LA Chargers: 4 best-case scenarios for the 2021 NFL Draft

4. One of the top two tackles falls to the LA Chargers

This is the most unrealistic of the four best-case scenarios but I would not completely rule it out. Depending on what happens in the first 12 picks and what teams potentially move up, the LA Chargers could have a shot at one of the top two tackles in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Penei Sewell is the better of the two offensive tackles but Rashawn Slater has been gaining steam. Sewell falling all the way to 13 is much more unlikely than Slater. But hey, if teams view Slater as OT1 then perhaps he gets picked first and Sewell somehow falls.

I would not bet on it if I were a Chargers fan. If you are going to hope for anything hope that Slater falls to 13, as that is more realistic.

So how could the Chargers get one of the top two tackle prospects? Five quarterbacks need to be taken in the first 12 picks, which almost seems like a foregone conclusion.

The Bolts need the Atlanta Falcons to take a quarterback or trade down so a team, like the New England Patriots, can take a quarterback. The Cincinnati Bengals then have to fall in love with reuniting Ja’Marr Chase with Joe Burrow.

The Dolphins will get a chance to get Kyle Pitts at six, which they should not pass on. We then have six more picks going to the Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, and Philadelphia Eagles. The hope is that only one of those teams takes a tackle, which is possible.

Detroit does not have a WR1 and could look to draft Devonta Smith; Denver could draft whichever quarterback is left (likely Trey Lance); Dallas could look to address their terrible defense (28th in points allowed) with Patrick Surtain; New York could ignore tackle as they have Nate Solder and a second-year right tackle in Matt Peart and fall in love with Micah Parsons; Philadelphia could give Jalen Hurts a receiving threat in Jaylen Waddle.

The Carolina Panthers are almost certainly going to draft a tackle to protect their new quarterback Sam Darnold.

So even if the LA Chargers do not trade up they do have a chance in landing one of the top two tackles in the draft. They would just need the cards to all fall their way.