SAN DIEGO -- A wrap-up of the San Diego Chargers' draft.
Best move: The top pick on the team’s board since September and considered by several draft analysts as the top player in this year’s draft, the Chargers got a plug-and-play player in Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa. The Chargers allowed nearly 5 yards per carry last season on defense, second worst in the NFL, and have not finished in the top 10 in sacks since 2010. Bosa is a football savant who instantly makes San Diego’s defense better once he steps on the turf at Chargers Park.
Riskiest move: Looking to add depth and competition along the offensive line, the Chargers selected USC product Max Tuerk as a possible center of the future in the third round. Tuerk is talented and a good fit, but he’s still recovering from an ACL knee injury that cut short his 2015 campaign, which means it will be tough for him to realistically compete for the starting center job with incumbent Chris Watt. Add to the fact that Watt is recovering from shoulder surgery that cut his 2015 season short, and San Diego is once again dealing with potential injury concerns at the anchor position on the offensive line that the Chargers have failed to solidify since longtime starter Nick Hardwick retired in 2014.
Most surprising move: Few draft observers had any idea who the Chargers were going to select at No. 3. Most believed San Diego would take a left tackle to protect Philip Rivers, or an explosive talent like Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey. Some (me included) had the Chargers taking Oregon defensive end DeForest Buckner. Give general manager Tom Telesco credit for keeping a lid on San Diego’s true interest in Bosa in the lead-up to the draft.
File it away: A player to watch for the Chargers when training camp starts at the end of July is Jatavis Brown. A fifth-round selection, Brown is from Belle-Glade, Florida -- the same hometown as San Diego receiver Travis Benjamin. At 5-foot-11 and 218 pounds, Brown ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash at the NFL regional combine, so he has speed to burn. Brown finished with an impressive 12 sacks as an outside linebacker for Akron last season, but he likely projects as a strong safety who also could carve out a role as a core special-teams player.
Thumbs up: Once again, Telesco stayed true to his nature by making solid and sensible selections that filled team needs throughout the draft. But he missed a good opportunity to swing for the fences in passing over Myles Jack. The UCLA product’s knee issues have been well documented, but Telesco had a chance to have first-round pick Joey Bosa and Jack on the same defense. Instead, he took the top tight end on the board in Hunter Henry in the second round, and the Jacksonville Jaguars moved up to select Jack a pick later at No. 36. There’s no shame in taking Henry, a complete tight end who could serve as the eventual replacement for Antonio Gates. However, Telesco had a chance to hit home run by securing an explosive playmaker like Jack. Instead, he settled for a solid base hit.