Grade and Reactions from the Chargers’ first round

The Chargers selected quarterback Justin Herbert out of the University of Oregon in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft, and the decision was met with some mixed feelings amongst us here at Bolts From The Blue and across the media landscape. Before I let you loose on the reactions from around the web, I’ll give you my personal thoughts.

The Herbert pick isn’t that bad, but it’s also incredibly underwhelming. He does not move the needle with me at all. He’s the “safe” pick, and that’s unfortunately a Telesco move when it comes to picking the positions of need after his top choices aren’t there anymore.

In all honesty, the Chargers already have a player on their roster who will do the exact thing we can probably expect from Herbert. Unless things change, Herbert isn’t going to let it loose downfield; he’s going to play it safe and limit risking a turnover for the safer option.

While I absolutely will enjoy having a quarterback who can run around, extend plays, and not crumple in the pocket, Herbert just may not be as exciting as we would want from a top-10-pick quarterback, at least right away.

Final Grade: C+

Twitter Reacts to the Herbert Pick

We’ve got the good ...

... The bad ...

... And the not quite sure.

Update 8:29pm PT: Chargers select LB Kenneth Murray with 23rd pick

The Chargers made one of the biggest surprise moves of the night when they traded back into the first round to select Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray with the 23rd pick. The Chargers sent picks #37 and #71 to the Patriots to get back in and find their future leader in the middle of the defense.

Murray was extremely productive while in Norman, especially as a sophomore in 2018 when he finished third in the FBS with 155 total tackles. As a senior this past season, he was named a Third-Team AP All-American after collecting 102 tackles, 17 tackles-for-loss, and four sacks.

The biggest knock on Murray is his lack of patience when fitting into gaps and his skills in coverage. While he has sideline-to-sideline range on the field, he struggles to thrive in zones and can’t take advantage of his athleticism when he’s behind in processing what’s in front of him.

I would have loved this pick at #37. Since the Chargers traded both their second and third picks this year to go get him, they lost out on a lot of potential value tomorrow, which could have come in the form of a linebacker.

Final Grade: B-

Twitter Reacts to the Murray Pick

Always love to see a guy win a bet on himself.

Murray seems to be incredibly well-liked.

But he may have some noteworthy weaknesses.