Chargers mailbag: Question two
Why don’t the Chargers draft 6’6″, 250-pound tight ends to be their receiving corps? With a serious height and weight advantage over smaller defensive backs, who could stop them? Add their blocking superiority and you’d have one intimidating cadre. -Gary Osgood
The first thing that comes to mind is the Kansas City Chiefs, who employ both a strong receiving corps and elite tight end. Travis Kelce is a 6’5″, 260-pound athlete who is strong as both a blocker and receiver. He, along with Tyreek Hill, make up one of the most dynamic duos in the NFL. But as a Chargers fan, who would you fear more?
Last season, Hill put up 214 total yards against the Chargers in two games; Kelce put up just 67. In fact, Kelce has never really had a successful game against the Chargers throughout his entire career. Both are incredibly talented players, but Hill is much more of a game-breaker.
There are many fast tight ends who never pan out in the NFL; for example, the Chargers once employed Ladarius Green, who ran a 4.53 40-yard dash and had big-play ability but never stuck with the Chargers or another team in the league. It’s not always the size and speed that makes a successful tight end, but his ability to run routes and catch the ball. Though they do provide a boost along the offensive line as blockers (one of the reasons teams employ them to begin with), tight ends are likely not as explosive, twitchy, or multi-talented as a scoring weapon as their wide receiver counterparts.