2010 NFL draft review: San Diego Chargers

I could say that San Diego Chargers General Manager AJ Smith pushed all of his chips to the middle of the table by trading up to get RB Ryan Matthews with the 12th overall pick. However this team did what it had to, once the Buffalo Bills bit on CJ Spiller at nine it no longer looked like Matthews would fall to them at #28. They think his running, receiving, and blocking skills will be the piece that puts them over the top to a Super Bowl birth. Since 20 of their 22 starters will return they may be right. This team is in win now mode, and given that we have to say that the move was necessary and a pretty good one.

Of course in this move they had to forfeit their second round pick #40 overall (from Seattle in the Charlie Whitehurst deal), and LB Tim Dobbins. It was a hefty price to pay, but given the belief that Matthews makes them a super bowl contender seems to make it worth it. Of course this is a team that has lost three of its last four playoff games despite winning the AFC West for the last four years. They had better be right or they have mortgaged their future to win in the present.

The rest of their draft was filled with depth picks since they are returning so many starters and their backups are already in house. So let us take a look at the initial grades for teh Chargers 2010 draft class:

•Round One: A, Matthews is a great talent
•Talent: B+, they got Mathews and highly though of LB Donald Butler in the third round
•Need- B, they could have used an OT or CB to fill out the roster
•Average- B+

Related Links:

•San Diego Chargers news and notes
•2010 NFL Draft initial team grades
•MTR Football.com