Chargers must be wary of two teams if they want a quarterback in first round

The race to get the second quarterback off the board in April’s draft is going to be quite interesting.

There is no doubt that the Chargers are likely in the market for a new quarterback unless you believe one of two things. That Philip Rivers is actually coming back or that the team will move forward with Tyrod Taylor as its starter.

Even if one of those things is true, the team could still be looking to get a long-term option for its future.

Joe Burrow is going to be drafted No.1 overall and all signs point to Tua Tagovailoa coming off the board as the second quarterback selected. If the Chargers are interested in making Tagovailoa their first-round pick, they might need to find a way to fend off two other teams.

The Chargers sit at No. 6. Ahead of them at No. 5 are the Miami Dolphins, a team heavily linked to the former Alabama passer. But recently, many draft analysts seem to feel that the Detroit Lions could be pushing for a new quarterback.

Matthew Stafford was once the No.1 overall pick in the draft and is far and away the best quarterback in Lions history. But what has he ever done for the team in terms of getting it over the hump?

Stafford has never won a playoff game and in 11 seasons, has taken the Lions to the postseason just three times. Looking at it from that perspective, it’s entirely possible that the Lions could be looking to move on.

With the Lions sitting at No. 3, the Dolphins could be looking to make a trade with them to prevent them from taking Tua. That could leave the Chargers looking at the next quarterback on the list or another position altogether.

Here is a recent mock that suggests a trade between the Dolphins and Lions. That same mock has the Chargers taking Justin Herbert, a name you will here be connected to the team for the next two and a half months.

In this trade scenario, the Dolphins give up their own first-round pick (No.5), their second and third-round picks to move up two slots in the first round. That seems a little rich.

Would that eliminate the Chargers from the Tua sweepstakes? Better yet, should that eliminate them from the Tua sweepstakes?

Things will get very interesting as we head to April’s draft for the teams looking for a future signal-caller.