Chargers get protection for QB Justin Herbert in Daniel Jeremiah’s first mock draft
With the offseason in full gear this means that mock draft season is as well. We’ve seen a handful of draft projections over the past couple of months, but for the first time we got to see NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah first mock draft, which was released on Friday.
Jeremiah addresses a position of need by mocking former USC offensive tackle Alijah Vera-Tucker to the Chargers with the No. 13 overall selection.
Vera-Tucker is one of the cleanest players in the draft. He’s played at a high level at both guard and tackle. The Chargers must address the offensive line this offseason.
Knowing that tackle Sam Tevi and guard Forrest Lamp might not be back creates two potential holes on the left side. So, why not draft a lineman that’s capable of manning both the edge and along the interior? That’s why the selection of Vera-Tucker makes a ton of sense.
Vera-Tucker needs to improve his hand tactics to better sustain the point of attack, but he comes with highly impressive athleticism and movement skills to match pass rushers.
Vera-Tucker entered the 2020 season as one of the top guards, but he helped his stock after proving himself as one of the best blindside blockers. The Morris Trophy winner profiles as a starting guard in Year 1, but he has the athleticism and movement skills to start at tackle in the NFL.
