NFL Mock Draft By AI Betrays Chargers With Risky Pick

It’s hard to fumble the Los Angeles Chargers’ pick in an NFL mock draft this year.

Justin Herbert needs better protection up front. Mike McDaniel is installing his own scheme and, based on the Cole Strange signing, has a really particular skill set he’s looking for from his linemen.

Yet, as we’ve pointed out already, some NFL mock drafters get it wrong for the Chargers.

Whether it’s taking a bad value or a prospect who doesn’t seem to fit the vision, some of the mocks see the basic needs on the Chargers’ roster and don’t dig much deeper.

A new mock draft from AI, of all things, makes a similar gaffe.

AI NFL mock draft fumbles Chargers’ pick

Clemson offensive lineman Blake Miller — Blake Miller | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

A year ago, even NFL mock drafts that suggested running back Omarion Hampton would be the pick in the first round weren’t that outlandish: Jim Harbaugh loves his pounding the rock in an old-school sort of way.

But an offensive line pick in a mock draft for the Chargers needs to be pretty specific.

USA Today’s Jacob Camenker asked Meta AI to mock out the first round and came up with Blake Miller out of Clemson.

Meta AI and Camenker explained: “The Chargers need more help along the interior offensive line than they do at the tackle position. Meta lauded Miller as having "versatility," so maybe it envisions him kicking inside to right guard after seeing him play right tackle for most of his career at Clemson.”

That’s a yikes.

It’s not that Miller’s a bad prospect. Pro Football Focus’ big board has him 25th overall and says he has the “skill set of a potential starting NFL offensive tackle.” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein likes him as a long-term “plus starter” down the road.

But again, Miller’s an offensive tackle.

The Chargers happen to have the best offensive tackle duo in the NFL with Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt. They also happen to have, albeit quietly, one of the best swing-tackle backups in the NFL with Trey Pipkins.

What the Chargers don’t have is two surefire starting guards. Strange might be one. The lack of urgency seems to suggest so, even though it’s a risk. The other guard spot is a massive question mark. New starting center Tyler Biadasz is an upgrade, but the guys around him need to be above average, too.

For a draft peppered with possible instant-starting guards, the Chargers going in and taking a tackle they hope can be a guard would be an odd mistake. Luckily for Chargers fans, general manager Joe Hortiz probably isn’t taking advice from AI when he makes picks…and things have worked out so far.

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