Chargers draft pair of trench players in Dan Brugler’s latest mock

Dane Brugler just dropped a two-round mock draft over at The Athletic and he’s got the Chargers drafting a pair of massive trench players, one on either side of the ball.

The first player is a massive, monolithic offensive tackle from an FCS program in the middle of Iowa. The second-round pick is another big defensive lineman from perennial powerhouse Alabama.

Yes, I know that sounds weird, but it’s the truth. Just goes to show that you shouldn’t always scout the helmet, you know?

Without further ado, let’s break down both these picks from Brugler.

Pick #17 - OT Trevor Penning - Northern Iowa

A year ago, Northern Iowa produced another phenomenal tackle prospect in Spencer Brown who went to the Bills in the second round. This year, Penning has the chance to be drafted even higher which is quite the achievement coming out of an FCS program.

At 6’7 and almost 330 pounds, Penning has all the makeup you’d want in a first-round tackle. His 35-inch arms are going to make the old-head analysts very happy and when you combine that with an elite athletic profile, it’s easy to see why he is being pegged to go in the first round.

Brugler believes the Chargers are likely in the playoffs if they had received any kind of competent play at right tackle. If the room for error is that small, then it’s imperative the Chargers find someone who can fill that role for years to come.

But the biggest reason why I may end up pounding the table for Penning? The guy is an absolute ANIMAL when it comes to finishing blocks and demoralizing the opponent in front of him. Just take a look at the clips below and tell me it doesn’t make you want to jump out of your chair.

Pick #48 - DT Phidarian Mathis - Alabama

At 6’4 and 312 pounds, Mathis brought size and explosiveness together to be one of the most-impactful defenders on Alabama’s stellar defense. After playing sparingly through his first two seasons in, Mathis exploded in his final two seasons for 84 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and 10.5 sacks.

In his film, Mathis shows a very impressive get-off that allows him to wreak havoc in opposing backfields. What I like most about him is that he understands how to break down and flatten towards ball carriers. Far too many lineman penetrate quickly and get washed out into irrelevancy but Mathis has a plan from the start of the play until the whistle hits.

I think this would be an outstanding pick in the second round and could be one of the better values in the entire draft.

As always, let me know all of our thoughts on these picks in the comments below. Would you be content with these picks? How would you change them and which ideal players would you prefer in those spots?