7-round Chargers mock draft with a first-round tight end selected
By Jason Reed
With the 85th pick, the Chargers select Jayden Reed, WR, Michigan State
A lot of fans want to see the Chargers take a wide receiver in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft but quite frankly, that could be a need that the team holds off on until the 2024 NFL Draft. However, with only three NFL-caliber receivers on the roster, they definitely need to take a receiver at some point in the top 100.
That is exactly what the team does here in Jayden Reed, who would check multiple boxes for the Chargers. Reed has the kind of size that the Chargers typically value and while he does not have game-breaking speed, he is on the quicker and more elusive side and can help stretch the field in that regard.
He also brings a lot of value as a potential return specialist, which would be huge with DeAndre Carter leaving for the Raiders. Reed could be the team's WR4 in year one and instantly make an impact on kick and punt returns.
With the 90th pick, the Chargers select Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M
With the extra pick acquired from the Cowboys moving up for a running back the Chargers select a running back in Devon Achane. Achane was one of the biggest winners of the NFL Combine as his athleticism turned heads in a serious way.
A 4.32 40-yard dash with blazing acceleration will certainly get the attention of draft scouts. Achane is projected to be selected in the third round of the draft and if he falls to the Chargers at 90 it would be really hard to pass him up, even if Austin Ekeler is on the team.
With the ability to produce in both the running game and the passing game, Achane could be that dynamic change-of-pace running back that LA so desperately needed last season. Maybe in 2024 he and Isaiah Spiller (former college teammate) can become a great 1-2 punch in the NFL.