EL SEGUNDO — In the final analysis, over seven unpredictable rounds held over three long days and nights of the NFL draft, the Chargers selected the offensive playmakers they wanted and needed to take some of the enormous pressure off standout quarterback Justin Herbert.
The Chargers selected two wide receivers, one running back, one tight end and one offensive lineman in order to add depth and talent to their offense, potentially easing Herbert’s burden in the seasons to come. They also drafted one defensive lineman, one edge rusher and two defensive backs.
“Obviously, the goal is to make the team better and, man, it just feels like we did that at every opportunity when we were on the clock,” Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz said. “A couple of times we had to make a decision on players. It was tight. You know, this guy or that guy.”
After drafting University of North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton in the first round (22nd overall) on Thursday and Mississippi wide receiver Tre Harris in the second round (55th) and Oregon defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell in the third (86th) on Friday, the fun really started for Hortiz.
Hortiz selected South Carolina defensive end Kyle Kennard in the fourth round (125th), Auburn wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith in the fifth (158th) and then traded two of his four sixth-round picks to the Philadelphia Eagles (181st and 209th) to move up to take Syracuse tight end Oronde Gadsden II (165th).
The Chargers used their remaining picks in the sixth round to select Pittsburgh offensive lineman Branson Taylor (199th) and Clemson safety RJ Mickens (214th). Horitz said the plan is to shift Taylor from tackle, where he spent his college career, to guard during upcoming spring practices.
Florida cornerback Trikweze Bridges was their seventh-round pick (256th).
“It’s exciting,” Hortiz said of Saturday’s selections. “We’re fired up.”
Going into the draft, Hortiz emphasized a desire to pick the best player available, and he didn’t back away from that stance when the draft was completed. He did allow that he was only too pleased to add additional playmakers to bolster an offense that seemed short of them this past season.
The Chargers sought out speed, competitiveness and versatility.
It just so happened that they found it in a number of offensive players.
“We’re trying to bolster everything and improve everything,” Hortiz said when asked if selecting offensive playmakers was a priority or became one as the draft went on. “We felt like we helped our team in free agency, and when you’re in there making selections, you want to try to keep it balanced.
“But you’ve got to follow the board and you can’t say, ‘Oh, we’ve got to take a defensive player because we haven’t done that in a while’ when you’ve got better offensive players sticking out that can help us. It’s not always going to be balanced. You’d love it to be, but that’s not realistic.”
The Chargers will get their first opportunities to see how their draft picks mesh with Herbert in the coming weeks as spring practices get underway next month. Rookie minicamp is up first, May 9, followed by the first OTAs May 27, 28 and 30, with mandatory minicamp set for June 10-12.
The coaches and executives will learn how Hampton works with Najee Harris at running back and how Lambert-Smith and Tre Harris fit with receivers Quentin Johnston, Ladd McConkey and Mike Williams and how Gadsden teams with tight ends Ty Conklin and Will Dissly and how Taylor measures up on the O-line.
“Extremely excited,” assistant general manager Chad Alexander said. “Any time you’re able to add offensive weapons like we’ve done in the past three days, it’s just really exciting. They’re ultra competitors. We added speed and we added toughness … we’ve prioritized those core values.”
