LA Chargers mock draft: Letting the computer be the general manager
By Jason Reed
Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports – LA Chargers
The buzz around the 2021 NFL Draft is not as prominent as last year for the LA Chargers as the team is not gearing up to select its next franchise quarterback. However, now that the Bolts have that franchise quarterback, they need to put the pieces around him to maximize this potential Super Bowl window.
The Chargers pick 13th in the draft and every week I bring a different mock draft based on different routes the Chargers could go. Last week, we explored what a draft could look like if the Chargers traded Mike Williams and draft capital for Orlando Brown.
This time around I am doing something I have never done before: I am not making any of the selections. Instead of me making the selections, the computer on The Draft Network’s Mock Draft Machine will be doing all the selecting.
The Draft Network loads the Mock Draft Machine with their own player rankings and team needs. Let’s see how it winds up, grading all of the picks.
With the 13th overall pick, the LA Chargers select Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern
Rashawn Slater is perhaps the most common name tied to the LA Chargers with the 13th overall selection and he found himself in LA with the computer picking as well.
Quite frankly, the decision for the Chargers at 13 is between Slater, Samuel Cosmi and Alijah Vera-Tucker. The hope is that at least one of the three is available, if not all three.
I probably like Cosmi the best just because he is a traditional tackle and while Slater has a lot of potential, there is also a good chance the Chargers move him to guard and ruin his left tackle potential. Vera-Tucker is almost certainly going to be a guard, but Slater is better.
Cosmi was still on the board and was taken one selection later by the Minnesota Vikings. I still really like Slater, so the selection still gets a good grade.
Computer’s grade: B+