The Los Angeles Chargers have a lot of work to do in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. The good news is that they have the fifth overall pick in that draft that is now weeks away. But the bad news is that they have a ton of holes to fill. The Chargers were in the red regarding salary cap space entering free agency and had to make a series of cost-cutting moves to dig themselves out of that crater they were in. That meant parting ways with players like Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler, Eric Kendricks, and Kenneth Murray.
But on the bright side, this year's draft is deep with players who can contribute sooner than later. The Chargers have all of their picks plus a fourth-round pick from the Chicago Bears and a compensatory pick in the seventh. They have plenty of ammo to find some gems later on in the draft. Some possible candidates include Florida's Ricky Pearsall, Penn State's Theo Johnson, and Michigan's Blake Corum.
Ricky Pearsall, Wide Receiver, Florida
If the Chargers stand pat at fifth overall, it is most likely that they draft either Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. or LSU's Malik Nabers. Whoever it is between those two, that would be an absolute home run selection.
But Los Angeles needs to add more to their wide receiver room than just those two. They did draft Quentin Johnston last season, but he put up one of the worst rookie seasons ever by a first-round pick. The rest of their depth chart at the position consists of Joshua Palmer, Derius Davis, and Simi Fehoko. That's not great at all.
Ricky Pearsall could be a sneaky solid addition to that room along with Harrison Jr. or Nabers. Pearsall largely manned the slot while at the University of Florida, but he excelled there and proved he could win at any area of the field. He has the juice to make explosive plays happen down the field.
Pearsall should get stationed in the slot in the pros, but he can do more than just that. He can win on the outside as well and get deployed in various ways. Florida gave him 21 collegiate carries, which he turned into 253 yards and five touchdowns. He also handled 15 punt returns in Gainesville over the last two seasons. Pearsall has gotten some buzz to go in the second round, but perhaps he should go even higher than that.
Theo Johnson, Tight End, Penn State
Brock Bowers was among the favorites to go to the Chargers once the offseason began. However, after they parted ways with Allen and Williams, wide receiver became a much higher priority for Los Angeles. But that doesn't mean they can't go after a tight end later on in the draft. If they do, Penn State's Theo Johnson should be the target.
Why? Because he is an athletic freak.
Johnson's production was modest coming out of Penn State. In four seasons at Happy Valley, he corralled just 77 passes for 938 yards and 12 touchdowns. However, production isn't everything for tight ends. Remember, George Kittle had just 48 receptions in four seasons at Iowa. Kittle's situation hid his freakish athleticism and the same could be said for Johnson for most of his time at Penn State.
Is Johnson the next George Kittle? Highly unlikely. But, athleticism matters at tight end and Johnson has plenty of it. The Chargers can take a while to groom him after signing Will Dissly and Hayden Hurst as free agents. For the upside that Johnson has, that is well worth the investment, even if it takes a while to prosper.
Blake Corum, Running Back, Michigan
Yes, the Chargers signed a running back in Gus Edwards. However, Edwards is about to turn 29 and signed just a two-year deal. Blake Corum just spent four seasons in Ann Arbor with new Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh. He ran 3,737 yards and 58 touchdowns in that span.
Sometimes, things don't have to be so complicated.
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