Chargers 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Chargers pick up first-round QB

In the first round of our 2018 NFL mock draft, we selected quarterback Mason Rudolph out of Oklahoma State. Rudolph was one of the best quarterbacks in college football last year and for the majority of the season was considered a candidate to win the Heisman award. Although he ultimately was not a finalist, Rudolph was still among college footballs’ elite.

Rudolph threw for 4904 yards last season with 37 touchdowns and nine interceptions. The six-foot-five quarterback threw for 300 or more yards in all but two games and threw for 400 or more yards in five of his 13 games played. Overall, Rudolph threw for over 13 thousand yards in his just over three years as the Sooners’ starter.

However, Rudolph still is not among the top of the deep quarterback class in 2018. In any of the past three years Rudolph easily would have been considered a top ten pick, in 2018, he very well could fall to the second round.

Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports has Rudolph going 21st overall — four picks behind the Chargers — to the Buffalo Bills in his latest mock draft. Thus, it is safe to assume Rudolph will be available.

For the Chargers, this is the year to draft Philip Rivers’ successor as the draft class is so deep. With such a deep class, and no real big hole to fill with a first-round pick, picking up a guy of Mason Rudolph’s caliber that late in the first-round is too good to pass up.