Los Angeles Chargers: 2012 NFL Draft Retrospective

The 2020 NFL Draft is an important one for the Los Angeles Chargers as the team is likely going to select the franchise quarterback of the future. That rookie quarterback may not have an impact on the 2020 season, but making a good selection versus a bad selection can improve the next decade and a half for the Chargers.

With so much on the line in this year’s draft, we have been breaking down exactly how the Los Angeles Chargers have performed at every single NFL Draft over the last 10 years.

Of course, hindsight is 20/20 and we are going to be utilizing that to give every single pick in 2012 a retrospective grade based solely on how they performed with the Chargers. Without further ado, here is our complete 2012 NFL Draft retrospective.

Los Angeles Chargers 2012 NFL Draft Retrospective:

• Draft order location: 18
• Selections: Seven
• Pro Bowls: Three
• All-Pros: Zero
• Trades: Chargers trade the 78th and 163rd overall picks to the Miami Dolphins for the 73rd overall pick

First-round selection: Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina

Melvin Ingram was a fantastic selection by the Los Angeles Chargers. Ingram is one-half of one of the most dominating edge-rush duos in the entire NFL and has been a three-time Pro Bowler with the Bolts.

There was a time when the future was unclear with Ingram, however, and he appeared to have first-round bust potential. He definitely was a late bloomer as his three Pro Bowl nods are all in the last three years and in his first three years he started only 12 games and recorded only six sacks.

That all changed in 2015, where Ingram broke out and had a 10.5 sack season, kickstarting his current run as one of the best edge-rushers in the entire NFL.

For a little while there it looked like Ingram was going to be a miss, but he is now undoubtedly a hit.

• Grade: A
• Could have drafted: Chandler Jones, David DeCastro