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LA Chargers: Ranking the top five 2021 NFL Draft needs

By Jason Reed

Nov 1, 2020; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Chargers center Dan Feeney (66) and offensive guard Forrest Lamp (76) and offensive tackle Sam Tevi (69) in the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 1, 2020; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Chargers center Dan Feeney (66) and offensive guard Forrest Lamp (76) and offensive tackle Sam Tevi (69) in the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
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(Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) – LA Chargers
(Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) – LA Chargers /

The LA Chargers have several roster spots that need to be addressed in the 2021 NFL Draft.

The 2020 season has been massively disappointing for the LA Chargers despite the team getting better quarterback play than they ever could have imagined out of Justin Herbert.

A big part of the problem has been the coaching staff, however, this roster has not performed as well as Charger fans were expecting it to heading into the season. Players deserve some of the blame as well.

With a pinched salary cap and some big possible cut decisions to be made, the LA Chargers are going to have to knock the 2021 NFL Draft out of the park, whether it is Tom Telesco or not.

Things can change with free agency and the roster decisions that the team makes as the offseason begins. As it stands right now, here are the five-biggest 2021 NFL Draft needs for the 3-9 LA Chargers.

5. Linebacker

The linebacker position has been rough for the LA Chargers this season. Drue Tranquill suffered a season-ending ankle injury early into Week 1’s contest against the Cincinnati Bengals and Kyzir White missed time on the COVID-19 list.

Denzel Perryman suffered a back injury in Week 12 and while Kenneth Murray has shown really promising signs to build towards in the future, the team has completely misused him as a coverage linebacker this season.

Perryman is a free agent after this season and with a promising year behind him and the cap pinch that the Chargers are in I would not be surprised to see him get a better offer elsewhere. That really hurts the team’s depth and while Tranquil and Murray are good on paper, the team needs more help than that.

The Chargers should not pick a linebacker in the first two rounds but I would not be shocked if they picked one with thier second third-round pick if the right guy is available. Someone who I really like, who I actually selected in my latest quarterly mock draft, is Charles Snowden.

Snowden is not an every-down linebacker, as he is a bit lean and struggles against the run, but he is a fantastic (and long) coverage linebacker that would instantly give the Chargers a boost in pass coverage while allowing Murray to focus more on what he excels at.

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