2010 Mock Draft

San Diego Chargers 2010 NFL Mock Draft, 3.0 - as of 4/20/10

Tyson Elizondo and Dominic Giammarinaro have predicted who will be playing for the Bolts in 2010. Do you agree with T 'n D? Let them know.

Tyson Elizondo

RD 1 – Ryan Mathews, RB

Height: 6’0” | Weight: 218 | College: Fresno State

(Previous Picks: OT Charles Brown, OT Rodger Saffold)

I originally thought that either OT Charles Brown or Rodger Saffold would end up being the bolts first pick but they will probably lose out to the nations leading rusher from Fresno State. This junior collected

19 Touchdowns this year including a 235 yard effort that yielded TD runs of 69, 68 and 60 yards against a Boise State team that earned a top 5 ranking in this upcoming year. He ran for three more TD’s

against a UCLA defense that was anchored by another coveted underclassman DT Brian Price. His ability to play big in tough games is encouraging and although he was never invited to the Heisman Trophy

ceremony, Ryan’s coach boasts he is the top RB in the nation. The Chargers have acquired additional draft picks in the 2011 draft that would allow plenty of room to make a deal without having to mortgage

San Diego’s future. I have been wrestling with the idea of waiting until Round 2 & 3 to get our RB & NT, but SD’s third round pick is so low, I don’t feel right leaving the first and second round without a RB and NT. I think he Matthews gets the draft cap, the #1 jersey, and the handshake that welcomes him into the Charger family in prime time fashion.

RD 2 - Cam Thomas, NT

Height: 6’3” | Weight: 335 lbs. | College: North Carolina

(Previous Picks: NT Cam Thomas, NT Cam Thomas)

Cam’s fellow defensive front seven were so talented this year that his value may have been under estimated until his break out performance at the Senior Bowl. His SB footage on youtube.com shows Cam driving O-lineman into the backfield on multiple plays and recording a sack. He out benched Terrance Cody 31 reps to 22 in the combine and has played in the 3-4 set for coaches with extensive NFL experience. He relishes in taking on 2 blockers as a Nose Tackle in the 3-4. Chris Chandler from the Charlotte Observer has quoted Thomas to saying ”I love guerilla warfare baby, That’s where you earn your stripes. I got my stripes. I can anchor that thing. Not everyone can play that position. Our defense is pro style, we’re attacking, we’re gap-scheming and stuff like that. Most of the stuff I’m already used to right now.” I absolutely like his value at pick 40.

RD 3 – Ed Wang, OT

Height: 6’6” | Weight: 328 | College: Virginia Tech

(Previous Picks: RB Ben Tate, RB Ben Tate)

The Chargers allowed 50 sacks against Phillip Rivers in his last two seasons, that’s over twice as many as Peyton Manning endured in his last two (24). Since 06’ Rivers has been sacked a staggering 27, 22,

25, 25 times per season. The Chargers know they need to rectify this situation and Investing in a bookend opposite Marcus McNeill would bolster Rivers’ pass protection and help pave the way for their future feature rusher. (The Chargers signed RT Jeremy Clary to one additional year but they may sign the first Chinese player to the NFL. He is very athletic and comes from Olympian lines. Jared Valdheer may be gone along with John Jerry.

RD 4 – PERRY RILEY, OLB

Height: 6-1 | Weight: 240 lbs. | College: LSU

(Previous Picks: CB Alterraun Vernor, CB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah)

The Chargers added both CB Vasher and CB Strickland through free agency, giving San Diego a chance to address their pass rush issues earlier than I thought they would be able to. At first look I thought they might select a defensive end that translates to the Outside Linebacker position in a 3-4 set like the 263 lb. Daniel Te’o-Nesham, I ultimately went with the faster but still physical #56 Perry Riley from LSU.

RD 5A – Levi Brown, QB

Height: 6”4” | Weight: 229 lbs. | College: Troy

(Previous Picks : C Ted Larsen, RB Charles Scott)

This Sun Belt Conference player of the year has a three quarter arm delivery and has no plans to change his quick delivery style. I have a lot to prove," Brown said Thursday. "I don't get talked about all the time on ESPN like those other guys because they're from big schools, and I'm from Troy. The Chargers can get a serviceable QB3 with their compensatory pick in the 5^th.

RD 5B – Lonyae Miller, RB

Height: 6’0” | Weight: 221 lbs. | College: Fresno State

(Previous Picks: N/A, OLB Reggie Carter)

The Chargers are need of a tough short yardage back that poses the threat to take it to the end zone on any given play. Chargers need two top running back talents in this year’s draft and can’t afford to use this pick on a one dimensional goal line back like I previously thought they would. Lonyae is a number RB2 that has shared a backfield with Matthews in college. He has been very explosive and I can see him be a RB1 if the situation ever called for it.

RD 6 – n/a

RD 7 – John Estes, C

Height: 6-2 | Weight: 295 lbs. | College: Hawaii

(Previous Picks: DE E.J Wilson, WR Denario Alexander)

He is technically sound. He has good foot work and he pushed back 6’1” 326 Stanford tackle. He was recently named one of six finalists for the Rimington Trophy, awarded to the nation's top center, and team Most Valuable Player. The Chargers need an insurance plan at Center.

Additional Note:

Stephan Williams 6’5” 210 lbs WR from Toledo should go undrafted but I wanted to mention this WR with very soft hands that catches the ball well away from his body. He is not afraid to go get the ball at it’s highest point anywhere on the field. He ran 4.41 last spring and he relishes in his ability to run well after the catch. A tall guy with deceiving toughness and strength allowing him to pull down the ball in coverage. He looked thin in the video clips I saw so I looked up Randy Moss’s bio and found that he was 6’4” and just 210 pounds himself.

Dominic Giammarinaro

RD 1: Terrance Cody, NT, Alabama
(3/9/10 Original pick) Terrance Cody, NT, Alabama

The most pressing need for the 2010 Chargers is on the defensive front. It’s not even close. Some will say running back is priority number one, but there is no denying the D-line was the weak link of the 2009 defensive. Coach Rivera did what he could last season, rotating his D-line like Wilt Chamberlain rotated his women, often! With the departure of Jamal Williams, the D is in need of a dominant run stuffer (the Bolts D gave up 118 YPG, 4.5 AVG against the run… not good and it would have been worse had our offense not been so good). That said, ladies and gentlemen, introducing … Terrance Cody. All 354 pounds of him (on a light day, before lunch)! Nicknamed Mount Cody, if he performs well, San Diego might rename Mount Soledad, Mount Cody. Digest this, in his two years as a member of the Tide, Alabama defenses never surrendered 100 yards to a running back. Finally, after 5 years of talking about it, we have a replacement for Jamal.

RD 2: Jahvid Best, RB, Cal
(3/23/10) Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State
(3/9/10 Original pick) RD 2: Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State

I've been watching Season 1 of Lost this week and my favorite character, besides Kate (of course), is Sayid. So, having "id" in my new favorite Chargers name is exciting to me. The little things get me going and I'm really excited about Jahvid Best. By trading Charlie Whitehurst to the Seahawks the Chargers moved up 20 spots in the second round to pick 40. This deal allows them to select Best and fill a hole. If it wasn’t for an injury this year, this Cal product would be considered a definite No.1 draft pick. He has tremendous speed (might be the fastest RB in this draft class) and vision. There are questions about his ability to be a No. 1 in the NFL and carry the load. If the Chargers land Best, look for him to carry the ball 10-15 times a game. He will also be a factor in the passing game on 1^st and 2^nd downs. Best is the most exciting RB in this draft and has the ability to score every time he touches the ball (don't take my word for it, check out his tape). With this pick the Chargers offense just got more dangerous. While Best will become the starter, he’ll split time with Sproles (if Sproles doesn’t get traded), allowing Sproles to do what he does best, return kicks, catch the ball in space, and occasionally spell the starter. Best won’t make San Diego fans forget LT in his prime, but he will provide the electricity the Chargers back field lacked in ‘09.

RD 3: Perrish Cox, CB, Oklahoma State
(3/9/10 Original pick) RD 3: Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse

With the departure of Cromartie, Cason becomes a starter overnight. But, what’s left at CB for the Chargers? Dante Hughes and veterans Donald Strickland and Nathan Vasher. Um, ya, the Chargers will look to add quality depth here. Hughes is unproven, Strickland is average and Vasher hasn’t done anything significant since 2006. The pickup of Vasher reminds me of a classic Padres move. You know, every year the Padres pick up at least one aging veteran and try to convince the fans that the signing is significant. It’s not! I loved how Vasher was positioned as a former Pro Bowler in 2006. That's three seasons ago. Everyone knows you have to treat a year in the NFL like a dog year. That said, the last time Vasher made the Pro Bowl was ... 21 years ago. Make no mistake, the signings of Strickland and Vasher were insurance, not viewed as the answer by Chargers brass (... at least I hope so). As the season rolls on, this pick could push for playing time. Nickel and dime packages have become too important. You need at least three quality CBs on your roster. The big question with this selection is, “will Perrish Cox be available this late?” I hope so!

RD 4: Kyle Calloway, OT Iowa
(3/9/10 Original pick) RD 4: Danario Alexander, WR, Missouri

Depth on the OL is needed. The health of McNeil and Hardwick are always a concern. When one goes down, it causes a chain reaction along the line. A key selling point for Calloway is his experience playing LT and RT in college. Projecting as a RT, Calloway will be given the opportunity to compete for the RT spot along with Dombrowski and Clary. At 6-7 320+ Calloway is a big man. One knock on him is he only did 22 reps at the combine. I’m not concerned. I don’t think the Chargers feel this is an issue either. They like his frame. Remember, it’s much tougher for a 6-7 guy with long arms to bench, than a guy with shorter arms. Welcome to San Diego Mr. Calloway.

RD 5A: Jacoby Ford, WR, Clemson
(3/23/10) Syd’Quan Thompson, CB, California
(3/9/10 Original pick) LaGarrette Blount, RB, Oregon

Many will say Jacoby Ford doesn’t fit the profile of a Chargers WR. At 5-9 190, Ford is much smaller than any WR on the Chargers roster. What he lacks in size he makes up for in speed. His 4.28 40 time makes him a true deep threat. Take a look. An accomplished return man, Ford will be given the keys to the Chargers return game if Sproles leaves town following the 2010 season (…or possibly this year). The knock on Ford is his inconsistent hands and poor route running. These concerns are correctable. I think the Chargers are a great fit for Ford as he won’t have the pressure of producing immediately and can be groomed in 2010.

RD 5B: Dan LeFevour, QB, Central Michigan

The Whitehurst trade means the Bolts will be looking to add a QB to the roster. This pick will be the successor to Billy Volek as the no. 2 QB. LeFevour is not NFL ready but he has the tools to play in the league. Plus, we don’t need him to be NFL ready. The Chargers will look to groom LeFevour into the no. 2 role by 2012. Dan, when you are drafted, send Coach Carroll a thank you note. Thank him for his love affair with Charlie Whitehurst. His love affair made you a San Diego Charger.

RD 6: No pick.

RD 7: Nathan Overbay, TE, Eastern Washington
Shawn Lauvao, OG, Arizona State University
(3/9/10 Original pick) Will Barker, OT, Virginia

The Chargers lost Brandon Manumaleuna to the Chicago Bears so TE is a position the Bolts may look to bolster in the draft. The Bolts could address the TE position with an UFA as well.

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