Chargers select WR Josh Palmer with 77th pick

With the 77th-overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Chargers selected wide receiver Josh Palmer out of the University of Tennessee.

With the team’s first pick in the third round, the Bolts likely surprised plenty of people by selecting a pass catcher. It’s not an immediate position of need but this likely signals the team preparing for life after the 2021 season where there’s a chance Mike Williams does not return on a new contract.

At 6’1 and 205 pounds, Palmer offers decent size for the position with his most notable traits being his body control and ball skills. As a true freshman, he started six of 12 games played and finished with nine receptions for 98 yards with zero touchdowns. As a sophomore, he started eight games and led the SEC with 21.0 yards per catch on 23 total receptions. He caught his first two touchdowns of his career and finished with 484 yards.

Over his final two seasons, Palmer recorded 67 catches for 932 and five total scores. He earned an invite to the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl and showed he could hang with the best senior talent in the country.