The Chargers have selected a Pro Bowl or All-Pro player in each of the last seven NFL Drafts.
That track record of success leaves reason to believe another elite player may join the Bolts for an eighth straight April.
On Thursday, Yahoo Sports draft writer Eric Edholm joined a new episode of Chargers Weekly, the official podcast of the team. When asked about LA finding its next Pro Bowler in the draft, Edholm was quick to praise the work done by the decision makers in the front office – starting with the general manager.
"Tom Telesco and that scouting staff have done an outstanding job of not only evaluating the talent, but manipulating the draft and finding the right spots for guys," Edholm said. "… They're in the discussion among the top-three or four front offices in terms of how to best work the draft over the last, like you said, six years."
No. 28 overall is the latest the Chargers have selected in the first round since 2007. It's impossible to predict who will be available when 27 other teams pick before LA does, but Edholm revealed a few possible scenarios on the podcast (30:15 mark). Other highlights from the conversation are below.
Comparing Nick and Joey Bosa (19:00)
"They're very similar, right? If his last name was Nick Johnson or something like that, I probably would still be able to see the similarities. It's hard not to notice it. … Joey might have a little more pop in his hands and just a little more of a forceful player, whereas Nick might be just a hair quicker around the edge. I mean, both of them can change direction. Both are extremely well-built. We know the football bloodlines run deep in that family, but yeah, there's an obvious connection between the two and it shows up on tape."
One of two "can't miss" prospects outside the obvious names at the top (25:50)
"I'm a big fan of Andre Dillard, the left tackle at Washington State. Granted, he played in a two-point stance. They had a lot of shotgun and [a] quick-passing game and that sort of thing. And so, it is kind of hard to evaluate. You don't really see him lining up with his hand in the dirt, firing off the ball and clearing out a defensive tackle. But, you see his athleticism. You see the footwork. It's almost robotic, and I mean that in a good way. I mean, he looks like a machine out there."
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