The San Diego Chargers are heading into a new era after firing both head coach Norv Turner and general manager AJ Smith and with Mike McCoy at the helm for his first draft, the team has a number of needs to address and some targets in the first round could be West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin and Oklahoma left tackle Lane Johnson.
According to ESPN.com, the Chargers have needs at a number of positions, including on the offensive line, tight end, wide receiver, cornerback and the defensive line. The Chargers have the number 11 overall pick in the first round of the draft on Thursday and there is a chance the team could try to trade up if they feel Johnson is worth it, as they have a huge need at left tackle after releasing Jared Gaither. The Chargers may have had a chance at trading for Kansas City left tackle Branden Albert, but his agent is talking to the Dolphins and a deal appears to be imminent.
Some targets for the Chargers include West Virginia receiver Tavon Austin, who is one of the most explosive players in the draft and could help replace the production San Diego lost after Vincent Jackson left to sign in free agency with the Bucs before last season. Rivers' numbers suffered without the extra receiver threat and the loss of the running game forced him to make throws under continuous pressure. The best bet is a trade with the Raiders, as that would ensure them being able to select the player they want at three with no one else getting in the way.
The fact that Rivers was sacked so much last season is one reason why it is likely the Chargers will select a lineman with their first pick, whether it be Johnson, or possibly Eric Fisher, Jonathan Cooper or Chance Warmack. The Chiefs have the number one overall pick and are expected to select one of the top two left tackles in Luke Joeckel or Fisher, while a number of teams between the Jaguars and Chargers also will look at the position, meaning the Chargers could trade up. Other options include two highly touted guards in Cooper and Warmack, who could be the first guard to go in the top 10 in over a decade. Mel Kiper at ESPN also reported a possible scenario where the Minnesota Vikings could trade up to try to take a receiver at the number 11 pick, which the Chargers could trade down to stockpile more picks.
Last season the Chargers finished 7-9 on the year after going 4-2 in the AFC West, including a 24-21 win over Oakland in the final game in Week 17 at home. The Chargers finished the season by winning three of their final four games, including a 34-24 victory over the Steelers, but it wasn't enough to make it into the playoffs in the AFC. The team was inconsistent on offense all season and ranked 24th in passing offense behind Rivers and 27th in rushing yards per game with 91 yards after dealing with injuries at the position to Mathews. The defense will be reworked by McCoy through the draft after ranking 18th in passing yards per game and allowing nearly 100 rushing yards per game on the ground.
The Chargers open up the season against Houston in primetime on Monday Night Football at home and then will go on the road for two straight weeks at Philadelphia and Tennessee before coming home for a tilt against the Cowboys. The next part of the schedule has Oakland, Indianapolis and Jacksonville before heading into the bye week in Week 8.
