Los Angeles Chargers: 5 First-round targets in the 2018 NFL Draft
By Derek Snyder
2. Vita Vea, DT, Washington
As I mentioned before with Roquan Smith, the Chargers must find a way to address their terrible run defense in the offseason. If this team wants to make it back to the AFC playoffs, they have to stop guys like Kareem Hunt from running all over them. That said, drafting Vita Vea would be a solid choice in Gus Bradley’s 3-4 scheme.
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At 6-5 and 340 pounds, Vea would be the perfect choice to help fill the nose-tackle positions on this Chargers defense. He may not last until the 17th pick, but nonetheless, he has to be on the Bolts radar.
Take a look at some of Vea’s stats in 2017, courtesy of Sports-Reference:
- 43 total tackles
- 5.5 tackles-for-loss
- 3.5 sacks
- 4 passes defended
Let’s be honest, Vea isn’t the high-motor player that will be sacking the quarterback 10 times per season, but his presence on the field will help players like Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa get off the edge.
I wouldn’t be a huge fan of the Chargers trading up for him, but if he’s available at 17, Los Angeles must draft him.