LA Chargers mock draft with Brandon Staley as the head coach

With the 45th overall pick, the LA Chargers select Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC

Here I am complaining about how the LA Chargers messed up moving a tackle prospect to the inside in Forrest Lamp and then going ahead and taking a very similar prospect in the second round in Alijah Vera-Tucker.

If the LA Chargers managed to get Vera-Tucker in the second round then that would essentially guarantee that Slater would play on the outside. Both prospects are collegiate tackles that could play inside, albeit Slater is much more primed for a tackle role at the next level.

Vera-Tucker has been the starting left tackle for the USC Trojans and played really well this season. While he held his own very well on the outside in the PAC-12, almost every talent evaluator ha Vera-Tucker moving to the interior because of his size and arm length.

To be quite honest, I would not expect the Chargers to get Vera-Tucker in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft but maybe he slips like Lamp did. Lamp was projected to be a late first-round pick back in 2017 and fell to the Chargers in the second.

While it is unlikely, it is not completely impossible that Vera-Tucker will fall to 45 since he is a tackle that is projecting to go to inside. Wyatt Davis is the best interior guard in this draft, so there definitely could be just one guard taken before 45.

Regardless, this would be a fantastic way to start building up the offensive line, something that is much needed for Justin Herbert and Brandon Staley knows it.