2018 NFL Draft: Los Angeles Chargers 7-round mock
By Joe Romano
Round 2 – Pick 48
James Daniels, C, Iowa
An area of need that seemingly occurs every year for the Chargers is offensive line. They addressed the two guard spots with back-to-back picks a year ago. Dan Feeney and Forrest Lamp were two of the higher rated guards coming into the 2017 draft and both are now in Los Angeles. Unfortunately we only saw Feeney play as Lamp was injured. With both returning, they lock up the two guard spots. Finding a player to man the middle should be important to this team, especially with Phillip Rivers aging.
One of the best, if not the best, center prospect in this year’s draft was available at this point in round two. James Daniels of Iowa is the perfect prospect to plug between Lamp and Feeney. This would give Los Angeles a dynamic trio in the middle to protect Rivers and open up holes for Melvin Gordon.
Daniels is a two year starter for an Iowa team that can run the ball seemingly at will. He possesses ideal size for the center position. At Iowa he also showed fluid movement and athleticism that should help him in the NFL. The weight being only 295 pounds may scare a few teams. He has the frame to add weight, and would not surprise me if he weighed in well north of 300 pounds in Indianapolis.
As with some other Iowa players in recent years, Daniels biggest knock is his ability to handle power. Playing center in the NFL will have him facing massive powerful men on a weekly basis. If he struggles in that area, it would be bad. The extra weight, and NFL weight rooms should squash that concern. Daniels is a plus athlete, smart and powerful. The Chargers could get a plug-and-play center in round two that can stick for a decade with the team.