With the LA Chargers trading up into the first round using their second and third-round picks, they probably won’t have a day two selection. How might day three play out?
The LA Chargers surprised most fans and analysts on Thursday by being aggressive enough to reenter the first round even after selecting Justin Herbert. Kenneth Murray ended up being the 23rd pick for the Chargers after they traded up with the Patriots.
In the first round, the linebacker and quarterback of the future were found. Murray is likely to make an impact right away, while Herbert is the future of the franchise. The cost of that, unfortunately, is the Chargers’ day two picks.
While the Chargers may show more urgency and trade up to day two, they’ll probably stand pat unless a can’t miss player on their board becomes available. Moving forward to day three, they will have all four of their picks from rounds four through seven.
With the 112th pick, the LA Chargers select…
In my final mock draft, Van Jefferson was my fourth-round pick. If he’s available when the Chargers do select again on day three, he’s a great fit for the team. The Chargers should go for a wide receiver in rounds four or five at the latest. That was true prior to the draft, but became even more true with the selection of Herbert.
Jefferson presents really great third receiver potential with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams ahead on the depth chart. He can easily be converted to slot at the NFL level. His route running is incredibly smooth and he’s able to get out of breaks pretty sufficiently.
Age is probably a concern with many teams as they see Jefferson. Teams tend to like receivers that skew younger, but Jefferson is 24 years old already. Another concern that executives have is the fact that he didn’t participate in combine drills because of a foot injury. If he participated in the combine, Jefferson would be a lock for the third round in my opinion.
Jefferson’s route running and top speed are reasons enough to take him, even if the Chargers convert him to the slot. He’s a wideout that can make a difference now, and that’s something the Chargers won’t have outside of Allen and Williams unless they draft one.