Los Angeles Chargers select Justin Herbert with the sixth pick in the NFL Draft
With the sixth pick in the NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Chargers select quarterback Justin Herbert out of Oregon.
This brings a new young quarterback into the AFC West, clearly highlighted by Patrick Mahomes, with another young prospect in Denver's Drew Lock.
Need a crash course on Justin Herbert? Here's Arrowhead Report's Tucker Franklin:
Justin Herbert showcased a big arm at the University of Oregon, where he played for four years. The Eugene, Oregon, native comes from a family of Ducks. His grandfather, Rick Schwab, was a wide receiver for the Ducks in the 1960s. Herbert and his family attended many Oregon games at Autzen Stadium growing up. Herbert threw for a career-high 3,471 passing yards and 32 touchdowns in his senior season. Herbert ran a 4.68 40-yard dash at the combine and garnered comparisons to Carson Wentz from NFL analyst Lance Zierlein.
So the Chargers have their QB of the future, but was it the right pick? Arrowhead Report's Jordan Foote breaks it down:
With an already-talented defense, the Los Angeles Chargers' biggest question mark is the quarterback position. While Tyrod Taylor has the potential to be a solid stopgap option for the next year or two, the idea of drafting a player of Justin Herbert's potential proved to be too enticing. With that said, Herbert's numbers at Oregon didn't reflect the tape. His inconsistency and Jekyll/Hyde nature make him a super high-risk play in year one. Even if offensive coordinator Shane Steichen works with Herbert for a year while he fine-tunes his game, there's a high chance the pick's value is never met in relation to the draft slot.
The takeaway:
Could Herbert work out for LA? Maybe. But, from the perspective of the Kansas City Chiefs, this is good news, at least opposed to the alternative. The Chargers weren't able to select a more explosive quarterback one spot sooner.
Though the Chargers at least have the man they believe will be able to compete with the Chiefs for years to come, Tua Tagovailoa would have been a more explosive pick, and they missed out on Tua by one spot. I give the Chargers absolute credit for taking a quarterback early in the first round. That's the easiest path to a Super Bowl, and they have a very talented roster for Herbert to step into. But, to be frank, I'm glad they couldn't get Tua at No. 6 overall.
