LA Chargers take Justin Herbert with first pick in February 2020 mock draft
Round 4, Pick 102: Jordan Elliot, DL, Missouri
The Chargers are still going to be betting on Jerry Tillery to develop in 2020. However, it makes sense to beef up the interior line anyway, considering there are question marks past Tillery.
It’s no guarantee that Brandon Mebane is back with cap space that can be saved with a cut. Damion Square is a free agent. The defensive line in particular is one of the units that could look a lot different next year.
Jordan Elliott‘s speed from the snap is awesome. It’s one of those things that make you wonder how a 300-pound guy can move that fast. He’s not a slouch in physicality either. Here’s a stat for you:
Jordan Elliott: The only Power-5 interior defender with elite 90.0+ run-defense AND pass-rush grades. pic.twitter.com/QqwQBmqhiD
— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) February 11, 2020
Power five includes the likes of Derrick Brown and Javon Kinlaw, who are usually ranked above Elliott. He had his best season in 2019, with the most tackles for loss in his career and most tackles overall.
A 2nd-team AP All-American, and a PFF 1st-team All-American, Elliott has great hands, speed, and power. For a guy who’s in the middle in the draft, he could make an immediate impact for a struggling interior.
Round 5, Pick 133: Troy Pride Jr., CB, Notre Dame
Something tells me that when Troy Pride Jr. puts up a top-five 40 time at the combine that he may not go in the fifth round in many projections. For now, though, that’s where he is. The ball skills aren’t totally there yet, and that’s part of why he’s not higher in the draft.
Despite that though, Pride’s got some awesome defensive skills. His speed obviously helps, but he’s got a high football IQ as well. The way he reads receivers and uses the sideline so well in putting pressure on the receiver is elite:
I like Troy Pride Jr a lot more as a Cover 3 corner, but sometimes that man coverage does shine.
Generally struggles to get his head around on throws such as this, but when he's able to get his head around his ball skills are second to none.
Has a bit of Hayward to his game. pic.twitter.com/7HTKGLpJcj
— Jason Balliet II (@Syntari13) November 14, 2019
The instincts really are there for Pride to become a very respectable pro fairly quickly in the NFL. With the right development of ball skills along with his current attributes, he just has the feel of a day two steal. He’s about as good as it gets when it comes to mid-round cornerbacks.
While I don’t hate the option of Michael Davis, there are just moments where he commits some bad penalties. Brandon Facyson is a good tackler, but not as good in coverage as Davis.
Shoring up the corner slot opposite Hayward is something the Chargers need to do, and Pride has present and future potential.