Raiders GM Tom Telesco Made Strong First Impression in First Draft With Chargers

This week, Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco will be looking to emulate the success he had in his first NFL Draft with the Los Angeles (then-San Diego) Chargers back in 2013.

Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco has been well-renowned for his NFL Draft success, which started from his very first draft as general manager of the Los Angeles (then-San Diego) Chargers in 2013.

In the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Telesco and the Chargers selected eventual Raider offensive tackle D.J. Fluker with the 11th overall pick.

While Fluker never really developed into a player you would expect a top-half first-round pick to become, he was vital for the Chargers, starting all but five games for the club in the four seasons he spent in San Diego.

Ironically, in Telesco's first offseason as general manager of the Raiders, Las Vegas released Fluker, who had been signed to the practice squad back in December.

Another player whom the Chargers selected in that 2013 draft that didn't quite pan out was former Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o. At the time, however, he was an excellent second-round pickup who was fresh off a stellar season with the Fighting Irish in which he was named a 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist.

Then there was, of course, one of the Chargers' best draft picks in recent memory: wide receiver Keenan Allen. It was arguably Telesco's best draft acquisition as a general manager and one that made quite the first impression for the him.

Allen went on to be named to six Pro Bowls as a Charger and blossomed into one of the best wideouts in the league. He was named the 2017 Comeback Player of the Year after tearing his ACL in Week 1 of the 2016 season.

Los Angeles traded Allen to the Chicago Bears last month, ending his 11-year run with the club.

Telesco and the Chargers had a total of six picks in that 2013 draft. As of now, he has more to work with going into his first draft with the Silver and Black, as the Raiders currently have eight picks.

How Telesco and his team use those picks is going to say a lot about the new Raiders general manager and how he will approach this new era of Raiders football.

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

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