18. RLB Melvin Ingram B+

I actually had Melvin Ingram 18th on my board so I can’t hate this pick, but I had Whitney Mercilus, Nick Perry, and Courtney Upshaw higher than Ingram at this position, though they filled arguably their biggest need here.

49. 3-4 DE Kendall Reyes B+

They had other needs, but Reyes is a pretty good value here and they do need a young rotational lineman as Antonio Garay and Luis Castillo are aging players on one year deals.

73. S Brandon Taylor A

Safety might have been their 2nd biggest need after rush linebacker. Steve Gregory was awful last season and now even he’s gone. Taylor could start immediately next to Eric Weddle and starting safety were really tough to find this year given how this the class was.

110. TE Ladarius Green A

They need a developmental tight end behind an aging and injury prone Antonio Gates. I had Green rated one round earlier and he could have an immediate impact as a receiver in two-tight end sets.

149. G Johnnie Troutman C-

I had Troutman outside of my top 250 and that was without knowing about his pectoral injury. He could miss the whole season with that injury and the Chargers knew about that. They took him anyway. At least he filled a need, but what’s the point of spending a late round selection on someone who is hurt. Late round selections normally only have a year or so to prove themselves. It’s seems 50/50 that Troutman will ever suit up for them.

226. C David Molk A

Did they need another center? Not really, but Nick Hardwick is getting up there in age and there’s nothing wrong with finding a solid backup in the 7th round, especially when it’s a phenomenal value like this.

250. RB Edwin Baker A

They needed a 2nd back. I don’t know why they didn’t address this earlier. Are Curtis Brinkley or LeRon McClain capable of being the backup to Ryan Mathews, who hasn’t exceeded 222 carries as a pro? Anyway, Baker fits the range in the 7th round. He’ll probably be a 3rd or 4th back at best though.

The Chargers had two solid picks to start their drafts and, with the addition of Brandon Taylor, a very good pick, in the 3rd round, they really helped their defense. Ladarius Green was a great pick in the 4th round as value as a great value. They also drafted really well in the last couple rounds. It wasn’t a perfect draft for several reasons. I think there were better players at the same position available at 18 and I don’t think they filled a pressing need in the 2nd round. I also didn’t get the Troutman selection at all and I don’t think they did enough to address the running back position, but this was a solid draft which should have benefits for them next season and in the future, particularly defensively.

Grade: B+