Since the Chargers already have their quarterback, coach Jim Harbaugh says he can pick the best other position player in the draft with the fifth pick. Quarterbacks are potentially going to be the top four picks. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press)
The buzz has grown only louder with each passing day, the idea that next month quarterbacks could be selected with the first four picks in the NFL draft.
On Monday, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, whose team selects fifth, added to the volume — and with good reason.
“If four quarterbacks go in the first four picks, that’s not like the fifth pick anymore,” he said at the annual owners’ meetings. “That’s like the No. 1 pick in the draft for teams that have a great quarterback already.”
Yes, the Chargers sit in a position of power as Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz rebuild a roster that helped produce a five-win 2023 season.
Still in need of talent at multiple spots, the Chargers could use the fifth selection on an instant- and high-impact prospect or trade back to acquire additional draft capital and go for both quality and quantity.
Either way, they like the potential offered by the next four-plus weeks, the stock they’re holding going nowhere but — perhaps — up.
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“It doesn’t take a lot to understand that there’s some real possibilities,” Harbaugh said. “We’re super excited about that pick. So we’ll see how it plays out.”
The teams with the first three selections on April 25 — Chicago, Washington and New England — all need quarterbacks. Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye are widely considered to be the top three coming out of college.
Arizona, at No. 4, has invested in Kyler Murray, meaning the Cardinals could trade out of that spot to another team that wants a quarterback. That would arm Hortiz with Harbaugh’s de facto top selection.
Adding to the intrigue, the next quarterback…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/jim-harbaugh-chargers-could-top-192505379.html
Author : LA Times
Publish date : 2024-03-25 19:25:05
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