Chargers draft: 4 greatest 21st overall picks in NFL history

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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The LA Chargers have the 21st pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and are looking to add someone who can be a difference-maker in year one. Typically, the elite crop of prospects is around 20 players long so the hope is that someone special can fall to the Chargers at pick 21.

While there obviously is not as much allure as getting a top-10 pick, there have still been some really talented players taken with the 21st overall pick. If the Chargers were to get someone who one day falls on this list it would be a massive win for the organization.

Chargers draft: 4 greatest 21st overall picks in NFL history

4. Vince Wilfork

Vince Wilfork was a very prominent member of the New England Patriots defense that allowed the team to be so dominant for so long. Nose tackles don't often get the love they deserve in the NFL but Wilfork was undoubtedly respected during his tenure in the league.

It is hard to find an interior defensive lineman that had the same type of presence that Wilfork had in recent years. Sure, he was not an insane pass rusher like Aaron Donald but he was a brick wall on the middle of the defensive line that teams simply could not break through.

Wilfork ended up winning two Super Bowls with the Patriots and was named to five Pro Bowl teams. He earned one All-Pro honor and was a second-team All-Pro another four times in his illustrious NFL career.

Just imagine putting someone like Wilfork on this Chargers defensive line. It would instantly shore up the team's run defense problems as Wilfork alone could handle the run.