2011 NFL Mock Draft: San Diego Chargers Select Randall Cobb

With the 50th pick of Pride of Detroit's 2011 NFL Mock Draft, the San Diego Chargers select Kentucky wide receiver Randall Cobb. Sgdbw90 is serving as the Chargers' general manager, and his reasoning for the pick is below.

As I explained previously, the Chargers are in a great position to add depth without any real expectations for performance. Their depth chart is solid and lacks any glaring holes that need to be addressed imminently. With my first rounder I picked up a big body to add to the DL rotation in Wilkerson, and I expect him to fill time at DT/NT and DE in the 3-4 scheme. The smart thing to do is to add more size to the front seven and/or offensive line. No one ever lost a playoff game because they drafted too many linemen. That said, where's the fun in linemen? They're fat and boring and you can't draft them on your fantasy team (and, for the record, I played offensive and defensive line in high school, so I'm allowed to say that).

Logic would indicate that the Bolts are mostly in need of DB help, especially at safety, but it's a particularly weak safety class, and all of the top CBs are off the board. The next biggest hole, though, is the 5'6" hole about to be left in the backfield as soon as Darren Sproles signs elsewhere (he's likely to be overpaid by somebody, and has too many miles on his tiny frame for the Chargers to give him a big deal). Or, arguably, the much bigger hole that's going to be left by a disgruntled Vincent Jackson. The Chargers would be well served to add a WR who could slide into the rotation or a scat-back who could spell Ryan Mathews and be plugged in on third downs. But wait, why take two players, when one can do both jobs?

Cobb is seen as a Percy Harvin-like player, able to grow into his role as a WR (most likely in the slot due to his height), but he also averaged 6.7 yards per carry over the past two seasons (with 150 carries, that's a legit number), and could easily fill in as a change of pace back if the Chargers see him that way. Cobb isn't a burner (if he was, he'd have gone before now), but he has good top end speed, is shifty in the open field, has big play potential as a returner, and is a tough and willing receiver over the middle. San Diego may not need a player to make an instant impact, but that doesn't mean they'd turn one down if it fills a need. This one fills two.

--

Check out the 2011 Pride of Detroit Community Mock Draft tracker for a look at all of the picks.