Senior Bowl will be important piece of Chargers’ draft evaluation process
The draft starts in Mobile.
For the 32 NFL teams in attendance, the Senior Bowl is a chance to see some of college football’s top players square off in a week of practices and a full game to wrap things up in order to prove to them that they can prepare, practice and compete like pros.
Within all of the action on the football field, this is team’s first opportunity to sit down and get to know the prospects after watching them for years at their perspective school and talking to their coaches to gain more information on them.
While many clubs view this as just the first step of the pre-draft process, Chargers general manager Tom Telesco sees it more than just that, given his track record of drafting players that have been a part of the week’s long event.
Since 2017, Los Angeles has signed or drafted 16 former and current players who have participated in the Senior Bowl:
G Dan Feeney, Indiana – 2017
S Rayshawn Jenkins, Miami – 2017
DB Desmond King, Iowa – 2017
DE Isaac Rochell, Notre Dame – 2017
LS Cole Mazza, Alabama – 2017
DT Justin Jones, NC State – 2018
K Michael Badgley, Miami – 2018
LB Uchenna Nwosu, USC – 2018
C Scott Quessenberry, UCLA – 2018
LB Drue Tranquill, Notre Dame – 2019
S Nasir Adderley, Delaware – 2019
QB Justin Herbert, Oregon — 2020
RB Joshua Kelley, UCLA — 2020
S Alohi Gilman, Notre Dame — 2020
WR K.J. Hill, Ohio State — 2020
Since he took the job in 2013, some of Telesco’s biggest values when evaluating players is production, statistically and the time spent at school. Another thing that he covets is not only good players, but good people.
It’s rare that any of the guys brought in constantly have issues or are constantly in trouble with off-the-field stuff. Telesco brings in good football players that are tough, competitive and fit the culture of what the Chargers want to be both on and off the field.
“I mean, really, it’s more important what they did at their college for three or four years,” Telesco said. “But yeah, the all-star game is great, and it’s great to see guys want to come and compete and play no matter where you think you may be drafted to come compete.”
There will be plenty of players that should draw the attention of Telesco and the rest of the staff on hand, both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. I’ll be covering the event all week long, updating you every day during and after each practice.
