San Diego Chargers Trading Up In The Draft? 5 Possible Players To Move Up For

Ryan Mathews

The Chargers hold the 18th overall pick in this year’s Draft and have a number of different options they can go with.

Offensive line is an issue.  Stanford tackle Jonathan Martin should be available at that pick and would be a solid player to bring in and compete at right tackle. However, Martin isn’t anywhere near as good as the top tackle in the Draft Matt Kalil nor is he as good as the number 2 ranked tackle in Riley Reiff.

The Chargers are also in need of a pass rusher and there are plenty of first round prospects available this year. However, it’s difficult to predict how high players like Melvin Ingram, Nick Perry, Courtney Upshaw etc. will go and so the team may be faced with a difficult situation of taking a risk on a project player like Whitney Mercilus or Chandler Jones.

There is another option which is the most risky yet could be the most rewarding, move up. The last time the Chargers decided to make a big trade during the Draft was in 2010 when the team moved up to the 12 overall pick to select running back Ryan Mathews. Trading up is always risky but here are a few prospects this year who may be worth the risk.

But who could they move up for? Let’s take a look at a few possible candidates.

Melvin Ingram

Melvin Ingram- Defensive End/Outside Linebacker- South Carolina

Overview: Ingram is considered by most scouts to be the premier pass rusher in this year’s Draft. He is a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker who excels at rushing the passer.

Ingram was a consensus first team all american last season after an impressive year for South Carolina in which he had 10 sacks. At 6 ft 1 and 264 lbs he is perfectly suited to play as an outside linebacker in the Chargers 3-4 defense.

Ingram’s most likely landing spot is with the Jacksonville Jaguars who pick at number 7, and he could also land with by the Miami Dolphins who pick at number 8. He would be a superb talent to bring in to help rush the passer.

Projected Pick: Number 7 by the Jacksonville Jaguars- Number 15 by the Philadelphia Eagles

Riley Reiff

Riley Reiff- Offensive Tackle- Iowa

Overview: Reiff is the second best tackle in this year’s class and will be heavily sought after come Draft Day. With Matt Kalil likely to be picked by the Minnesota Vikings with the 3rd overall pick, Reiff could join him as a top 10 pick with the Buffalo Bills reported to be interested in the tackle from Iowa.

Some scouts have questioned Reiff’s ability to be a left tackle in the NFL. If he fails to succeed at left tackle, expect him to move to the right side similar to Bryan Bulaga.

If Reiff is still available with the 10th overall pick, all likely signs point to the Bills selecting him to replace the recently departed Demetrius Bell.

Projected Pick: Number 10 by the Buffalo Bills- Number11 by the Kansas City Chiefs 

Nick Perry

Nick Perry- Defensive End/Outside Linebacker- USC

Overview: Perry is another athletic pass rusher who may interest the Chargers come Draft Day. A versatile player who could play both defensive end and outside linebacker in the Chargers 3-4 defense, Perry would bring some much needed speed to the pass rush.

Perry isn’t accustomed to playing linebacker in coverage and would be used almost exclusively as a pass rusher. I see a lot of similarities to his fellow USC alum Clay Matthews.

The Dolphins are reported to be interested and he shouldn’t fall past the Cardinals at number 13. He could put up 10+ sacks as a Rookie.

Projected Pick: Number 8 by the Miami Dolphins- Number 13 by the Arizona Cardinals

David DeCastro

David DeCastro- Guard- Stanford

Overview: DeCastro is a powerful guard who is a dominant pass/run blocker. Comparisons have already been made to Pro Bowl guard Steve Hutchinson.

Along with fellow Stanford offensive lineman Jonathan Martin, he will be a high first round pick. His strength is his biggest strength and is surprising agile for such a big offensive lineman.

He will draw plenty of attention from teams like the St.Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs. DeCastro would be the ideal replacement for retired guard Kris Dielman.

Projected Pick: Number 6 by the St.Louis Rams- Number 12 by the Seattle Seahawks

Mark Barron

Mark Barron- Safety- Alabama

Overview: In my opinion, Mark Barron is one of the most underrated prospects in this year’s Draft. He will be the first safety off the board and is drawing interest from both the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets.

He is an excellent tackler who is well capable of make plays in the running game at the line of scrimmage. He also possess a great understanding of how to play in coverage and was a key contributor on the Alabama defense that won the BCS Championship last season.

Barron should be picked just a few spots before the Chargers pick at 18. He would be the ideal player to partner with Pro Bowler Eric Weddle in the secondary.

Projected Pick: Number 14 by the Dallas Cowboys– Number 16 by the New York Jets

So those are my possible candidates that the Chargers may be looking to move up for.

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Thanks for reading.