LA Chargers: Best players to be drafted that never played for the Bolts
By Jason Reed
1. Jimmy Johnson
No, we are not talking about the Jimmy Johnson that was the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. We also are not talking about the NASCAR driver, either, in case you were wondering.
We are talking about 1961 32nd overall pick, defensive back Jimmy Johnson, who spurned the Chargers and the AFL for a Hall of Fame career with the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers selected Johnson with the sixth overall pick in the 1963 NFL Draft and he was one of the best cornerbacks of his era.
Johnson went on to be a starting-caliber cornerback for 16 seasons with the 49ers, which is just unheard of in today’s NFL. Not only did he stick with one franchise, but he was great throughout his entire career and never wavered much.
His prime was from 1969 to 1972, where he made four straight Pro Bowls and was named to four straight All-Pro teams. He added another Pro Bowl to his resume in 1974 as well.
Johnson hauled in 47 interceptions in his career, which is tied for the 47th-most in NFL history. He too is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, however, he never got a Super Bowl ring like the three other players on this list.
In terms of all-time AV on the Chargers, Johnson has the seventh-highest AV of any player selected by the Bolts with the second-most All-Pro nods.
Next. What the Bolts can get from trading down with Atlanta
The only drafted player that has more All-Pro nods is Junior Seau, who trails LaDainian Tomlinson and Drew Brees for career AV.