Chargers avoid Blake Corum mistake, draft Junior Colson to pair with Jim Harbaugh

Heading into the 2024 NFL Draft it seemed like an inevitably that Jim Harbaugh would add at least one Michigan prospect. The Chargers made that prophecy come true in the third round as the team drafted Michigan linebacker Junior Colson.

There were multiple directions the Chargers could have taken in the third round after taking Joe Alt and Ladd McConkey in the first and second rounds, respectively. Ultimately, drafting a linebacker was the right move after a run on cornerbacks depleted the position in the second round.

More importantly, Harbaugh avoided making a mistake in taking the wrong Michigan player in the third round. The door was definitely open for the Chargers to take a less-than-ideal Wolverine and the team ultimately passed on the bait.

Chargers draft the right Michigan player, taking Junior Colson over Blake Corum

As soon as Harbaugh was hired by the Chargers the one named that instantly became tied to the team was Blake Corum. The Chargers needed to reinvent the running back room and Corum was one of the most productive running backs in the league.

However, after signing Gus Edwards there was no real need for the Chargers to go after Corum. The two backs would not have meshed well together in the backfield. With the Chargers also signing J.K. Dobbins, the team did not even need to take a running back on the first two days of the draft.

Los Angeles needs a starting-caliber linebacker and that is exactly what the team got with Colson. Denzel Perryman is the only starting-caliber linebacker on the roster and he isn't necessarily someone who Chargers fans are writing home about.

More importantly, the Chargers needed a linebacker who could play off-ball in coverage with Perryman's weakness being in the passing game. That lines up perfectly with the skill set that Colson is bringing to Los Angeles. Colson's familiarity with Jesse Minter's defense is going to make it much easier for him to make that leap to NFL starter.

There are other holes in the roster that the Chargers are going to have to address but it made sense to take Colson in the third round. Thankfully, Harbaugh was not blinded by how important Corum was to winning a National Championship just three months ago.