Despite what gets said occasionally in the media, the San Diego Chargers do have a need in this weekend's NFL draft, one that can be filled with their first round pick. They need an offensive lineman.
Right now, the Bolts are set on the left side with Kris Dielman and Marcus McNeill, and are in decent shape at center with Nick Hardwick -- my only reservation with him being injuries. The right side, though, is turning into a liability. Mike Goff is 32 years old and I never heard of Jeromey Clary ever being projected as a starting tackle on a Super Bowl team.
That's what we're talking about, going from a good team that reached the AFC Championship contest to a great one that can maybe host such a game, win, and go on to the Super Bowl. That being the goal, then the Chargers have needs.
While LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 1,474 yards last season, he seemed to be stopped quite a bit early in the season. His backups gained just 380 combined. Philip Rivers was sacked 22 times last year and Billy Volek twice. Tom Brady of New England was sacked one less time than Rivers but threw the ball over a hundred times more through the season. When Rivers wasn't tackled for a loss, he was running for his life quite often.
Both stars, of course, are plying their trade in the uncomfortable parameters of the NFL, where even the weaker defenses can slow rushing attacks and assault quarterbacks. That's why the Bolts need to have as good an offensive line as possible. I felt they were successful last year in spite of their line, not because of them. So help is needed.
Whether General Manager A.J. Smith takes a lineman is questionable. From the moment he set foot in San Diego, he's shown a low regard for blockers. The Chargers paid the price the first few years he and the late-John Butler were here. Plus, dominant linemen coming out of college are few and far-between. The best of them are gone by late in the first round, which is where the Bolts will choose someone. There could very well be a better choice available at linebacker, cornerback or waterboy by the time the 27th pick rolls around. If so, then that's where you go. If a really good lineman is still on the board, then snap him up.
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San Diego State's Kevin O'Connell is ranked as the eighth best QB in the draft and, although I've had my criticisms of him in the past, I'd take him over the first three guys listed above him (Erik Ainge of Tennessee, John David Booty of USC and Andre Woodson of Kentucky). We'll see if the NFL GMs agree. Continuing a pattern of sparse draft talent available on the Mesa, O'Connell will probably be the only Aztec drafted. That's got to change.
USD QB Josh Johnson, the victim of poor workouts, is rated 11th.
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