FanSided Locals NFL Mock Draft: San Diego Chargers select Stanford LB Trent Murphy
By Jason Gold
Jan 12, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) calls out in the first quarter of the game against the Denver Broncos during the 2013 AFC divisional playoff football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Factory of Sadness, a FanSided blog dedicated to Cleveland area sports, has been running a network-wide NFL mock draft. San Diego was recently on the clock and FOS asked LA Sports Hub to submit the pick. Here’s our selection:
With the 25th pick in the 2014 NFL Draft the San Diego Chargers select……
Hold up, let’s analyze this pick for a second before making a rash decision. After all, even NFL GM’s get 15 minutes to make a selection.
The Chargers are coming off of a successful season under first-year Head Coach Mike McCoy and first-year General Manager Tom Telesco. Under this new leadership the Chargers made it to the Divisional Round of the playoffs after starting 5-7. While the Chargers ultimately fell to the Super Bowl bound Denver Broncos, the season was an unequivocal success and a base has been built for the future.
The Chargers possess the 25th pick in this years draft and, in my opinion, have two holes that need to be taken care of in the early rounds of the 2014 Draft. San Diego’s front office understands that they are a team that should be in the playoffs every season because they have one of the eight or ten best QBs in the league in Philip Rivers. Rivers was fantastic this year under Mike McCoy and his career is once again heading in the right direction after a two-year blip.
In his first year as GM, Telesco did a fantastic job of hitting on his first three draft picks. D.J. Fluker, the teams first round pick, did an admirable job on the offensive line and is a Pro Bowler in the making. Manti Te’o was solid second round pick and will continue to be a mainstay at linebacker. However, Telesco’s third round selection of Keenan Allen was his best pick. Allen is most likely going to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award and is already one of the best wideouts in the NFL.
Telesco is from the Bill Polian school of management having spent 14 years in the Indianapolis Colts organization. That means he is going to look for a playmaker in the front seven or an offensive weapon. The Chargers know they are going to be competing with Peyton Manning in the AFC West for the next couple of seasons and the best way to disrupt Manning is with an effective pass rush. The other hole the Chargers need to fill is on the offensive side with another playmaker to compliment Allen and Ryan Mathews.
Who should the Chargers look at taking in the first round? Here are the options:
Trent Murphy, LB, Stanford
Nov 30, 2013; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal linebacker
Trent Murphy(93) tips the pass by Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback
Tommy Rees(11) during the third quarter at Stanford Stadium. The Stanford Cardinal defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 27-20. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Murphy is a disruptive force on the football field. He’s J.J. Watt light. Any team in the NFL would love to have a player like Murphy. The Stanford Senior was arguably the best defensive player in the Pac-12 in 2013 and had 14 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss this season. If the Chargers are looking for someone with the ability to make a difference in the backfield they should look no further than Murphy.
Kyle Van Noy, OLB, BYU
Van Noy is a quick, instinctive linebacker who projects well to the NFL because of his ability to fight in the trenches and make his way to the QB. His twitchy athleticism makes him the perfect candidate to operate in a standard 4-3 defense or drop into coverage as a 3-4 backer.
DeAnthony Thomas, RB/WR, Oregon
Danny Woodhead did a fantastic job as a 3rd down back for the Chargers this year and was the Chargers best receiver outside of Allen. However, San Diego still needs a long term 3rd down back and a slot receiver to pair with Allen. The do-everything Thomas was a stud in his career at Oregon and projects as a slot receiver/3rd down back/kick-punt returner in the NFL. He’s not an every down back, but the Chargers don’t need one with the emergence of Mathews. Thomas would the playmaker in space that the Chargers desperately need and the fastest player on the team, if not the entire league.
KaDeem Carey, RB, Arizona
Carey was the best running back in College Football the past two seasons. That is not up for debate. His combination of speed and power makes him the ideal NFL running back. While Mathews was fantastic this season, there are questions about his durability. The Chargers could do worse than grabbing another stud running back that can catch the ball effectively out of the backfield.
So who’s the pick?
With the 25th selection in the 2014 Draft the San Diego Chargers select Trent Murphy from Stanford University. The Chargers finished 29th in the NFL in sacks and with Peyton Manning lining up at QB for the Broncos, it is of paramount importance for San Diego to get a player who can be a disruptive force in the backfield. Murphy is the best available player with that skill-set. Welcome to San Diego Mr. Murphy.
Check out the entire Mock Draft here.