Chargers GM Joe Hortiz wastes no time cutting bad Tom Telesco draft pick

One of the biggest complaints about former LA Chargers GM Tom Telesco was his inability to consistently land quality players outside of the first round. Sure, he had a good track record with selecting stars in the first round but the Chargers' roster often lacked depth because of the swings and misses in the later rounds.

With a new front office and head coach in place, Chargers fans are optimistic that the 2024 draft class will pan out better than most of the Telesco draft classes. Either way, the number of players who were drafted by Telesco is starting to shrink on the Chargers' roster.

The Chargers cut ties with two extremely disappointing picks from the same draft class on Tuesday. Running back Isaiah Spiller, taken in the third and fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, got the boot and were kept off the Chargers' initial 53-man roster.

Tom Telesco's bad draft picks are being weeded out of the Chargers roster

Spiller can still have a future on the Chargers if he sticks around on the practice squad. It is initially unclear if he will be on the practice squad as he has to clear waivers.

Either way, it is never a great sign when a mid-round pick is unable to make it to their third season with the team before getting cut. Not every draft pick is going to pan out but the miss rate on mid-round picks truly is remarkable for Telesco.

That 2022 draft class as a whole is starting to look very suspect in hindsight and it is going to take a massive shift for that class to save itself. First-round pick Zion Johnson needs to prove he can be a starting NFL guard in 2024. JT Woods barely made the roster, likely because of Nick Niemann being placed on the IR.

Otito Ogbonnia has all the signs of blossoming in 2024 but has not proven anything yet. Jamaree Salyer is a fine depth option but doesn't blow anyone away. Deane Leonard could be due for a breakout year but that is another wait-and-see, while fullback Zander Horvath was cut by Telesco himself.

Add in the likes of Max Duggan, Tre' McKitty, Chris Rumph, Larry Rountree, Mark Webb, Kenneth Murray, Joshua Kelley, Joe Reed, K.J. Hill and there is far too many wasted pick by the Chargers in Telesco's last four drafts with the Chargers.

And that is without diving into the atrocity that was the 2019 NFL Draft. All in all, Spiller getting the boot is just another reminder of how bad Telesco was at drafting.