The build up to the 2022 NFL Draft as it pertains to the LA Chargers has been interesting as this year is far more unpredictable than the previous two years. Last year, it was pretty clear that the Bolts would most likely take the best tackle on the market and their decision was made easy when Rashawn Slater fell to 13.
In 2020, as much as there was hype around Isaiah Simmons, it was pretty clear that the Chargers were going to take whatever quarterback the Miami Dolphins didn't take. Thankfully, the Dolphins made the wrong decision and took Tua Tagovailoa over Justin Herbert.
There are many more variables this year with the 17th overall pick with multiple directions the team can take; all of which are dependent on what happens in the 16 picks prior. One possibility that has been gaining some steam among Charger fans is the idea of drafting a guard and moving Matt Feiler to right tackle.
That personally is not my favorite route as Feiler was lock-solid at left guard but you cannot blame the Bolts in making this decision if they are confident in Feiler at right tackle. If the Bolts do go into the draft wanting to take a guard, they should look to trade down.
What does a Chargers mock draft look like with a trade-down and a guard selection?
First off, the spot we are trading down to in this mock draft is 24. Jerry Jones said that the Cowboys could be interested in trading up in the 2022 NFL Draft and 17 would be a good spot for them to move to, depending on who is on the board. The Bolts traded 17 and a seventh-round pick for 24, 88 and a fourth-round pick in 2023.
So which guard did we take, Kenyon Green or Zion Johnson? Let's answer that question, using the PFF Mock Draft Simulator.
With the 24th pick in this Chargers mock draft, the Bolts select Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M
For the most part, Kenyon Green and Zion Johnson are ranked relatively identically among draft pundits and who gets picked first will all depend on which team falls in love with either one of them and takes them over the other. Johnson ranks one spot higher than Green on the consensus big board, but Green is ranked higher by several draft experts.
Either would be a great selection for the LA Chargers if they wanted to go the route of trading down and taking a guard. Picking Green over Johnson is by no means an indictment on Johnson as a player. He too will be a great guard in this league with multiple Pro Bowl potential.
Green is a bit more raw and might not be as good right away as Johnson but his ceiling is higher. Johnson's physical traits are extremely hard not to fall in love with and if the right offensive line coach gets his hands on him and refines his technique then he could turn into an All-Pro guard in the future at the next level.
Green also has something about his game that makes him more valuable than Johnson to the LA Chargers. Green has experience playing tackle in college and while he projects to be a guard at the NFL level, there is a world in which he could play tackle for the Bolts. At the very least, his versatility could be utilized in the future when the Bolts inevitably run into injuries (they happen to every team).
The Chargers could take Green with the intent of playing him at left guard but who knows, they could also give him reps at tackle with Feiler and instead decide to keep Feiler at guard. It is more likely that Feiler plays tackle but it is not out of the realm of possibility in the slightest.
With the 79th pick in this Chargers mock draft, the Bolts select Marcus Jones, CB, Houston
With new indications that the LA Chargers may no longer be very high on Michael Davis, taking a cornerback in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft might seem like the most realistic scenario for the Bolts. Whether that is someone like Derek Stingley Jr. falling to 17 or the Bolts landing Trent McDuffie, I would argue that it is the most-likely outcome.
However, this Chargers mock draft is all about the team taking a guard in the first round, pushing off a cornerback until the team's next pick. With that pick the Chargers select Marcus Jones out of Houston, who has dual-threat ability for the Bolts.
Jones was one of the best return men in the country and while the Chargers signed DeAndre Carter, it never hurts to not only have more competition but also have an option that can be the future plan at returner as Carter is only on a one-year deal.
Defensively, Jones projects to be a slot corner in the NFL because of his size. While that does pigeonhole him into a role, Jones has all the tools to be an extremely impactful slot corner at the next level.
This would be an interesting pick for the Chargers considering Asante Samuel Jr. is likely going to move to the slot. Adding Jones would give the team more versatility to pick Samuel outside and split time with Davis. It is not as easy of a fit as taking a perimeter corner but Jones was the best available.
With the 88th pick in this Chargers mock draft, the Bolts select Phidarian Mathis, IDL, Alabama
If you have read any of my Chargers mock drafts in the past then you know that I am very high on Phidarian Mathis as a mid-round selection for the Bolts. PFF ranks Mathis a bit higher than The Draft Network, meaning the Chargers had to spend a third-round pick to get him in this simulation. That is probably more realistic than Mathis falling to the fourth but you never know.
The Chargers have rebuilt the defensive line this offseason to better accomplish Brandon Staley's defensive vision of emptying the box with a defensive line that can hold its own and a secondary that is deep and versatile.
Khalil Mack was the first addition to recognize that vision and then the team went and added two run-stuffers in Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson. While LA did also re-sign Breiden Fehoko and Christian Covington, they are still one interior defensive lineman short and taking one in the 2022 NFL Draft is key.
Mathis would be a great addition to the Chargers as he is perfect to play defensive end in a 3-4 defense. That is part of the problem in why Jordan Davis may not make sense for the team as he is a traditional nose tackle. The Chargers need a 3-4 defensive end.
Mathis does not have the high ceiling that Davis has as an elite run-stuffing nose tackle but he is better against the pass and is still more than capable of providing quality snaps against the run. He is legitimately someone who could play all three downs at the next level, which is exactly what the Chargers need.
He may not have the All-Pro ceiling of someone like Davis or even Devonte Wyatt but for what the Chargers need, at his draft position, Mathis would be a perfect selection.
With the 123rd pick in this Chargers mock draft, the Bolts select Bo Melton, WR, Rutgers
Some fans want to see the LA Chargers take a receiver in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, citing a lack of speed in the receiver room. While there is definitely a lack of speed, the Chargers still have one of the best 1-2 punches at the position in the league in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.
If someone like Garrett Wilson were to fall to the Bolts at 17 then it would be one thing. Personally, I don't see the appeal of drafting someone like Jameson Williams, who might not even play this season. There are good receivers in every draft. Just wait a year to draft a first-round receiver instead of drafting one that might not play until 2023 anyway.
There is also speed to be found in the later rounds of the draft, including Bo Melton. Melton is one of the most exciting mid-round receiver prospects in the draft this year and as a slot receiver in 2022, I think he is going to be the mid-round receiver that teams are pinching themselves over not taking.
Melton ran a 4.34 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and showcased good route-running ability in college. Like Joshua Palmer in last year's draft, Melton has been a victim of poor quarterback play in college that has hampered his numbers and tape ahead of the draft.
Taking Melton here would be such a great pick for the Chargers. He does not have the pressure of being a very impactful receiver and if he does not live up to his potential he is only a fourth-round pick. However, if he does live up to his potential, the Chargers could be giving themselves a lethal weapon in the slot for Justin Herbert.
With the 160th pick in this Chargers mock draft, the Bolts select Obinna Eze, OT, TCU
The LA Chargers should probably still tackle a tackle in the 2022 NFL Draft and they do so in the fifth round of this Chargers mock draft. However, instead of getting a depth player with a lower floor that could be a backup in year one, the Chargers instead swing for the fences with a developmental pick in Obinna Eze.
Feiler is not going to be the long-term option at tackle and while Green could potentially be an option at tackle, he has a much higher ceiling as a guard and in the long run will probably end up there. There is a good chance that if Feiler is the plan that the Bolts will draft a tackle in 2024 after Feiler's contract expires, but they could remove a future first-round need if they make a smart selection now.
Eze is a tackle prospect that needs to be developed at the NFL level both from a technical standpoint but probably from a strength standpoint as well. However, what makes Eze so tantalizing is the athleticism he carried over from his basketball playing days as well as his extremely long arms, which is a fantastic physical trait for a tackle to have.
There is a situation in which Eze lands in the right place and by year two or three he is a quality starting option and by year four or five he is a Pro Bowl tackle that utilizes his unique frame. However, there is also a situation in which Eze does not find the right place and is never a starting tackle in the league.
At the very least, because of his length, Eze should have a career as a backup swing tackle that fills in when needed. The Chargers cannot be mad if Eze turns into a decent swing tackle for the team as a fifth-round pick.
With the 195th pick in this Chargers mock draft, the Bolts select Ty Chandler, RB, UNC
I pick Ty Chandler in every single Chargers mock draft that has a running back taken late in the draft. This might be a bit of a reach for him but if a team likes a running back in the late rounds it takes them whenever it can.
Chandler really does feel like the sleeper running back of this class. He not only has the physical attributes that are head-turning but he also put up the numbers to back it up at UNC. Quite frankly, I don't know why Chandler is not regarded as a higher prospect and who knows, maybe a team shares my sentiments and picks him earlier.
Chandler would be a weapon in both the running game and passing game and the Chargers' RPO offense would fit him perfectly. He is the late-round running back to take in 2022.
With the 214th pick in this Chargers mock draft, the Bolts select Percy Butler, S, Louisiana
The Chargers take a raw safety in Percy Butler who is going to have to work with Brandon Staley to refine some of his coverage techniques at the NFL level. The reason for taking Butler at this point is his ceiling with his athleticism as well as his value on special teams.
It is going to take time for Butler to round out into someone who the Chargers would feel comfortable giving a consistent role in the secondary. However, Butler instantly can be an impact player on kickoffs and in the punting game as a gunner that flies down the field and makes tackles on the returner.
With the 236th pick in this Chargers mock draft, the Bolts select Isaac Taylor-Stuart, CB, USC
When it comes to late-round cornerbacks, Isaac Taylor-Stuart is perhaps my favorite. Taylor-Stuart is far from a finished product and an NFL team is going to need to get its hands on him to properly develop him into someone who can cover an NFL receiver.
That being said, Taylor-Stuart has physical traits that cannot be taught with true CB1 size and elite speed, similar to Michael Davis. If Staley can get his hands on the USC corner and round out his game then he could become a fantastic rotational perimeter corner, especially in press-man situations.
With the 255th pick in this Chargers mock draft, the Bolts select Darien Butler, LB, Arizona State
The Bolts add another linebacker to the roster to compete for a depth spot and at the very least are hoping they can get someone who can contribute on special teams. Butler is the kind of linebacker that Brandon Staley likes as he is good in man coverage and could theoretically become a coverage linebacker on third down in the future.
With a high football IQ, Butler has the makings to be a special teams contributor right away but he would have to earn his looks on the Bolts.
With the 260th pick in this Chargers mock draft, the Bolts select Jean Delance, OL, Florida
A versatile offensive lineman from Florida, the Chargers have shown interest in Jean Delance during the build-up to the 2022 NFL Draft. However, that does not mean that the Chargers are going to draft someone who is projected to be undrafted higher up in the draft. Just because the Bolts met with him does not mean they will reach for him.
However, there does seem to be some interest there so with the team's last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, they get offensive line depth.