Solving the Chargers’ need for speed

Step four: Draft a versatile X-factor on offense

This one isn’t necessarily draft someone who exclusively has played as a wide receiver, but rather someone who could play multiple positions and add more explosiveness to the offense.

Lynn Bowden out of Kentucky fits this bill perfectly. He’s played as a wideout, a tailback and even quarterback this past season. If you want a potential Taysom Hill-type player, without having to worry about him ever being your franchise quarterback, Bowden is your guy.

That being said, he is getting day two hype right now and the Chargers need a pure wide receiver bad enough that I think they pass on Bowden in favor of a guy like Aiyuk, K.J. Hamler, or Denzel Mims.

However, Antonio Gibson is likely available on day three and would be a perfect fit in Los Angeles. He played the majority of his snaps this past season out wide but was listed at running back and proved at the Senior Bowl that he can be a very good weapon out of the backfield too.

He’s an excellent return man as well and would be a huge upgrade for the Chargers’ special teams unit as well. If you include kickoffs he totaled over 1,700 yards from scrimmage and 13 total touchdowns this past season at Memphis.

It’s easy to see him as a player who could be given a Tarik Cohen type role with eight to 12 touches a game. Gibson could come in right away and provide that jitterbug, big-play ability that the Chargers really need.

Another guy I like in this build is Devin Duvernay out of Texas. He thrived this past season as the main slot receiver for the Longhorns but he is built like a running back and has the athleticism to hit on some big plays with jet sweeps, designed runs and screens.

Other prospects that fit this bill are Donovan Peoples-Jones out of Michigan, Jeff Thomas out of Miami, John Hightower out of Boise State, and Tyrie Cleveland out of Florida.

Should they decide to wait and take a wide receiver until later on day three all of these guys should be available then.