Yesterday NFL Network Analyst Mike Mayock got on the NFL scouting combine conference call and discussed the draft. During the call Mayock got a question about the Chargers pick at #7:
Q. Who would you take if you were the Chargers at No. 7?
MIKE MAYOCK: Again, who do you think – what positions are you looking at? O-line? Outside linebacker? Safety? What do you think?
So after Mayock bought himself time with the classic answer a question with another question he was asked a follow-up question
Q. We're thinking, well, either one. Just looking for your perspective on this.
MIKE MAYOCK: Well, again, we haven't had free agency, so that can change everything as far as what a team's looking for. From my perspective, when you're drafting at No. 7, you get a great football player regardless of position. I don't look at team needs quite as hard, A, at this time of the year, or, B, in the Top 10. Because if you're in the Top 10, you've got to come out with a Pro Bowl player.
So now that Mayock has got the hedging out of the way he finally gets to the answer of the question he was asked:
So the Chargers at No. 7, first thing you've got to look at, you've got to protect your quarterback and that offensive line has struggled. Is there an offensive lineman worthy of the seventh pick in the draft? My answer would probably be no. So then I would tend to move on and say, okay, how about outside linebacker, safety, corner? And I think two safeties that I talked about earlier, Malik Hooker, because, let's face it, the Chargers lost Eric Weddle, I think Malik Hooker fits them like a glove. Then, again, at the edge position, getting to quarterbacks, who makes a lot of sense there? Garrett's going to be gone. Tim Williams has some off the-field stuff. I think they'd be looking hard at a Derek Barnett or -- Derek Barnett would probably make the most sense at No. 7.
Leading up to combine Safety Malik Hooker has been the leading name mocked to the Chargers at #7 but if the Chargers go with an Edge player Mayock thinks Barnett makes the most sense. Do you agree?