Los Angeles Chargers: 2016 NFL Draft Retrospective

Rounds 5-7

Fifth-round selection: Jatavis Brown, LB, Akron

Jatavis Brown was the last pick in the fifth round and has proven to be a good selection this late in the draft by the Chargers. While he is not a massive difference-maker at the linebacker position, he is a serviceable rotational backer that has done what the team has asked him to do.

His best season was in 2018 when he recorded 97 combined tackles with a sack. He started 10 games for the Chargers that year while being in a career-high 62 percent of the team’s defensive snaps.

Last season he saw a big dip in his playing time as he only played in 10 percent of the defensive snaps and he is no longer with the team as he signed a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens. With no prospects that they missed, this was a good pick.

• Grade: B
• Could have drafted: N/A

Sixth-round selection: Drew Kaser, P, Texas A&M

Just four picks later the Los Angeles Chargers selected punter Drew Kaser, which ultimately, was not a good selection. Although Kaser had a great leg and some promise, he was part of the team’s kicking woes as the Chargers were forced to switch holders as an attempt to fix the problem.

Kaser played two full seasons with the Chargers and while he was fine at punting, if you are going to draft a punter, you better hope that the punter sticks around for a long time and actually makes a difference. Kaser did not do that.

• Grade: D-
• Could have drafted: Anthony Brown

Sixth-round selection: Derek Watt, FB, Wisconsin

Derek Watt‘s career with the Chargers is over as he is joining his brother T.J. Watt on the Pittsburgh Steelers. While his numbers are not all that impressive with the Chargers, he made a difference with the team while on the field that does not show up in the box score.

Watt was a good fullback and will be a great addition to Pittsburgh. He had so much potential if the Chargers used him more.

• Grade: C
• Could have drafted: Anthony Zettel, Elandon Roberts

Seventh-round pick: Donovan Clark, G, Michigan State

Another player who ultimately had no impact on the franchise whatsoever. Clark never appeared in a game in the NFL. He was placed on the IR in both of his first two seasons and then was eventually waived. No team ever signed him.

• Grade: F
• Could have drafted: Jalen Mills, Austin Blythe

Overall draft grade: C

The Los Angeles Chargers are lucky that they hit home runs with the first two selections because the rest of the draft class, outside of Jatavis Brown and Derek Watt, was terrible. Brown and Watt had smaller roles as well, so it is not like they were massive difference-makers.

Luckily, the first and second round are the most important and getting both of those selections right can ease the pain of poor drafting and pure unluckiness in the later rounds. If Bosa and Henry were just decent players then this draft would have gotten a failing grade.

If Joey Bosa and Hunter Henry both leave in free agency after this season, which both players can, then nobody from the 2016 NFL Draft will be standing on the Chargers.