Bolt Beat
Fansided

Los Angeles Chargers: 2012 NFL Draft Retrospective

By Jason Reed

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 07: Melvin Ingram #54 of the Los Angeles Chargers participates in warm ups before the game against the Oakland Raiders at RingCentral Coliseum on November 07, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 07: Melvin Ingram #54 of the Los Angeles Chargers participates in warm ups before the game against the Oakland Raiders at RingCentral Coliseum on November 07, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Chargers
(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Chargers /

Los Angeles Chargers 2012 NFL Draft Retrospective, rounds 2-4:

Second-round selection: Kendall Reyes, DT, Connecticut

After the first few seasons in the league, it appeared as if Kendall Reyes was going to have a much bigger long-term impact on the Chargers than Melvin Ingram would and boy could that have been farther from the truth.

Reyes was solid in his four seasons with the Chargers and we definitely cannot complain about what he brought to the table. He recorded 10.5 sacks in his first two seasons as a defensive tackle and was a consistent, serviceable pro in stopping the run game.

Reyes was not exceptional, but he was average at worst. His career pretty much ended once he left the Chargers as he bounced from team to team and never secured a starting job again.

  • Grade: B-
  • Could have drafted: Zach Brown, Kelechi Osemele, Casey Hayward

Third-round selection: Brandon Taylor, DB, LSU

Brandon Taylor played in just four games in his NFL career, starting one, and recorded half a sack to go to his name. He suffered a knee injury in his rookie season and could never get healthy, being one of the many examples of mid-round draft picks that did not pan out for the Chargers.

  • Grade: F
  • Could have drafted: Brandon Brooks, Demario Davis, T.Y. Hilton

Fourth-round selection: Ladarius Green, TE, Louisiana

Ladarius Green was a solid backup tight end and did more than the Chargers ever expected him to do as Antonio Gates’ back up. Gates was still one of the best tight ends in the league at this time, so it is not easy to make your impact felt as his backup.

Green’s numbers were not eye-popping but in his last season, he posted 429 receiving yards and four touchdowns on a career-high 63 targets.

This led to Green netting a four-year, $20 million contract from the Pittsburgh Steelers, which he absolutely deserved. Unfortunately, Green only played one year in Pittsburgh and was then released after failing a physical.

  • Grade: B
  • Could have drafted: Bobby Massie, Mike Daniels
Home/Chargers Draft