Before we get to those experts from other cities let's take a look at what our community thought:
| Pick | Grade (GPA) |
| Corey Liuget | B (3.13) |
| Marcus Gilchrist | C (2.57) |
| Jonas Mouton | D (1.32) |
| Vincent Brown | B (3.04) |
| Shareece Wright | C (2.19) |
| Jordan Todman | B (3.42) |
| Steve Schilling | C (2.65) |
| Andrew Gachkar | N/A |
To try to come with an overall grade for the draft I decided to just combine these grades together to get an overall grade. Now, it'd be unfair to give more weight to Todman's grade than Liuget's so what I did is use the Draft Trade Value Chart's point system to weight each pick. This puts a lot of emphasis on the first 3 picks and very little with all the others. This is a very unscientific system to do it, but at least it comes up with a result. It also has the added bonus of not giving any points to picks taken after the 224th pick, which means that not doing a grade for Gachkar doesn't have any effects on the grade.
| BFTB Community Grade |
| C (2.66) |
One thing to keep in mind with this grade school way of grading a draft is that an A is impossible. By comparison some of the experts I'll list after the jump definitely gave some teams A's or at least A-'s (also impossible). I don't know how to account for that. Maybe you added a full point to each total? Maybe you add .5? Something. All I know is that our community grade is by design created to come out lower that the experts'. So keep that in mind as you continue reading.
Summary: San Diego had a really quietly effective three days. Liuget is a player that provides immediate help on a depleted defensive line, Gilchrist and Wright both can get on the field for the Chargers at corner, and I think Todman could be a steal down in the sixth round. Mouton may have been a bit of a reach, but you need linebacker depth in that system, and outside of Liuget, you see a number of players on this board that might be able to help what was a disastrous special teams unit in 2010. I might have preferred an offensive tackle taken where Mouton was picked in the third round, but the Chargers targeted needs pretty effectively otherwise.
Grade: B+
Mel is always a good way to start these things off since everyone who cares about drafts has heard of Mel. He's pretty high on the Chargers draft. His only complaint is that they should have gone with an OT. I don't think we can know that for sure until we know the status of Jeromey Clary, which won't be known until the lockout is decided. If Clary and Dombrowski are both on the 2012 Chargers then it wouldn't be very helpful to have another OT on the roster taking a spot from someone who can help on Special Teams.
It will be very interesting to see how the Chargers use first-round pick Corey Liuget, a classic three-technique, at defensive end in their 3-4 defense. It could create some problems for opponents, but could also leave the defense vulnerable to a few things. Time will tell. Jordan Todman was a quality add in the sixth round as a long-term backup to Ryan Mathews, and Vincent Brown should help address expected upheaval at receiver. The rest of the picks seem rather average.
Grade: B-
Our overlords at SBNation came out with their own grades. I don't know if I'm actually able to criticize them or if my contract gives me some leeway. Come to think of it, I have no contract. As you'll read on some people don't really like some of our picks, so to call every pick except Liuget, Brown and Todman "average" kind of seems like a win. Average picks + Above Average picks = Above Average. Sweet.
Analysis: The Chargers addressed their defensive line depth with Liuget, but failed to add a pass rusher. Mouton had just two sacks last season at Michigan.
Grade: B
I don't get the comment about Mouton and the sacks. It's like they are saying that Mouton is drafted to try and help the pass rush, but won't be able to. Whereas the Chargers aren't going to use him in a key pass rushing position. Laziness.
Best move: Great value with middle three picks
I really like the players they got with their middle three picks -- WR Vincent Brown, CB Shareece Wright and RB Jordan Todman. Brown is one of the more underrated receivers in the class, Wright is a naturally gifted corner and Todman could be an absolute steal in the sixth round as a quality backup to Ryan Mathews and a difference maker in the return game.
Most questionable move: Drafting Jonas Mouton too high
Jonas Mouton was the second of two second-round picks the Chargers had. There is at least one other team that had him with a third-round grade, so it's not as big of a reach as some might think, but in my opinion he is a very ordinary starter.
A very level-headed review considering that I know that the ESPN department he runs (Scouts, Inc) didn't grade Mouton particularly high. It's also an interesting take on Brown since I never got the feeling that Scouts, Inc loved him all that much. I guess he really likes him, but had his enthusiasms tempered by his other scouts. Interesting. I also think that this review very astutlely points out how much a steal Todman is, which is something that not everyone mentions or cares about.
With Larry English and Ryan Matthews underwhelming as the Chargers' past two first-round picks, general manager A.J. Smith made the wise decision of ignoring the specifics of scheme and simply taking a very good defensive lineman in Illinois' Corey Liuget. While not as long as most teams are looking for in a five-technique defensive end, Liuget's strength and quickness will make an immediate contributor. I wasn't as high on the value of San Diego's next two selections, each selected in the second round. However, Clemson defensive back Marcus Gilchrist and Michigan linebacker Jonas Mouton, do fit in nicely in San Diego's scheme. So do the Chargers' third-rounders - local products Vincent Brown, a productive wideout from San Diego State and USC cornerback Shareece Wright -- each of whom impressed at the Senior Bowl. Of the Chargers' late-round picks, Connecticut running Jordan Todman could surprise.
Grade: B-
Reading his comments I'm not sure that I understand his grade. He doesn't think Liuget fits as a 3-4 DE, but he'll be an immediate contributer. Sounds contradictory, but it also sounds like a win. Chargers then pick a bunch of guys that great value TO THEM, but not to everyone else. That's a good thing right? But, something tells me he's taking points off. Oh Rob, you mouth says "No", but your eyes says "Yes".
Corey Liuget is a terrific player and should start right away, but we wonder if he would fit better in a 4-3 defense. We thought the Chargers would address their front seven even more, but we think Chargers G.M. A.J. Smith hit on a few early picks with Marcus Gilchrist and Vincent Brown. Jonas Mouton seems unlikely to be a three-down player considering how high he was taken. Smith needs to start hitting a few home runs after some so-so drafts. Liuget, Gilchrist, and Brown give him a chance.
Grade: B-
Yay! Baseball analogy. I love baseball. Okay, so Smith needs to hit HRs. Well, what do you get with 2 solo shots? 2 runs. What do you get with 3 doubles? 2 runs. How about 4? Or if we hit doubles on all 5 of our first 5 picks. Rally, baby. And then all we need is a single in the late rounds and it's a blowout! I love analogy logic.
Best pick: Second-round pick Marcus Gilchrist can play either corner or safety and he's a smart player. I think he starts by his second year.
Questionable move: They took linebacker Jonas Mouton in the second round, even though he was considered a late-round guy. There were better options on the board.
Third-day gem: I like sixth-round guard Steve Schilling. He is a fighter who fits what the Chargers want from their linemen.
Analysis:The Chargers had a lot of picks and used them wisely. They needed to upgrade the defense and they did that. First-round pick Corey Liuget should be an immediate starter.
Grade: B+
Finally someone who backs up what he says with a good grade. As for there being better options than Mouton, that only makes sense if those options would have actually been better for the Chargers. Not any other team, but the Chargers and their defense and their special teams. No way to know if there were better options until they actually get on the field. A scheme fit that might not be there with your next pick is a good pick, even if others think that some other college talent should have gone before Mouton.
To be blunt, I didn't like San Diego's draft at all. The team really didn't improve its pass rush, and most of the selections were reaches. Jonas Mouton, projected by many as a Round 5-6 prospect, was an embarrassing reach in Round 2.
One player who wasn't a reach was Corey Liuget at No. 18. Liuget, projected to go to the Rams at No. 14, was one of the top players available. However, once Liuget measured in at 6-2 at the Combine, no one talked about him as a possible five-technique. Liuget doesn't project well into the 3-4, but we'll see what happens.
I'm also disappointed that the Chargers didn't upgrade the rush linebacker position at all. I didn't think they would do so in the first round, but they had plenty of opportunities to find someone to challenge Larry English on Day 2. They'll have to target someone in free agency.
Grade: C-
I love this grade. Not everyone here got straight A's on every single test/project/homework in high school (I know I didn't). So, I assume some us got some bad grades. How awesome would it have been if the teacher had been thinking to themselves, "I don't like this at all!" and gave you a C-. Yes!
Seriously though, I think part of it may come from the fact that he's covering his rear end. The Chargers may have been smarter than him on Liuget and Mouton and he doesn't want to look bad by giving them a non-passing grade. As for "upgrading the rush linebacker" position, he says himself that they didn't have to do it in the first round. Well, in all the other rounds there weren't rush linebackers that could project to anything better than what they got from Barnes. And even then might take time to develop to that level. That gave them the freedom to address other needs.