San Diego's Biggest Needs

With the draft basically a week away, lets take a look at the Chargers biggest needs after free agency.

1) Pass Rush: This is the biggest area that the Chargers still need to address. The good news is that there are a large amount of prospects available at several stages of the draft. The team could take a player like USC's Nick Perry or Illinois one year wonder Whitney Mercilus at 18, trade down into the later part of the first round and take a player like Shea McClellin. Still further down the draft are prospects like Zach Brown of North Carolina, Vinny Curry from Marshall, and Jonathan Massaquoi from Troy. The Chargers are setting pretty good in regards to addressing this need.

2) Both Lines: The Chargers have done a good job for the most part in addressing the needs on both sides of the ball with these areas. Still, the Chargers should be looking to take a proactive approach with these positions. Antonio Garay and Luis Castillo aren't getting any younger, so some additional depth with the potential to join the rotation would be a wise move. The offensive line is a bit better, especially after the resignings of Jared Gaither and Nick Hardwick. Still, the team may want to target someone it the draft to compete for the open battle at the left guard position. Players like Georgia mountain Cordy Glenn, Northwestern State prospect Amaini Silatolu, and Iowa State player Kelechi Osemele, just to name a few, could add some key depth to the Chargers offensive lines.

3) Depth in General: The biggest reason that most people point to for the Chargers recent lack of success is the massive extent of injuries that the team has had to deal with over the last couple of years. With this in mind, the Chargers need to ensure that they are developing the back half of the roster well. This could be the difference between making the playoffs or having another bad season. The Houston Texans are a perfect example of this. How many seasons did they have a great first team offense only to struggle constantly with injuries. I know that the defensive changes helped, but the development of that back half of the roster made a huge difference.

Chargers Draft Prospects: Whitney Mercilus

Next up for the Charger Madness draft profiles is Illinois one year wonder Whitney Mercilus. Mercilus was a one year starter, and boy did he make the best of it. He has climbed higher and higher on many draft boards and is expected to be selected sometime in the bottom half of the first round. Many mocks have him being selected by the Chargers.

Position: DE/OLB
Weight: 261 lbs.
Height: 6' 4''

Pros: This guy has great acceleration and possesses pure speed for the position, perhaps his biggest upside. Mercilus has great hand use and is a pain to block, possessing the wiggle to worm his way to the quarterback. This flexibility allows him to gain good positioning against linemen. He is a player who doesn't shy away from contact and is very physical in the trenches. He is a very good tackler and does a great job wrapping up ball carriers and bringing them down. His length allows him to make a reach and have an impact on the play and has good hand placement. He finished the season with 16 sacks (1st in the nation), 22.5 tackles for loss, and 9 forced fumbles (school record and 2nd in NCAA history).

Cons: People will knock that he only had one year of starting experience in college, but when he got the chance, he produced. He doesn't focus on technique to much and is still developing his snap anticipation. He doesn't have the best hips and tends to play high. My biggest concern is his lack of change of direction ability. If he is going to play OLB, he will have to react to the play and recover quickly at times.

Whitney Mercilus is a player who has great potential and should hear his name called early. While he would be learning a new position if he is selected by the Chargers, he has the potential to become a great pass rusher. With his ability to force fumbles and efficiency as a tackler, he should be able to develop into a player who can play every down. This would be a great pickup for the Chargers. What is best is that the team may be able to trade down to select him somewhere around the early 20's. That would be a win/win for the team.

Chargers Draft Prospects: Jonathan Massaquoi

This draft seems to be full of potentially great pass rushers. There are the obvious big name guys we have all been talking about such as Nick Perry, Whitney Mercilus, and others. Looking a bit deeper into the draft, we find Troy prospect Jonathan Massaquoi. Massaquoi is a talent that many feel is better than what some think.

Position: OLB
Weight: 264 lbs.
Height: 6' 2''

Pros: Massaquoi has great size at the position but also has good flexibility, being able to change direction quickly. He possesses good stunting and twisting ability, being able to come after the quarterback. His long arms allow him to recover when he over-pursues or gets caught out of position. He is able to get into the backfield and blowup running plays and has good awareness. He is a player who is willing to spend the time in the weight room, adding 50 pounds since his senior year of high school.

Cons: For all of his ability and awareness, he does seem to get caught out of position. He can play overagressively and needs to develop more discipline when playing assignment football. He played out of position in a way at Troy, playing DE in a 3 man front. Still, he produced good numbers in his 2 years. He leaves production on the field an can disappear for stretches of games. The biggest weakness is his weakness in his read/react ability.

Massaquoi is a player who just may be starting to scratch the surface of his potential. He may have a rough time transitioning to OLB, but the potential and talent are there. With his athleticism as his biggest asset, he should be an intriguing prospect.

The Missing Pieces

With the first wave of free agency done with, the next focus for teams is the draft. Each year, there always seems to be a piece that a team needs, and the Chargers are no different. This year, the Chargers have needs at three areas that stand out.

1) Pass Rush: This is what people see as the biggest need for the team, and that argument can certainly be made. The team as a whole only had one player, Antwan Barnes, record more than 4 sacks. Barnes was responsible for 11 of the teams 32 sacks, which was good enough for 23rd in the league. That number has got to improve. Since San Diego runs a 3-4 scheme, that pressure has to come from the linebackers. With prospects like Whitney Mercilus and Nick Perry available, San Diego may look long and hard at upgrading this position in the first round.

2) Offensive Line: With the resigning of Hardwick and Gaither, the offensive line situation improved greatly. Still, the team could still use help. The LG spot is still up for grabs. I know that A.J. Smith has talked about allowing Tyronne Green and Brandyn Dombrowski the chance to compete for the starting job, but I wouldn't rule out a rookie being drafted and thrown into the mix. As much as the team has endorsed Clary on the right side, the public perception is not the same. Bringing in a lineman who could play both guard and tackle would both provide key depth and a challenge for both positions.

3) Secondary: Chargers fans have long been looking for an answer at SS. We have seen a revolving door of players come through and try to fill the position. Bigby seems like another player who may fill in for a season or two (I hope he is as good as A.J. thinks he is). There has been talk of moving Jammer to safety at some point to close out his career, which I think would be a good move for all parties involved. Either way, the team could stand to add some depth and talent in this unit. With the exception of SS, the starters are all good. I expect the team to either draft a safety high or find a hybrid corner/safety player at some point in the draft.

With the draft right around the corner, we will soon find out the team's plan. Will this be the year that A.J. gets it right, or will we once again be scratching our heads?

Charger Madness 2012 NFL Mock Draft v 1.0 Picks 21-32

Today rounds out the first round of the Charger Madness 2012 NFL Mock Draft 1.0. Here are picks 21-32.

21) Cincinnati Bengals- Stephen Hill (WR, Georgia Tech)

The Bengals surprised a lot of people this year, making the playoffs before falling to another surprising team in the Texans. The defense needs help, especially at corner, but they already addressed that at 17th with Dre Kirkpatrick. The team does have some good weapons for Andy Dalton in A.J. Green and company, but I think they could add one more receiver to help Dalton. Hill has been limited in his development playing in a triple-option system, but he has great speed and is a willing blocker. With time, his routes should improve. He should be a nice addition to the team.

22) Cleveland Browns- Doug Martin (RB, Boise State)

I had the Browns passing on Trent Richardson at 4th to take Claiborne. The next several picks for this team will be offense. This unit is dreadful. To me, Martin seems like a back who can do just about everything. He is probably a bit underrated and should be a nice fit for the Browns. He has great acceleration and strength, can catch out of the backfield, bowl over defenders, and run both inside and out. The only knocks I have head are that he doesn't have elite top end speed and he sometimes doesn't always carry the ball away from defender. he will need to improve his pass blocking, but what rookie doesn't? Martin better be ready to take a beating.

23) Detroit Lions- Janoris Jenkins (CB, North Alabama)

Detroit has put together a great defensive front and has a decent group of linebackers. The weakest link in this unit is the secondary. Delmas is a great player, but they really need help against the pass. Just look at how they were shredded by Matt Flynn and Aaron Rodgers. Jenkins isn't the typical small school guy. He played for the University of Florida and is an all around great back, possessing great agility and speed. He has a knack for making big plays and was lights out at the Senior Bowl.