The Dolphins saved the Chargers from a historically bad 2020 draft class

The best thing that has happened to the LA Chargers in recent years is the Miami Dolphins taking Tua Tagovailoa over Justin Herbert in the 2020 NFL Draft. At the time, it seemed like the right decision but as time has played out it is clear that the Dolphins made a franchise-altering mistake.

It altered the future of the Chargers as well as instead of having a game-manager who has struggled in the NFL, the Chargers have a top-five quarterback that has all the tools to lead the Bolts to the promised land in the future. If Herbert just had the defense that Tua has had then the Chargers may have made a serious run at the Super Bowl in 2021.

Herbert has not gotten a lot of help in his career. In his first season, he played behind the worst offensive line in the league and was pummeled. In his second season, he had a better offensive line but had one of the worst defenses in the league on the other side. Hard to win a lot of games when your defense allows an average of 27 points per game.

A big reason why Justin Herbert has not gotten a lot of help is Tom Telesco's inability to draft quality outside of the first round. While he has hit some home runs in the first round, the rest of his draft resume leaves more to be desired.

In fact, if the LA Chargers didn't get Justin Herbert then the 2020 draft class would be historically bad.

The Chargers would have picked Tua if the Dolphins picked Herbert, don't get it twisted. They needed a franchise quarterback and heading into the draft Tua was higher on everyone's boards (and probably the Chargers' board, too).

That being said, we can comfortably say that the rest of the draft would have panned out exactly the same. The Chargers and Dolphins swapping quarterback picks would not have changed other teams' decisions in the draft or the Chargers' decisions.

The Bolts still would have traded a third-round pick to move up from the second round to 23rd overall to draft Kenneth Murray, who after showing potential in year one, was horrendous in year two and does not fit Brandon Staley's defensive vision.

The front office would have still ignored the other needs on the roster in favor of drafting a running back in the fourth round after not having a selection on day two of the draft. Joshua Kelley, who is one of the worst picks of Telesco's entire career, would have still been the pick.

Are we sure he is even on the roster next season?

Joe Reed would have been the pick in round five. I still haven't given up hope on Joe Reed, but the fact that he spent all season on the practice squad with an injury designation is not a good thing. The Bolts would have still selected Alohi Gilman in the sixth round. Gilman isn't a bad pick for a sixth-rounder but he certainly is not a fantastic pick by any means. And K.J. Hill still would have been the pick in the seventh round and he still would have been demoted to the practice squad in 2021.

Once again, are we sure he is even on the roster next season?

There is a reality in which only two players (outside of Herbert) are on the roster from the 2020 draft class just two years later! Kenneth Murray and Alohi Gilman are the only ones that can say they will be on the roster next season and both guys might play less than 25% of the snaps if Murray continues to be as bad as he was last year!

It's horrible. The 2019 draft class has been touted as bad but at least they got Drue Tranquill in that draft. We all know that Justin Herbert saved Tom Telesco's job but holy cow, did he save the 2020 draft class from being an absolute dumpster fire.

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Tom Telesco not only has to thank Justin Herbert for saving his job as a rookie but quite frankly, he should be thanking the Miami Dolphins.