Analysis, grade for Chargers’ third-round selection of Justin Jones

The Los Angeles Chargers have selected former North Carolina State defensive tackle Justin Jones in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft.

Well, it was the right position. We’ve talked ad nauseam about how the Chargers have needed a defensive tackle (and maybe even two), but was it the right player?

In 49 games at N.C. State, Jones registered 108 tackles with 22.5 of those going for a loss. He also added 8.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries.

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At 6-3 and 309 pounds, Jones isn’t the biggest interior defensive lineman you’re going to come across but his job in Los Angeles will be to clog up lanes and slow down the opposition’s run game. In college, he played on a stout defensive line that included Bradley Chubb and B.J. Hill, but he’s another player the Chargers may have overdrafted, as Lance Zierlein of NFL.com had him going in the fourth or fifth round.

Tom Telesco clearly sees something in this player, especially considering other defensive tackles such as Tim Settle and Harrison Phillips, were still on the board. I feel like on this one, Chargers fans will just have to trust Telesco’s ability to find the right player.

It was nice to see the Chargers get a defensive tackle and they’ve stuck to a great plan of loading up on defensive players in this draft. For me, it was a bit too early to pull Jones off the board. Settle or Phillips would have been more impactful picks in my opinion.

That said, it’s not a terrible pick and if he comes in and helps against the run, fans will forget about guys like Settle and Phillips in a hurry.

Grade: B