L.A. Chargers add plenty of talent and potential in 2020 NFL Draft

Best Pick: Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma

No, the Chargers didn’t try to draft a hundred different offensive weapons in a futile attempt to keep up with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Unlike the Raiders and Broncose, the Chargers looked for an answer to Travis Kelce in the middle of the field. Instead of reaching on a really fast offensive player, they nabbed a very talented coverage linebacker in the first.

Murray should settle into the defensive plans immediately. While he isn’t necessarily a guy that breaks up passes or intercepts the ball, he closes quickly on receivers in the middle of the field and players coming out of the backfield. He is a flashy playmaker that could develop into a very talented NFL linebacker.

Worst pick: Joshua Kelley, RB, UCLA

Although the Chargers had a very good draft, the drafting of Joshua Kelley in the 4th round was a head-scratcher. Kelley is not a bad player, but it is unclear what role he can settle in with the Chargers. Kelley has decent straight-line speed, but little ability to beat quicker defenders that have an angle on him. He is also not an asset in the passing game. Maybe with some coaching and work, he could develop into more of a power back role, but as it stands, there were better players at his position in the 4th round, and Kelley could have likely been picked in the 6th or 7th round.

If the Chargers were insistent on drafting a running back here, they could have had a quicker player in Anthony McFarland Jr, who was much more effective in the passing attack. If they wanted a stronger runner with better contact balance, they could have taken DeeJay Dallas. Unless, the Chargers plan on making Kelley a full-time special teams contributor, this pick makes little conventional sense.

Overall draft grade: B+

While Jordan Love was an intriguing option at No.  6 overall, Justin Herbert was the quarterback of choice because of his potential. While there will be some growing pains there, it is absolutely possible that the Chargers see huge production from him one day. Any time your team takes a quarterback in the first, you should give him at least one bad season that provides growth. The truth is, no one can tell for sure who will be a star in the league and who will be a bust. Herbert is the prime boom or bust player in this draft class.

While it was pretty clear that there was a lot of potential in this draft, the Chargers elected to move up and grab Kenneth Murray who will help slow down the electric offenses in the AFC West. Moving up for Murray also ensured that the Chiefs would not have a top linebacker left on the board. Murray shows flashes of greatness, which Chargers fans should be excited for.

The rest of the draft class was filled with value, with the exception of Joshua Kelley. The wide receivers have the potential to be starters one day and Gilman could be a rotational guy immediately. While no one seems to be a “lock” in the Los Angeles Charger draft class, there is an enormous upside within it that warrants a B+ rating.