PFF’s Mike Renner believes the Chargers should bypass QB in the first round

On the latest episode of Chargers Weekly, Pro Football Focus’ Mike Renner joined Chris Hayre to discuss all things Chargers relating to the NFL Draft. If you guys don’t recall, Renner joined the program around this time last year and correctly predicted the Bolts to draft both Jerry Tillery and Nasir Adderley.

This year, Hayre asked a plethora of questions ranging from Renner’s thoughts on this year’s top quarterbacks, which offensive skill position players would be good fits for the Chargers, and what the ideal first three picks would look like for L.A. in this year’s draft.

Quarterbacks

As far as the quarterbacks go, Renner is firmly set with Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa as the top-2 prospects at the position. He had much more to say about Justin Herbert and Jordan Love and why they can’t compete for the top passer in the draft.

For Herbert, Renner states that Herbert is “robotic” in his throwing while not possessing a whole lot of touch on his passes and it’s been that way since he was a freshman in Eugene. He wonders since Hebert wasn’t able to fix those issues throughout his entire college career that there’s a very small chance he finally gets around to it as a professional. Concerning Love, Renner believes he has a better natural feel for the position. He thinks Love does a better job of adjusting his arm angle to better place throws around defenders and getting the ball to a catchable place when throwing off-platform.

Wide Receivers and Running Backs

The Chargers are likely in the market for a speedy wideout or a big and tough running back in this year’s draft. Chances are that the wide receiver comes on day two while any ball-carrier is sure to be taken no earlier than day three. Renner threw out Penn State’s KJ Hamler and Tulane’s Darnell Mooney as two names to keep an eye on. Hamler is likely going somewhere on day two and Mooney is likely a day three guy but after he ran a 4.38 at the combine he’s gained some more interest. He mentions both have issues with drops but the speed can’t be denied and the Chargers are in need of someone to take the top off opposing defenses.

Renner had just a single name to mention for potential running backs they could draft and that was Utah’s Zack Moss. At 5’10 and 225 pounds, Moss is built well and is a pain to bring down. In 2019, he posted the highest broken-tackle percentage in the nation en route to posting over 1,800 yards from scrimmage and 17 total touchdowns.

Ideal Top-3 Picks for the Chargers

Before diving into what their top picks could ideally look like, Renner mentions that it all depends on whether or not they decide to take a quarterback. Aside from what he would personally do, Renner thinks the Chargers are going to be all-in on Tua at #6 and he also believes they’ll be willing to give up a ton to land him.

If the Chargers do not take a quarterback, which Renner believes they shouldn’t, then he believes they need to grab one of the best tackles left at #6 to solidify their offensive line in a “win-now” move. At the top of the second round, Renner thinks going with the top cornerback left on the board would be the best decision here, especially if someone like Alabama’s Trevon Diggs is still available. He notes that Diggs could thrive in a heavy cover 3 defense without a lot of man-to-man responsibilities.

In the third, a linebacker like the uber-athletic Willie Gay Jr. could be their guy. However, this one is likely the most unrealistic as the former MSU Bulldog was suspended at one point for cheating on a chemistry test and punching his quarterback. Tom Telesco and his staff have been known to stay very far away from people with character concerns. To me, that means Gay Jr. is all but off their board.

What do you all think of Mike Renner’s views? Agree or disagree with any?