2 Chargers draft picks that are guaranteed home runs, 1 that was a whiff
By Jason Reed
The Chargers surprised fans with some of the team's selections in the 2023 NFL Draft but all in all, it seems like fans are happy with the draft class that Tom Telesco and Brandon Staley put together. Of course, we won't truly know how good or bad this draft class is until it actually takes the field in 2023 and beyond.
There is a lot of variance with rookies in the NFL Draft and that is the case for several of the Chargers picks. Some players may or may work out solely based on the situation they are put in and how they respond to it.
Other picks, though, feel like guarantees to be a success. That being said, there is one selection, in particular, that feels like a whiff.
Chargers home run pick No. 1: Derius Davis
If we are going solely based on the NFL Big Board Consensus rankings from before the draft then this might seem like a reach. That being said, Derius Davis checked multiple boxes for the Chargers and it is not hard to see why the team picked him in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Los Angeles needed returner help and they also needed someone with speed that could help attack the deep portion of the field. Davis may not have a huge role in the offense right away as the WR5 or WR6 but he is instantly going to be impactful on special teams.
That will make him a household name among Chargers fans in his rookie season and as he develops and wide receiver room opens ahead of him on the depth chart he should blossom into a solid receiving option to put in the slot.
Even if Davis does not realize his potential as an offensive weapon he should always have his value on special teams, which makes this a lock to be a home run. If he was a first-round pick only contributing on special teams it would be a different story. That is not the case.