The LA Chargers drafted TCU quarterback Max Duggan in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft. It did not make sense then, and it does not make sense now.
Duggan did not make the initial 53-man roster in his rookie season but he was kept around on the practice squad. With a new regime and a chance to win a backup quarterback job in a wide-open race, Duggan's struggles continued. This culminated on Monday when the Chargers released Duggan, ending his tenure with the team completely.
Seventh-round picks might not carry the highest of leverage but to see the Chargers throw that pick away, especially when the team was so hesitant to trade said picks in the past, was disappointing. Making it more disappointing is what could have been, as the Bolts could have selected someone impactful in the seventh round.
Of course, hindsight is always 20/20, but if the Chargers had a time machine and could go back to 2023 they would have drafted one specific undrafted free agent over Duggan in the seventh round.
Chargers should have drafted Ivan Pace Jr. over Max Duggan
The Chargers drafted Daiyan Henley in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft but still could have used more young linebacker depth to fill out the room for the future. On paper, Cincinnati's Ivan Pace Jr. would have been a great fit as he would have contributed on special teams, at the very least, right away.
Pace was projected to be a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft so snagging him in the seventh wouldn't have just been great value for the Bolts, but made him a realistic target to consider. This is not a situation where Pace was a random dart throw nobody knew about that happened to work out.
Pace ultimately went undrafted and signed with the Minnesota Vikings shortly after the draft. He then led all rookies in defensive tackles with 97 and proved to be a valuable member of both the linebacker room and the special teams unit,
Linebacker appears fine right now with the likes of Henley and Junior Colson providing future value but just imagine what could have been if Pace was in LA (assuming he played just as well). The Chargers probably would not have needed to sign Denzel Perryman. And even if they did, perhaps the team would have pursued a different position of need over Colson in the third round.
Regardless, it is undeniable that the Chargers missed out on a real opportunity to draft a difference-maker who happened to fall in the draft. Instead, the team decided to draft a quarterback who did not have NFL traits for the slim chance he could develop as a backup.
Thankfully, the regime and coaching staff who made that decision are no longer with the Chargers.