Chargers all-time best picks in each round of the NFL draft

This piece comes with a disclaimer or sorts, albeit for not every team in the league. The Los Angeles Chargers were one of the eight charter members of the American Football League in 1960. The franchise moved to San Diego in 1961, and remained there until 2016. The Bolts are once again back in their original digs, per say.

The AFL conducted its own draft from 1960-66. Then came what is referred to as the “common draft.” While AFL and NFL teams weren’t facing each other in the regular season, the leagues opted for one draft starting in 1967.

These days, the NFL draft has been reduced to seven rounds, a format that began in 1994. Hence, the common draft (1967-2024) is our time frame when it comes to ranking the Chargers’ best picks from Rounds 1-7. Tenure and impact on the team is a major factor.

Round 1: RB LaDainian Tomlinson (2001)

You could certainly make strong cases for linebacker Junior Seau, and fellow Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow. Still, when you score the third-most touchdowns in NFL history, most of those in a Chargers’ uniform, it’s hard not to give five-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro, and Hall of Fame running back LaDanian Tomlinson the nod here. In nine seasons with the Bolts, he totaled 16,445 yards from scrimmage and reached the end zone 153 times. He enjoyed a huge year in 2006 as he led the league in rushing yards (1,815), scored an NFL-record 31 TDs and captured MVP honors.

Round 2: DE Fred Dean (1975)

He was a member of the powerful Chargers’ team that in 1979 might have been the best club in the league that season. Defensive end Fred Dean was a second-round pick from Louisiana Tech who excelled at getting to the quarterback. His 12-year resume with the Chargers and 49ers (who he joined in 1981 via Trade) is what got Dean enshrined in Canton. During his six-plus years with the Bolts, his numbers weren’t too shabby either. He totaled 52.0 sacks, one interception (TD), and 11 fumble recoveries. He entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

Round 3: QB Dan Fouts (1973)

The University of Oregon product proved to be the right man at the right time for Don Coryell’s attack. Hall of Famer Dan Fouts was the 64th overall pick by the team in 1973 and finally hit his stride when Coryell took over as the Chargers’ head coach after a 1-3 start in 1978. While the team never reached the Super Bowl, it wasn’t for a lack of offensive firepower. In 15 seasons with the club, he threw for 43,040 yards and 254 scores. Fouts, a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1980s, was named All-Pro twice and earned six Pro Bowl invitations.

Round 4: RB/KR Darren Sproles (2005)

The versatile performer spent a combined 14 seasons with the Chargers, who made him the 130th overall pick in ’05, as well as the Saints and Eagles. Kansas State product Darren Sproles was the ultimate all-purpose threat as a runner, receiver, and punt and kickoff return artist. In his five seasons that he took the field for the Chargers (he missed all of 2006 with a broken ankle), he totaled 2,554 yards from scrimmage and scored 17 touchdowns. However, if you include his work on returns, that number swells to 9,956 total combined yards and 21 TDs.

Round 5: Rodney Harrison (1994)

He would wind up earning a pair of Super Bowl rings with the New Patriots in 2003 and ‘04 (XXXVIII and XXXIX). Safety Rodney Harrison began his NFL career as the 145th overall pick in the 1994 draft. The Western Illinois product spent nine seasons with the franchise, his rookie season resulting in an appearance in Super Bowl XXIX. He was a two-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro with the Chargers. He totaled 21.5 sacks, 26 picks (2 returned for TDs), and seven fumble recoveries (1 TD). Linebacker Woodrow Lowe and running back Lionel James were considered here.

Round 6: T Billy Shields (1975)

The franchise has certainly had its share of standout tackles, led by Pro Football Hall of Famer Ron Mix, as well as five-time Pro Bowler Russ Washington. Billy Shields spent his first nine seasons in the National Football League with the Chargers without much acclaim. He played in 11 games as a rookie and never started, but that would change. The 136th overall pick would miss only one game over the next eight years, making 116 starts. Shield spent the 1984 season with the San Francisco 49ers, earning a Super Bowl ring, and played for the Chiefs and Jets in ’85.

Round 7: RB Marion Butts (1989)

He was a powerful runner who enjoyed a seven-year NFL career, the first five seasons with the Chargers. Marion Butts was not a big factor in two season at Florida State. However, the 183rd overall pick in the ’89 draft made an immediate impression with the Bolts. In 15 games, he ran for 683 yards and nine touchdowns. In 1990, he enjoyed a career year with 265 carries for 1,225 yards and eight scores. He followed that up 834 rushing yards and six TDs, and was named to his second straight Pro Bowl. Butts ranks fourth in team history with 4,297 yards on the ground.

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