Los Angeles Chargers Saturday Mailbag: Justin Jackson’s role and more

Questions 4-6

Question 4: Hi this is Chuck from Fla. I feel like if Mike Williams and Forrest Lamp come back healthy it will be like having an extra 2 high draft picks in this years draft as they are unknowns as how they can perform at the NFL level. Do you agree? -Chuck

Mike Williams could return healthy and ready to rumble, but won’t ever feel this season like he’s a high draft pick making an impact. Let me explain: Yes, he is a high selection at No. 7 overall, but he will not make a No.7 overall impact on the team. Think of other first round picks like Joey Bosa, who came in right away and abused offensive tackles and quarterbacks immediately.

Williams has an elite receiver, an ascending tight end, a speedster, a solid pass-catching back, and whatever Tyrell Williams is in front of him. Last year, I was not impressed with Williams. Too many drops and short routes. Hopefully that gets fixed this year, but his impact will not be felt this year as much as say a Derwin James would.

Forrest Lamp, on the other hand, could immediately turn this team around and give Rivers one of the best right guards he’s had in a very long time. The Chargers were not very good at running the ball to the right, but adding a player who ranked as a top five offensive tackle for three-straight years in college will fix much of that, barring injury.

Question 5: Is Tre Boston a post draft option for the Charger? I don’t think they have a regular starting Free safety unless it’s Jaylen Watkins as Derwin James seems destined to be near the line linebacker/SS combo. Sounds like he is available for slightly over vet minimum. -Scott

As versatile as James is, I still believe he’s the starting free safety. That designation, however, only matters on the depth chart. James, King, White, Phillips and Brown all have the ability to play at least two positions at the next level. I could play James at free, have King blitzing with White at WILL linebacker just as easily have James play the WILL spot, King at free, and White blitzing. It’s up to Gus Bradley to maximize each player.

In regards to Tre Boston, he could be an option, but the Chargers’ decisions in both draft and free agency suggest otherwise. Currently, the NFL has an odd problem with free agent safeties. Guys like Boston, Kenny Vaccaro and Eric Reid have yet to be signed. At this point, all would be relatively low-cost signings; Boston could technically return at such a cheap rate that spending cap on a veteran who knows the system could be worth it. Bradley seems to want more than just a deep-ball safety, though, and more a guy who can move everywhere and tackle.

Question 6: Which do you think was the best value pick, White or Nwosu? I feel they got a lot of value on most of their picks. But those 2 interest me. Thank you for your great insight. –Chuck

The answer is Derwin James.

Alright, fine, I’ll pick one of the two. If you’re asking me for value, then it has to be Kyzir White. Technically, finding a starting player in a later round will always have more “value”. Desmond King from the fifth round will always have more value as a draft selection than Marshon Lattimore, a Pro-Bowler taken 140 picks earlier in the same 2017 class.

Nwosu looks to be a hard-hitting defender and a solid rotational pass rusher, but appears to have had a late second to third round grade on him. He may end up being the best player of the entire draft, but the value wasn’t quite as high as with White, who was more of a Day 2 selection than Day 3.