Los Angeles Chargers: Post-Senior Bowl 7-Round mock draft
By Kade Dohmen
Round 2, Pick 16 (48): Jamarco Jones, OT, Ohio State
Jamarco Jones is safer than most of the other tackle prospects who will be on the board at this point (Connor Williams and Chukwuma Okorafor). Jones doesn’t do anything great, but he is a consistent blocker and at the very worst can hopefully step in for Joe Barksdale should he not return to the team (or if he’s simply more talented). This coaching staff seems to get the most out of their offensive line, so Jones is going into a situation that would be best for him.
The Chargers’ outperformed the very low expectations placed on them this season. Russell Okung was a Pro Bowler and the interior was very solid. With Forrest Lamp and Matt Slauson returning from injury, it only gets stronger. Adding a solid tackle who can develop into a starter quicker than most should be a priority with Telesco’s first few selections.
Round 3, Pick 20 (84): Leighton Vander Esch, ILB, Boise State
While I don’t think Telesco will prioritize inside linebacker as much as draft pundits think he should, I do think he will see that adding a prospect on the first two days would be worth it. Denzel Perryman is very talented, but his injury history is concerning. I praised Brown as the next big thing in Gus Bradley’s defense. He seemed to get worse every game this season, however, and he was soon losing time to Pullard and Toomer. Hopefully, it was merely a sophomore slump.
The thing I like about Leighton Vander Esch is his motor and effort. He’s a team-first guy that will always make plays. He won’t be the most athletic on the field, but he will always be around the ball. At worst, Vander Esch will push Brown, Pullard or Toomer to be their best simply because he won’t quit. At worst, the Bolts are picking up a high-energy tackler for their defense.