver position.
Sean Culkin caught 61 passes and had two touchdowns in four seasons at Missouri, but much like Scott, he’ll face an uphill battle to make the team. The Chargers already have Antonio Gates, Hunter Henry and Jeff Cumberland in place at the tight end position.
James Onwalu came to Notre Dame as a wide receiver, but transitioned over to the defensive side of the ball after his freshman season. He had 11.5 tackles for loss during his senior season.
Born in Seoul, South Korea, Younghoe Koo will be brought in as a “camp leg” to give Josh Lambo a breather here and there. Here’s a video of him hitting a pretty cool trick shot.
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The player on this list who I am most excited about is Austin Ekeler, and that’s not just because I have a bit of a personal connection to him.
Ekeler is a small-school athlete but plays much bigger. He comes from a small town that neighbors the town I live in. I watched him play in high school and I’ve interviewed him before. He’s humble and hardworking and despite having to overcome the “small guy” syndrome, he’s a terrific player.
Ekeler is the all-time leading rusher at Western State University, racking up over 5,000 yards in his time there. At his pro day at Colorado University in Boulder, he put up numbers that rivaled any running back in this draft, including his 40.5-inch vertical jump, which was better than any number a running back posted at the scouting combine. He also ran a 4.43 40-yard dash to go along with a 10-foot-8 broad jump. He’s an athlete and no one is going to outwork him.
Eli Jenkins threw for over 7,600 yards and 47 touchdowns during his time at Jacksonville State.
Listed as a running back, Ohio State’s Dontre Wilson is more of an H-back. He scored 12 touchdowns in his college career, one in which a foot injury during his sophomore season gave him fits throughout his career.