The 2022 NFL Draft is less than two months away and while the NFL Combine has not yet happened, there is a lot of speculation on who the LA Chargers could target in the first round. Who the team targets will largely depend on what the team does in free agency and as it stands right now, there are a multitude of directions the Bolts could go.
Depending on what happens in free agency, the LA Chargers could target a wide receiver, offensive tackle, edge rusher, cornerback or defensive tackle. However, defensive tackle did crack our list of positions the Bolts should not target in round one, so hopefully, they are not forced to do so.
There are certain players in each of those positions that should be deemed the 'best-case scenario' for the Bolts. And no, we don't mean Evan Neal somehow falling 15 picks from a top-three pick to 17. These are prospects that could legitimately fall to the Bolts at 17 as the best-case scenario. Think Rashawn Slater and Asante Samuel Jr.
So who are the LA Chargers best-case prospects at each position of need?
Defensive tackle: Jordan Davis
This one is rather straightforward so we decided to get it out of the way first. Jordan Davis is the best defensive tackle in this draft class and is one of the best run-stuffing defensive tackles we have seen in quite some time. Typically, one-dimensional players like this are not projected to be first-round picks but Davis is that good at something that the Chargers struggled in.
Davis would have a positive impact on this team. While I think it is smarter to take someone like Travis Jones in the second or third and draft another position in round one, there is no denying that Davis would have a big impact on the team's run defense in 2022 and beyond.
He probably will be on the board at 17 because he is a one-dimensional defensive tackle and it is hard to see a team taking him in the first half of the draft. Whether or not the Chargers take him will depend on what positions they shored up in free agency and who else of these 'best-case scenarios' are available.