Los Angeles Chargers receive mixed grades for first-round picks

With the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft completed, what grades did the Chargers receive for their first two picks?

The Los Angeles Chargers were one of the more active teams during the first round of the NFL Draft. With the sixth overall pick, the Chargers were in a good position to get an impact player.

Due to the franchise parting ways with Philip Rivers this offseason, the Chargers were one of the most likely teams to take a quarterback early in the draft. With the sixth pick, the Chargers did just that, as they selected Justin Herbert.

This pick was met with a lot of mixed emotions, as it fills a need, but might have been a bit of a reach. Recently, Bleacher Report released their first-round grades for all of the picks. For the Chargers’ first pick, they didn’t receive a very good grade of a C+

"Herbert could be a Goff, capable of leading a team to the Super Bowl when working within a tight structure and surrounded by bolder personalities. He could be Josh Allen with lower highs but higher lows. Or he could be another Pac-12 superstar who lacks that certain something—whether it’s accuracy or some intangible—and ends up bouncing around the NFL as a backup."

While the grade wasn’t good for Herbert, the Chargers received a much better grade for their second pick in the first round. To the surprise of many, the Chargers traded back into the first round to select Kenneth Murray with the 23rd overall pick. The selection of Murray received a grade of an A.

"The Chargers will fall in love with Murray in the film room and locker room, iron out his wrinkles and turn him into a three-down linebacker and team leader. Seahawks stalwart K.J. Wright is a reasonable comp. Murray will make a fast defense faster and more dynamic."

Seeing the Chargers get a strong grade for the Murray pick is certainly good to see, as they gave up a good amount to get back into the first round. While that pick did receive a strong grade, getting a low grade on a Top-10 pick is concerning.

Many don’t seem to think that Herbert deserved to be taken in the Top-10, and reaching is never a good thing. The Chargers did need a quarterback, but they had plenty of other options to choose from at six.

Hopefully, the Chargers are right on Herbert, as they will be invested in him for the next few years. If they aren’t, we could be looking at a bust.