Los Angeles Chargers: Making the case for trading up in the draft

The Los Angeles Chargers have the 28th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, that is unless the team decides to move up in the draft via trade.

The Los Angeles Chargers finished with the joint-best record in the AFC but were unable to get past the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Since they had the best record of the losing teams in the Division Round, the Chargers will pick fifth to last in the first round.

The Los Angeles Chargers have arguably been the best drafting team in the league over the last four years. Melvin Gordon, Joey Bosa, Mike Williams and Derwin James are the team’s last four picks and all are huge impact players; three are already Pro Bowlers.

However, those selections came in years that the Los Angeles Chargers did not make the playoffs. The Chargers have not picked in the 20s since 2014 and have not picked this high since the team picked 30th in 2007.

Making a great selection is not as easy in the first round and the Los Angeles Chargers might be intrigued in moving up in the draft.

But why?

The Los Angeles Chargers don’t have many areas of need but they have some distinct ones. The biggest focus should be at middle linebacker and the team should even try and add guard depth in the later rounds.

The Chargers could make the case for drafting a defensive tackle if the right one was available but that is only if someone falls in the team’s lap, like Derwin James did last season.

If you look at the players that are projected to go that late in the draft it is clear that the Chargers might not have a fit with the 28th overall pick. Of course, everyone’s projections are different, but it is hard to really find one guy that is going to be the target for the Chargers.

Just take a look at CBS Sports‘ latest big board. The players between 23 and 35, which is a realistic range of selections, none of the players really fit.

There are three quarterbacks, five wide receivers, two defensive ends, an offensive tackle and a running back. The only player that would make sense, at least in that range, would be defensive tackle, Jerry Tillery.

Okay, but who should the team target?

There are a few defensive tackles that the team should consider targeting but the lowest-ranked one on the CBS Sports mock draft is the one that the team should target, Dexter Lawernce.

Lawernce would be just as good of a pick for the Chargers as the other defensive tackles and would be an easier case to trade up for in the draft. He is the 20th-ranked prospect on the big board and will likely go anywhere from 17 to 22.

The Chargers can pick a number and a pick a team, say, the Pirrsburgh Steelers with the 20th overall pick. The Steelers might already be getting another draft pick if the team trades Antonio Brown and would likely be willing to move down in eight spots if it meant getting a third-round pick in 2019 and another third-round pick in 2020.

If the Steelers are picking in the top-10 anyway then this is a lock.

The other target the Chargers could consider is much higher up in the draft: linebacker Devin White from LSU. White would be a huge addition for the Chargers defense and is ranked sixth on CBS Sports.

Again, the Los Angeles Chargers need to pick a number and jump on it then if the opportunity arises. The Buffalo Bills are a team with the ninth overall pick that should be considered with adding weapons around Josh Allen.

There are not any receivers worth taking in the top-10 and the Bills can get a nice receiver with the 28th overall pick.

The Saints moves up 13 spots last year and sent a first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft as well as the 2019 NFL Draft. The Chargers might have to send two first-round picks as well to move up 20 spots with a third-round pick in this year’s draft as well.

It might seem like a lot to ask but White is a great prospect that would fit into this defense like a glove. If the Chargers are as good as the team hopes next season, the pick is going to be just as high as it is this year, so it is not a huge loss.

Of course, any of this only happens if the Los Angeles Chargers are as high on someone in the draft as we are on these two.