Los Angeles Chargers 2017 NFL Draft Reaction: We Have the Meat

Yeah, so what if my actual birthday was on the 15th. I turned 23 and that’s such an irrelevant age. Nothing that happened that day comes anywhere close to how I (or the rest of the BFTB staff) felt during Day 2 of the NFL Draft.

Pure. Ecstasy.

Forrest Lamp landing at the 38th pick for the Chargers was nothing short of a miracle.

Lamp was my #1 offensive lineman in the entire draft. After his outstanding combine workout, I believed the dream of drafting him was all but gone. Of course, a guard-needy team was going to snatch him up in the first. However, against all logic, we got the best player available by a mile.

Check out the staff’s reactions during our live draft party when he was selected.

Lamp would have been enough for me. I would have been content with whomever the Bolts felt like drafting from there on out. But apparently the front office knows the way to my heart and that’s with some Grade-A beef.

With the 71st pick in the 3rd round, the Chargers took offensive guard Dan Feeney out of Indiana whom I had as another top-3 interior offensive lineman. I would have preferred OT/G Taylor Moton from Western Michigan but the Carolina Panthers took him a few picks prior.

All in all, it’s been a very, VERY happy birthday to me.

Lamp is going to be a cornerstone for this offensive line for many years to come. Just by looking at the guy you can tell he is different from the usual offensive lineman. He is insanely barrel-chested with thick arms (which he showed off during his bench press in Indy) and has a visibly lean waistline that isn’t covered up by a belly of any kind.

He is also an absolute technician. During the game against Alabama, he had his way with their front seven. Lamp allowed no sacks and gave fellow first round draft pick Johnathan Allen all he could handle.

I still get chills when I think about his name getting called. My Lamp jersey is already on pre-order.

Dan Feeney is also another athletic guard who fits perfectly into what Coach Lynn wants to do with the team’s offense. When I watched Feeney, his ability to run in space is what initially stuck out. He is a very good run blocker and one of the best pass-blocking guards as well. He loves to stick it to the man in front of him and you all know I love a little prick in an offensive lineman (Get your head out of the gutter).

Coach Lynn’s offensive schemes rely heavily on smart, athletic guards and that is exactly what they got when they doubled-down on war pigs during Day 2. Although most analysts and fans wanted the Chargers to prioritize their defensive secondary I believe they made the best choice when it comes to winning immediately.

There are a few speculations heading into the summer as to what the offensive line will look like. Orlando Franklin may be on his way out the door and Joe Barksdale is not a lock to be the Charger’s starting right tackle next year, either. Some believe Lamp could even spend a year at RT given his ability in the run game while some combination of Feeney, Tuerk, and Slauson handle the three interior positions. No matter which way you look at, this will be an immediate upgrade to the offensive lines the Chargers have dealt with in recent years.

Looking forward, this is going to be one of the most anticipated and intriguing training camps the Bolt’s have had in awhile.

Is it August yet?