Los Angeles Chargers: Quarterback visits to keep an eye on

The Los Angeles Chargers have visited with NFL draft quarterback prospects over the past few months, dating all the way back to the East-West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl.

With the draft closing in just one day, it could be important to keep track of the visits and who we can expect the Los Angeles Chargers to draft. Especially as we get into the mid-late rounds, it can get tough for us to predict who the team could target.

NFL teams always seem to have different boards and methods than the media, and you’ll see guys like Terrell Edmunds and Rashaad Penny go in the first round despite their late-round grades.

Here, we’re going to go down the list of quarterbacks to see who fits, who doesn’t, and where we should expect them to be taken. We’ll also do a brief review of the current roster so that we can find similarities or differences between the prospects and the current players.

All this said, visits don’t necessarily mean the team is targeting the player. It could be a smoke-screen, or it could be the team just doing their homework. Good examples of this are the Chargers meeting with Deshaun Watson and Marcus Mariota, then electing to go in another direction come draft day.

It could also mean that the team is interested in other prospects from the same program because they’ve watched tape and met with a player or two from there. The Chargers like to scout in bulk, they always seem to grab two players from a specific program such as Iowa or Notre Dame.

So, without further ado, let’s see what we can find out as the draft nears!

Los Angeles Chargers’ quarterback visits to keep an eye on:

Currently, the team only has two quarterbacks on the roster in Tyrod Taylor and Easton Stick. Stick was a 5th round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and was considered a heavy project. Stick showed some flashes in last year’s preseason, but he also showed that he was nowhere close to being ready to even compete for a spot. It’s also worth noting that the team had Stick take reps at Safety in 2019.

Taylor signed with the team in the 2019 offseason, reuniting with head coach Anthony Lynn. The two formed a good relationship in Buffalo, and it seems to have carried over to Los Angeles, as Lynn has been reportedly “bullish” on Tyrod Taylor. Taylor offers the team something that it has rarely had in the entire history of their franchise. Athleticism. It will be a night and day difference to see Tyrod Taylor scrambling around the pocket compared to Philip Rivers’ style.

So, with only two quarterbacks on the roster, currently, a draft pick seems like a certainty. So who has the team met with leading up to this draft? Let’s go down the list.

Tommy Stevens, Mississippi State

Jordan Love, Utah State

Justin Herbert, Oregon

James Morgan, FIU

Tommy Stevens out of Mississippi State is listed at 6-5, 235 lbs. This is the late-round prospect, or maybe even UDFA, to bring in as competition and an added camp arm. Stevens’ recent pro day included a 4.49 forty yard dash, so he has the athleticism that Lynn covets.

Now, the interesting thing about this visit? Tommy Stevens has listed himself as a QB/H-Back, meaning he is willing to play a different role on a team. With 19 reps on the bench press, he could have the necessary strength to move around. I considered this meeting irrelevant, but after looking into it I am intrigued.

I was very fortunate to have my Pro Day at my training facility in Tampa, Florida this week. Video has been sent to all 32 NFL teams. The numbers show that I’m ready and I couldn’t be more excited for the next phase of the process. #NFLDraft2020 ?? pic.twitter.com/MN3k5rYbUL

— Tommy Stevens (@TMS_II) March 20, 2020

Jordan Love, listed at 6-4, 225 lbs, is the next interesting piece here. Love is perhaps the most polarizing quarterback prospect out there, and he backs it up with his arm talent. Love was thought to be a 2nd round pick prior to the offseason hitting, but has flown up boards, being talked about as high as the 5th pick to Miami.

Love has all the talent necessary for the position and is an option for the Los Angeles Chargers either with the 6th pick or via trade. This hype video doesn’t help slow down the speculation, as Love is playing “California Love,” while working out with Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen.

Worked so hard to get here. Prepared for the process to have it all change & now just weeks away from hearing my name called #NFLDraft. Thank you @paniniamerica for helping me tell my story. ? #roadtotheratedrookie pic.twitter.com/LMJYiQsRr6

— JLove (@jordan3love) April 14, 2020

Justin Herbert is a similar prospect to Love in the sense that one-half of the media loves him, the other half isn’t sure about him. Herbert has had a consistent collegiate career, but I worry about his development from year to year. Herbert is listed at 6-6, 235 lbs, but he moves like he’s much smaller.

He has a quickness that head coach Anthony Lynn might fall in love with, as Lynn has often talked about how much he wants his starting quarterback to be able to move. If Herbert is the guy, we’re probably looking at the 6th pick of the draft.

Lastly, we have James Morgan out of FIU, an under-the-radar prospect that has risen up draft boards as of late to as high as the 2nd round. Morgan offers the size, processor, arm talent, and poise you like to see from an NFL QB prospect, and he has done a great job of maximizing those talents.

His 2018 to 2019 film shows a lot of improvement, showing that he has the ability to develop, an extremely important trait for quarterback prospects. Morgan is listed at 6-4, 215 lbs, and threw for 2,560 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2019. The difference between Morgan and the above three quarterbacks is mobility. Morgan can move, but not at the 4.4-4.7 level that the others can run.

So there we have it, watch for these names as the draft approaches, and maybe the Los Angeles Chargers will surprise us and actually take one of them this year! Regardless of which one is taken, they’ll have a shot to start in 2020.