With the 151st overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the LA Chargers select: Colby Parkinson, TE, Stanford
I made this same selection in the late rounds in our Bolt Beat roundtable mock draft that went live over the weekend. Again, it might seem like a surprise to go with a tight end here, especially with the team almost going all offense to this point, but there is a rhyme to the reason.
The Chargers should not be ignoring the tight end position. The team franchise tagged Hunter Henry this season instead of signing him to an extension, likely wanting to see if he can put together a full healthy season before committing for multiple seasons.
Still, there is a chance that he could walk away and even if he doesn’t, the team has to start looking at depth options to replace Virgil Green. Sure, they signed Donald Parham from the XFL, but it should not stop there.
Colby Parkinson is an exciting pass-catching tight end prospect that could develop into a legitimate threat in two tight end sets on play action. He is similar to Parham in that he has size that is going to create mismatches and with his elite route running (for a tight end), he can be used in a multitude of ways.
His run blocking is not the best but that would not be what the Chargers were selecting him for. He is someone who probably does not have a big role in his rookie season, but could be a long-term, crucial, piece to the offensive puzzle.