CORNERBACK Continued from Page 4
amongst his top cornerbacks. Most draftniks have Lattimore being taken in the top five selections, however, Will Brinson (CBS Sports) and Matt Miller (Bleacher Report) have the former Buckeye sliding down to the Chargers. Brinson: “The Chargers add another cornerback, giving them a ridiculous trio as they combine Lattimore with Casey Hayward and Jason Verrett. That’s a stacked secondary.� Miller: “Of late, many feel that the Chargers are going to address their secondary by adding another cornerback. The Chargers have two talented players at that position, but with Jason Verrett’s health concerns, it may not be a bad idea. The Chargers have clearly showed they don’t value the safety position and if they are going to select a defensive back, it would likely be corner.�
Marlon Humphrey 6-0, 198, CB, Alabama Humphrey is an interesting prospect in that Ourlads’ ranks him No. 18 overall and No. 4 amongst cornerbacks and Mayock has Humphrey as his No. 3 cornerback. Scouts Inc., Kiper and McShay don’t have Humphrey ranked in the top 32 prospects on their big boards. Despite the discrep-
Alabama’s Marlon Humphrey gets mixed reviews from draft prognosticators, but could be the Chargers’ pick for cornerback.
ancy of those analysts, O.J. Howard (CBS Sports.com) and Dan Kadar (SB Nation) both have Humphrey going to the Chargers at No. 7. White: “Here’s the first spot where I think an offensive lineman can come off the board, as the Chargers could use another tackle even after signing Russell Okung. However, I think they’ll benefit most from adding Humphrey to the secondary to replace Brandon Flowers and give themselves insurance at the position with Jason Verrett recovering from a torn ACL. Casey Hayward is plenty capable of lining up in the slot if everyone is healthy,
giving the Chargers secondary the ability to stack up with any passing attack.� Kadar: “The Chargers have the pieces necessary on the line and at linebacker to fit Gus Bradley’s defense. But what they don’t have is the type of big cornerback he prefers. At just over 6’0, Humphrey is a solid fit who plays physical.�
Solomon Thomas 6-3, 273, OLB/DE, Stanford With Texas A&M’s DE Myles Garrett the consensus No. 1 pick overall, many analysts believe Thomas could be the sec-
ond edge rusher off the board. Ranked No. 6 overall by Ourlads’, No. 4 by Scouts Inc., No. 3 by Kiper, No. 4 by McShay and the fourth-best edge rusher by Mayock, it appears that Thomas will be picked in the top 10. Tony Iosso (Cover 32) have the Chargers taking Thomas in his latest mock draft. Iosso: “Los Angeles was able to retain pass rusher Melvin Ingram by way of the franchise tag, as well as keeping safety Jahleel Addae, both filling areas of need. Corner could be a consideration here as the team recently parted ways with Brandon Flowers. However I opted to give them Solomon Thomas who could play across from Ingram to form a devastating pass rush.� The Endzone: It is no secret that new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley likes tall, physical cornerbacks manning his secondary. There are a number of talented cornerbacks in this draft that both fit the mold that Bradley likes and could still be on the board in the second round should Telesco go in a different direction at No. 7. Washington Huskies’ cornerback Kevin King could be one such player. At 6-3, 200-pounds King has the size, speed and talent that Bradley likes. Although two draftniks picked Humphrey to go the Chargers in the first round, with all the talent at cornerback he might just be available when they pick at No. 38 in the second round.
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