2021 NFL Overhaul: Los Angeles Chargers Switch to Elite Weapon After Missing Out on Slater

The plan was clear as day. Keenan Allen, Mike WilliamsAnd Austin Ekeler It all came off the screen after the Los Angeles Chargers draft Justin Herbert in 2020. With all these weapons and an elite QB, they would be unstoppable with the final piece of the puzzle, a top left tackle. This is what the Chargers tried to do when drafting Rashawn Slater from Northwestern with the 13th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

For Slater, this plan worked quite well. He's been one of the best tackles in football and, aside from some injury issues, he's lived up to the Chargers' initial expectations. That's why, in a new 2021 overhaul by the 33rd team, Slater moves up a few spots higher than he initially was.

Los Angeles Chargers 2021 1st round re-draft picks

Marcus Mosher then opts for Kyle Pitts at 13 with Slater out of the picture. Pitts was highly touted coming out of Florida that year, but has yet to produce consistently since joining the league. This is what triggered the fall of nine places from 4th to 13th place in the general classification. But Mosher still leads the tight end.

“Kyle Pitts He was the first tight end since Mike Ditka to post 1,000 yards during his rookie season. Injuries have since sidetracked his career, but he would be a perfect fit alongside Justin Herbert in the foreseeable future. Can you imagine the numbers Pitts would post if he played with Herbert for his entire career?

Chargers with Kyle Pitts instead of Slater

Taking a tight end is a tempting proposition since it was the only spot that wasn't occupied by an elite playmaker at the time Slater was drafted. Sam Tevi protected Herbert's blind side the year before. He did not play another snap in the NFL after 2020, so this would remain a position of need for the Chargers.

Pitts failed to build on his phenomenal rookie season, but also had to deal with injuries and a diminished role in the offense. He caught 667 yards last year, but saw 20 fewer targets than his first season. He would have finished over 900 yards if he saw a commensurate target rate based on his yards per reception that year.

In this draft exercise, the Chargers selected Pitts before the offensive tackles, Alijah Vera Tucker and Sam Cosmi.