The 2024 NFL Draft is now in the rearview mirror. After a flurry of selections from April 25 to April 27, 257 players were selected to join the NFL.
With that, we give you our full recap of the Los Angeles Chargers‘ draft, with analysis on every selection the team made during the weekend and an in-depth look at their top pick.
For more information on the players your favorite team drafted, it’s not too late to get the 2024 NFL Draft Guide, which includes expanded scouting reports, draft grades, offseason reports, unique advanced data, PFF grades and much more.
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2024 Draft Picks
- 1 (5): T Joe Alt, Notre Dame
- 2 (34): WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia
- 3 (69): LB Junior Colson, Michigan
- 4 (105): DL Justin Eboigbe, Alabama
- 5 (137): CB Tarheeb Still, Maryland
- 5 (140): CB Cam Hart, Notre Dame
- 6 (181): RB Kimani Vidal, Troy
- 7 (225): WR Brenden Rice, USC
- 7 (253): WR Cornelius Johnson, Michigan
Alt — The Chargers had clear needs at both wide receiver and offensive tackle. They opted to beef up their offensive line, which should help keep franchise cornerstone Justin Herbert upright and spark a run game that has been non-existent in recent years. Alt allowed just 13 pressures across the last two seasons on over 700 pass-blocking snaps.
McConkey — After beefing up the trenches in the first round, Los Angeles trades up a few picks to get its wide receiver at the top of the second round. McConkey played over 600 snaps on the outside over the past two seasons at Georgia but projects as someone who will spend most of his time in the slot in the NFL. He has the speed to get vertical and the quickness to create separation underneath and add on after the catch, so he could quickly step into a significant role for the Chargers in Year 1.
Colson — The Jim Harbaugh-led Chargers select their first Michigan Wolverine, Colson. In 2023, Colson earned a career-high 90.2 tackling grade, missing just 4.7% of his tackle attempts over the season. He was also one of the best linebackers in the country in coverage, earning an 83.4 coverage grade.
Eboigbe — Eboigbe tallied career highs in sacks (seven) and QB pressures (31) in 2023. His 86.4 run-defense grade ranked second among all FBS edge rushers last year.
Still — Still is a physical cornerback with solid instincts and outside/slot versatility. He lined up in press coverage on 122 of his 289 coverage snaps in 2023, and his career-high five interceptions ranked third among Big Ten cornerbacks. He also showed some tenacity as a run defender, earning an 88.4 run-defense grade.
Hart — Hart allowed no touchdowns on 308 coverage snaps in 2023 and is a high-ceiling cornerback with great measurables and athleticism. The Chargers have made cornerback a priority on Day 3 after picking Tarheeb Still earlier, acquiring two different playstyles and body types in the fifth round.
Vidal — Vidal is a rocked-up, explosive athlete, but his vision for space needs to speed up for him to earn a rotational role in the NFL. However, he earned a career-high 93.2 rushing grade in 2023, scoring 14 touchdowns and forcing a whopping 94 missed tackles across 295 attempts.
Rice — It’s unclear why Rice fell so far in the draft. The son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, Brenden was PFF’s 125th overall prospect, so the Chargers may have found themselves one of the steals of Day 3. From 2022 to 2023, the USC receiver generated a 117.3 passer rating when targeted, ninth-best among all players at the position over that span.
Johnson — Jim Harbaugh goes back to Ann Arbor to bring in another Wolverine. Johnson is a very willing blocker in the run game and is also extremely underrated as a route-runner. There are multiple instances where Johnson made above-and-beyond catches on deep throws. Pair that with Justin Herbert’s bazooka, and this is a solid fit. Aside from receiving a 71.1 PFF grade in 2023, Johnson also received a national championship ring.
DRAFT GRADE: A
Rookie spotlight: T Joe Alt, Notre Dame
Scouting summary
Alt is an unquestionable first-round offensive lineman on film, bringing a high football IQ at just 21 years old. He started as a true freshman at Notre Dame and played more than 2,200 snaps in his three-year career. Despite being 6-foot-8, he has the flexibility to get in a three-point stance and maintain good drive and leverage off the snap.
His footwork is so quick for a player of his size, and his balance and core strength stand out. He is effective in both gap- and zone-blocking schemes.
His only true weaknesses come from overextending his arms and getting off balance to dictate contact and his lack of density when absorbing bull rushes.
Wins above average
WAA represents the number of wins a player is worth over an average college football player and is a metric evaluators can utilize to assess performance.
It combines how well a player performed in each facet of play (using PFF grades) and how valuable each facet is to winning football games. The result is a first-of-its-kind metric that allows for cross-positional valuation and predicts future value at the player and team levels.
How Alt ranks in the stable metrics
Alt will enter the league as one of the soundest pass-blocking prospects in recent memory.
The Notre Dame tackle played 300-plus pass-blocking snaps in all three of his college seasons and bettered his pressure rate every year. He is also a fantastic run-blocker, having posted three straight run-blocking grades above 75.0.
The bottom line
The NFL draft is all about finding players with size, speed and strength who have the IQ to use those traits optimally. That's Joe Alt, and that should spell a top-10 selection as a future long-term tackle.
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