Chargers first-round pick looks unrecognizable in attempt to return to NFL

For the most part, Tom Telesco has been pretty solid when it comes to drafting talent in the first round of the NFL Draft. Justin Herbert, Joey Bosa, Derwin James, Rashawn Slater, Mike Williams and several others have all come via first-round selections. It is later in the draft when Telesco typically struggles.

The first player that Telesco selected as general manager of the Chargers is one of his worst first-round picks. With the 13th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Chargers selected offensive lineman D.J. Fluker out of Alabama.

Fluker was not even that bad of a selection. He just could not stay at tackle, eventually moved to guard, and only spent four years with the team. He ended up playing another four seasons in the NFL, last playing in 2020 as a member of the Baltimore Ravens.

Despite being out of the league for the last two years, Fluker is attempting to make a return to the NFL. Fluker has reinvented his body and looks completely unrecognizable as he showed out his new physique during Alabama's Pro Day.

Chargers' former first-round draft pick D.J. Fluker might get an NFL job with that physique

Just saying, the Chargers need offensive line depth and would benefit from someone who can play both inside and outside and can play on either side of the offensive line. I am not saying that the Chargers should sign D.J. Fluker but I am also not saying that they shouldn't sign D.J. Fluker.

To be fair, the Chargers have signed former players who were out of the league in the past. When Oday Aboushi went down with an injury in 2021 the team went out and brought back guard Michael Schofield to be the starting right guard.

Schofield was completely out of the league at the time that the Chargers brought him in. Granted, he actually played the year before and did not take two years off, but his ceiling also was not as good as Fluker's when he was in the league.

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It doesn't hurt for the Chargers to at least bring Fluker in for a workout if it comes to that. It is not like he is way over the hill as he is still only 32 years old. If it isn't the Chargers, I am sure there will be some NFL team that convinces itself to bring Fluker in for a look with this new physique.