Cornerback Olaijah Griffin
The LA Chargers should be taking a cornerback in the first two rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft and are undoubtedly going to at least take one with the team’s first three picks in the draft. That does not mean that the Bolts will only take that one cornerback, though.
The Chargers have nine picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, giving them more flexibility in double-dipping at a position. In fact, we broke down exactly why it is likely that the Chargers are going to take two cornerbacks in 2021 in this article.
A double-dip option for the Bolts is USC’s Olaijah Griffin, who could realistically be selected by the Chargers in the fifth round if he falls to 160.
There are some aspects of Griffin’s game that are really easy to get excited about. Griffin has NFL cornerback size and length and is definitely athletic enough to keep up with most NFL receivers. He is solid in press coverage and can certainly play the press-man that the Chargers are going to implement more in 2021.
He can also hold his own in the run game, which is a huge plus. It often gets overlooked, but being a complete player gets players playing time. He does not have one trait or skill that jumps out as elite, but he doesn’t have one big hole that is troublesome, either.
The one concern with him is his injury history. Griffin dealt with various injuries in college, including an ankle injury and an injury that required him to have surgery on both of his shoulders.
That is part of the reason why he is going to fall this low in the draft and if Tom Telesco and Brandon Staley love his talent, they might just take the best player available and take the risk.