2018 NFL Draft: Los Angeles Chargers 7-round mock draft in December
By Derek Snyder
Round 7 (Pick No. 1): Deebo Samuel, WR, South Carolina
Sometimes, teams just need to draft the best player available, rather than choosing someone who could potentially fill a need. While most NFL teams shouldn’t live by that philosophy, I believe the Chargers could find themselves in a spot like that in the upcoming NFL Draft in April.
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The good news for Los Angeles is that Deebo Samuel, a wide receiver from South Carolina will, more than likely, still be on the board in the seventh round. He’s not a guy who will be highly-rated going into the NFL combine, but he could be the steal of the 2018 NFL Draft.
That said, Samuel broke his leg in the Gamecocks third game of the season and hasn’t seen the field since. Also, since he only played roughly three games of his junior season, he may decide to go back to school for another year.
Other than Travis Benjamin, the Chargers don’t have a guy who can break open a play at any given moment. Sure, Keenan Allen falls into that mix, but I believe Los Angeles could use Samuel in a variety of ways to confuse defenses. Just think of what New Orleans has done with Alvin Kamara this year. I’m not saying Samuel is as talented as Kamara, but Ken Whisenhunt would be wise to explore that kind of attack with him.
Again, whether Samuel heads back to USC or not is definitely something to keep an eye on, but if he does indeed decide to go back to school, the Chargers will have another great receiving option to choose from in the latter part of the seventh round.