PITTSBURGH — Goinginto the NFL draft, the Chargers’ biggest needs were depth and future hope at edge rusher, interior offensive line, and speed at wide receiver.
They managed to hit all three, in order, between Day 1 andDay 3 of the draft. Then they added two more guards onDay 3 to pumpnew blood, toughness and competition into an area of their team that was a major letdown last year.
And that made for a happy weekend at the club’s El Segundo headquarters.
It all started on Day 1 when they selected Miami edge rusherAkheem Mesidor in the first round. On Friday,they added Florida center Jake Slaughter, who will move to guard, where he is expected to start alongside free agent addition Cole Strange.
Finally, on Saturday, they used the first of their three fourth-round picks to select Mississippi State speedster Brenen Thompson, who posted the fifth-fastest 40 in the recorded era of the combine at 4.26 seconds.
Thompson isn’t the biggest target, standing just a shade over 5-foot-9 and weighing 164 pounds, but he put that speed to good use last year to finish with 57 catches for 1,054 yards. The Chargers believe Thompson has a chance to be a key downfield threat in an offense now being run by Mike McDaniel.
Mesidor and Slaughter, in particular, set the tone for this draft.
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The Chargers are set off the defensive edge this year, with incumbents Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu the undisputed starters. But both are going into the last year of their contracts. Tuipulotu is a strong candidate to be extended, but the 35-year-old Mack will need to be replaced at some point.
Mesidor’s high energy and motor helped him lead the ACC in sacks last year with 12 ½, and he could be the long-term replacement for Mack down the line.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
