New head coach Jim Harbaugh and new GM Joe Hortiz are looking to reshape the culture of the LA Chargers. To do so, the duo is going to have to put together a strong offseason that negates the holes on the roster and leans into the strengths that the team does have.
Harbaugh is not going to want this to be a long rebuilding process and with Justin Herbert under center, it is absolutely fair to have playoff expectations in 2024. If the Chargers are going to live up to those expectations, they have to hit on any external players they bring in, whether that be in free agency or the 2024 NFL Draft.
There are a lot of talented prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft and the Chargers are in a great spot with the fifth pick. With Harbaugh coming directly from Michigan, and there being so many Michigan players in the draft, it is safe to assume that at least one Wolverine will become a Charger this April.
And there is one specifically who has much better odds than the rest. DraftKings Sportsbook has odds listed for which team will take running back Blake Corum, and it is actually staggering how much of a favorite the Chargers are.
2+ months out from the draft, how is any non-first round player +100 to be selected by a certain team. I get the fit with Harbaugh but cmon now. Pretty sure this was like +150 earlier in the day too pic.twitter.com/uT7TPgbYSV
— Arjun Menon (@arjunmenon100) February 13, 2024
Blake Corum NFL Draft odds may ensure that he will be drafted by the Chargers
For those who may not be too familiar with betting odds, having a future be +100 this far out from the draft is relatively telling. It is especially telling when you look at the other teams that are listed behind the Chargers. It goes from the Chargers essentially being a 1/1 favorite to the Ravens being next at 10/1. That is a massive jump!
Sportsbooks and betting odds can be a great gauge of predicting the future and this only hammers home the point that Corum might be destined to be a Charger. Sure, nothing is guaranteed in this sport, but the fact that DraftKings is willing to have such low odds for a mid-round prospect tells us all we need to know.
And to be fair, it makes sense for the Chargers to draft Corum. While he has his naysayers, he was still one of the most productive college football running backs and with his age and experience, may have a smaller learning curve than other rookie backs.
Corum does not have the biggest long-term ceiling and he might not even be the most talented overall (Bucky Irving has him beat among mid-round running backs), but he might be the best in his rookie season and that is what the Chargers need.
The Chargers can't have a project that will take 2-3 years to develop. They need a rookie that they can pair with a veteran to instantly change the course of the running back position. There are not many other backs in this class that can provide the same instant jolt.
It makes a lot of sense on paper, and Corum obviously has ties to Harbaugh. That is why the Chargers are overwhelming favorites to draft the Michigan running back.