5 players Los Angeles Chargers should draft in the first round

5 players Chargers should draft in the first round

EVANSTON, IL - OCTOBER 07: Shareef Miller #48 of the Penn State Nittany Lions rushes against Rashawn Slater #70 of the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field on October 7, 2017 in Evanston, Illinois. Penn State defeated Northwestern 31-7. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

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Alijah Vera-Tucker #75 of the USC Trojans (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images) /

2. Alijah Vera-Tucker

The Chargers could lose both of their starting guards in the offseason. Dan Feeney is headed for free agency and Trai Turner could easily be cut for salary cap savings. Their potential departures would make landing a new starting guard in Round 1 a wise move for Los Angeles.

Vera-Tucker played left tackle at USC, but most scouts believe his NFL future lies on the inside. He possesses excellent speed and quickness for an interior lineman. His ability to get out and make blocks in space would really help unlock Los Angeles’ ground game in 2021.

The former Trojan would also upgrade the Chargers’ ability to protect Herbert up the middle. Vera-Tucker might struggle slightly with massive power guys at the next level, but his technique should help him neutralize those matchups.

Some old-school NFL personnel executives won’t approve of spending the No. 13 pick on a guard, but the Chargers’ need at the position is big enough to justify the selection. Vera-Tucker has Pro Bowl potential on the inside which only adds to his appeal for Los Angeles.

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