With Jim Harbaugh officially running the show, the Los Angeles Chargers are officially in mock draft season. After entering the 2023 season with postseason hopes, the team crashed and burned en route to the fifth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, just because they currently hold the fifth pick does not mean they will be making that selection. Lance Zierlein of NFL Network recently released his first mock draft of the offseason, and he expects Los Angeles to trade out of their current draft slot. According to the NFL analyst, the Chargers will give the fifth overall pick to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for the eighth overall pick.
Chargers, Falcons Agree to Blockbuster Trade In Latest Mock Draft
In this scenario, the Falcons aggressively move up to select their quarterback of the future. Desmond Ridder had a chance to prove himself last year, but the former third-round pick fell short of expectations and underperformed throughout the entire season. Atlanta has a solid roster, so it makes sense for them to go up and get a quarterback if a player they like is still on the board. According to Zeirlien, he believes that North Carolina’s Drake Maye will be Atlanta’s choice.
This is a surprise, as most have him going off the board with the second-overall pick. Zierlien, however, appears to be lower than consensus on the young passer, as he has Washington selecting LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels with their first-round pick. The quarterback-needy New England Patriots, meanwhile, decide to skip on the position and select superstar wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., while the Arizona Cardinals get the next best thing in Rome Odunze.
It’s easy to see why the Falcons would want to make this trade, and the Chargers end up with a pretty good prospect of their own in this mock draft. With the eighth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Zierlein has the Chargers selecting Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold.
How Terrion Arnold Fits With the Chargers
It goes without saying that the Chargers need some help on the defensive side of the ball. Despite heavy investments under the previous regime, Los Angeles has always had one of the worst defenses in the league ever since Justin Herbert earned the starting job. So, if they want to get the most out of their franchise quarterback, then they need to make sure that every game doesn’t turn into a shootout. Head coach Jim Harbaugh loves physical cornerbacks, and that’s exactly what he gets in this Chargers mock draft.
Arnold is a good player, but does this mock draft accurately reflect the needs of the Chargers? If the draft was tomorrow, that answer would probably be yes. However, Los Angeles is currently $44 million over the salary cap and could close that gap by moving on from wide receivers Mike Williams and Keenan Allen or pass rushers Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. Considering the amount of wide receiver talent in this draft, nobody should be surprised if Los Angeles cuts Williams and selects somebody like LSU’s Malik Nabers, who is still on the board in this mock draft.
Main Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea – USA Today Sports
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