For the Chargers, re-signing Mike Williams and trading for Khalil Mack wasn't enough.
They spent like they had a wallet full of gift cards at the start of free agency on Monday. Top cornerback J.C. Jackson was added. To help repair the shoddy run defense were the acquisitions of Austin Johnson and Super Bowl champion Sebastian Joseph-Day.
The flurry of moves will have a sizable impact on how the Chargers attack the 2022 draft. Let's pinpoint how the Chargers draft plans have drastically changed over the past two weeks.
Jordan Davis very unlikely to be the pick in Round 1
Before the start of free agency, there was growing collective desire within NFL Twitter for the gigantic Georgia nose tackle to land on what was a shaky-at-best run defense in Los Angeles.
After Davis' awe-inspiring combine, No. 17 overall felt like the ideal draft-pick ceiling for him. But after two defensive tackle signings on the opening day of free agency, Davis to the Chargers is suddenly unlikely.
Could GM Tom Telesco be so ticked about how porous his club's run-stopping efforts were a season ago that he triples down on the interior of his defensive line this offseason? I guess. But there are other holes to fill, those that directly impact Justin Herbert, the most vital Chargers employee.
The path has been paved for a first-round offensive lineman...
Possible picks: Northern Iowa OT Trevor Penning, Central Michigan OT Bernhard Raimann, Boston College OG Zion Johnson
The right tackle position held back the Chargers as much as any other in 2021, and the team was still on the cusp of the postseason.
Given the defensive additions, and securing Williams, the Chargers are likely to be zeroing on a blocker to bookend Rashawn Slater, who was tremendous as a rookie in 2021. Los Angeles is set at left tackle with Slater, at center with Corey Linsley, and at left guard with Matt Feiler.
The right side of the line? Not so much.
There's a possible dilemma though. No. 17 overall is not exactly a sweet spot for a litany of top-tier offensive linemen to be available. The tackle position is top-heavy with Evan Neal from Alabama, NC State's Ikem Ekwonu, and Mississippi State's Charles Cross. All should be gone inside the top 10.
Penning or Raimann are possibilities who shouldn't be viewed as mega reaches if either are the selection. And Johnson from Boston College is viewed as the consensus top guard. No. 17 overall is probably his ceiling.
...or a linebacker
Possible selections: Utah LB Devin Lloyd, Georgia LB Nakobe Dean
Kyzir White is a free agent, and we don't know his destination at time of publication. It could be back with the Chargers. If it's not, Los Angeles will have a renovation ahead at the linebacker position, even after selecting Kenneth Murray in Round 1 of the 2020 draft.
Murray has largely been a disappointment, and White had emerged as the lone consistent playmaker in the linebacker contingent, with Drue Tranquill occasionally chipping in. With the Rams, Brandon Staley had one of the best defenses in football without an established star at linebacker, but if there's an offseason emphasis on fixing the run defense, the linebacker spot simply can't be ignored.
Johnson and Joseph-Day are solid players, but they aren't Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers up front.
