Los Angeles Chargers: 2017 NFL Draft retrospective

Rounds 5-7:

Fifth-round selection: Desmond King, CB, Iowa

Desmond King has the lone All-Pro selection from the 2017 draft class but ironically does not have a Pro Bowl to his name. Regardless, the Chargers converted King from free safety to being a slot corner with the team and the change has paid out big time.

King had a down year in 2019 that has some fans lower on him than they should be, but his 2018 performance as part of the team’s secondary was phenomenal. He is still only 25 and should continue to get better and his ceiling as a fifth-round pick is massive.

• Grade: A+
• Could have drafted: Jamal Agnew

Sixth-round selection: Sam Tevi, OT, Utah

The Los Angeles Chargers selected a third lineman in the 2017 NFL Draft and unfortunately for the team, Sam Tevi has gotten much more playing time than they likely envisioned. It is a good thing that they selected him in the sixth round, but he was never envisioned to be a starting tackle for two entire seasons.

That is what Tevi has been the last two years and he is not a great starting-caliber tackle. He is absolutely a serviceable backup and if he is filling in for an injury and the rest of the offensive line is talented then he will noticeably be the worst, but could hold his own.

He has not been great as the team’s starting option the last two years but as a sixth-round pick, the Chargers did just fine.

• Grade: B-
• Could have drafted: Xavier Woods

Seventh-round selection: Isaac Rochell, DT, Notre Dame

Isaac Rochell has been a rotational nose tackle for the Chargers that has only started three games in his NFL career and has never played in more than 52 percent of the defensive snaps. When he has been out there he hs held his own but has not stood out to earn a starting job.

It is the seventh round, though, so we have to adjust our expectations. There are two notable names selected in the seventh, but the Chargers were not burned by passing on them.

• Grade: B-
• Could have drafted: Harrison Butker, Chris Carson

Overall draft grade: B

More times than not, the Los Angeles Chargers selected who they should have selected based on the team’s needs. There were some notable names in the first round, none of which fit the team’s needs, so it is too hard to harp on Tom Telesco.

If the offensive line selections in the second and third round would have been better than this would have been an A+ draft for the Chargers. They made all the right selections position-wise, some just did not pan out.