2018 NFL mock draft: Baker Mayfield heads to Jets

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LAWRENCE, KS – NOVEMBER 18: Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman Orlando Brown (78) and Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) walk toward the sideline before the game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday November 18, 2017 at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, KS. (Photo by Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

13. . Offensive Tackle. Oklahoma. Orlando Brown. 17. player

The Los Angeles Chargers nearly made the playoffs after starting the season out with a 0-4 record, and would have been only the second team in history to do so if they pulled it off. They held their end of the bargain in Week 17, beating the Oakland Raiders, but wins by the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans knocked them out of the race. Still, it was an incredible comeback, as they looked like one of the better teams in the AFC for most of the season.

When it comes to the roster, they are pretty solid on both sides of the ball. Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram are excellent pass rushers, and the secondary actually played better than advertised this season. On offense, quarterback Philip Rivers showed he can still produce at a high level and running back Melvin Gordon continues to become one of the best in the business. The team treaded for Russell Okung this past offseason, and he played well in 2017, but he is not a long-term solution at the position.

Heading into the 2018 NFL Draft, the Chargers should spend their first round pick on an offensive tackle. Okung is fine for now, but bringing in a guy like Orlando Brown from Oklahoma would give him a solid left tackle for the rest of his career. This team is very close to being a perennial playoff contender, and with a couple pieces this offseason, second-year head coach Anthony Lynn could return the Chargers to the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

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