My Chargers 2012 Draft Predictions

I’m not sure if Dielman/McNeill will be well enough to continue playing at 100% or if Hardwick will retire, but O Line is incredibly important. But then again, if AJ lets VJax go (AND Floyd is gone), then there’s a big, BIG need for WRs. Upshaw is solid, but he may go before the 18th pick and one OLB isn’t enough to fix the D.

But then again I don’t have a better idea of how this year’s draft will go.

I like Upshaw in the 1st and Colby Fleener in the 3rd but I would prefer we get more DL help. I like Josh Chapman NT/Alabama or Billy Winn DE/Boise St. in the 2nd round.

I think we also need a OG like Amini Silatolu in the 5th round

Will have a big impact on our draft. This year we have some questions to answer before creating our draft board. 1) Will Dielman, Hardwick, Gaither, or McNeill return? 2) Will we re-sign VJ or sign another top WR? 3) Do we address pass rush OLB or SS in free agency? AJ must answer these questions quickly so we can really focus on the draft. Best case scenario would be to re-sign Hardwick, Gaither and VJ. McNeill returns and we sign a SS and starting mid-level (Pierre Garçon type ) WR. This would narrow our focus to rush OLB in Rd 1. With OL,TE, and DT the focus in subsequent rounds. This seems like a year where AJ will not be able to rely solely on the draft to fill our needs to compete next year. A few free agent signings are paramount to success in 2012.

I don’t think these guys will be there when we are drafting, or they seem like a bit of a reach. Mcnutt in the 2nd is probably a bit of a reach and I think WR is a pretty low priority overall. This upcoming FA class is also FULL of really good FA candidates. For those reasons WR high (rounds 1-3) might be reaching considering some of our other needs.

I seriously doubt Upshaw (who is the consensus #1 OLB prospect) will be there at 18. I’ll keep my fingers crossed, but seriously doubt he’s available at 18 and I don’t want to see us moving up to take him higher than that as there are a lot of good DE/OLB prospects in this draft.

Also Fleener will most likely be gone by the end of the 2nd or top of the 3rd. I doubt he’s available where we are selecting in the 3rd. If he’s there I like that pick.

It’s important to point out there are very few high caliber safety prospects in this years draft as well as very few FA strong safety prospects. This might be an important position to fill in rounds 1 or 2.

I’d like to see Mark Barron in the 1st and then an OLB prospect in round 2.

1 – OLB (who probably won’t be there at 18)
2 WRs
1 TE
2 late round OL (T & C)
1 QB

uhmmmm I certainlyl hope we do not draft like this. I think the 2 most obvious needs on this team to win right now is Defensive (OLB/Pass Rush) and Offensive Line. This doesn’t mean that the other positions wouldn’t help or are not a concern, I just don’t think anything outside of OLB, DB, OL being must fills right now for the 2012 season. But again, like you said earlier, the draft focus could change based on our success or failures in the FA market.

Is he worth taking at 18? During the Senior Bowl it seemed like Cam Johnson and Malik Jackson had just as much talent. Ohio States LT Mike Adams pretty much held Upshaw and Melvin Ingram in check the entire game. Upshaw just doesn’t seem to have that elite edge burst. Nick Perry looks like a intriguing OLB prospect. I seriously wouldn’t mind trading back and picking up another 2nd as a lot of good players will be taken though the mid rounds.

is not going to last as long as you have in your draft.

Fleener would be awesome but would probably take moving up in the second to get him (IF he is even there). Moving back in the first and picking up more picks would be better IMO than moving up to get him and giving up picks. Even if Fleener isn’t the TE chosen, I hope a TE is chosen somewhere in this draft.

More 2nd to mid-round picks would be better anyways since AJ seems to do better with them than the 1’s.

I dont think Marvin Mcnutt is a good pick in the 2nd round. not saying hes not a good player but not worth picking up to early but a player like Bruce irvin would make a lot of sense or a gifted corner like casey hayward or jayron Hosley but other than that man your predictions are lookin preety solid