2020 NFL mock draft: Isaiah Simmons is a star, but do the Chargers need him more than a QB?

Passing on a quarterback and offensive tackle is the biggest risk thus far in our writers’ mock draft.

Apr 8, 2020, 5:00 PM UTC

Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images

The Los Angeles Chargers are at a crossroads. The team is still trying to build a fanbase after abandoning San Diego, and now must do so without longtime franchise quarterback Philip Rivers. While the rest of the Chargers’ lineup is playoff caliber, they’re sorely missing a quarterback. They could also still use an offensive tackle, even after signing Bryan Bulaga this offseason.

In the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft, Michael Peterson of Bolts from the Blue is here to decide which way in this forked road the Chargers travel.

6. Los Angeles Chargers: Isaiah Simmons, defensive weapon, Clemson

Peterson: The majority of draft analysts will say the sixth overall pick is bound to be a quarterback or an offensive tackle. It’s not a surprise since the Chargers are in dire need of both. However, how can a team that’s set to face Patrick Mahomes twice a year for the next decade not consider adding Simmons to the unit tasked with stopping the reigning Super Bowl champion?

Sure, a young and promising quarterback will help put people in the stands, but Simmons playing alongside Derwin James, Joey Bosa, and Melvin Ingram will be its own version of “must-watch football.” There’s a reason why LSU’s Joe Burrow admitted he had to be aware of Simmons on every play during their bout in the title game earlier this year. He adds speed, size, versatility, and a major intimidation factor to a team looking to start its new era of football off on the right foot inside SoFi Stadium.

Analysis: First off, I love the “defensive weapon” designation for Simmons. If we’re being honest, he is a player without a position and that is a good thing. He can offer so much to a team, and he routinely plays at a high level. That’s why, to me, he is the second-best player in the draft after Chase Young of Ohio State.

However, I don’t like this pick for the Chargers.

It’s true, Simmons would be a tremendous complement for James, Bosa, and Ingram. But the Chargers so badly need a quarterback and an offensive tackle that it’s challenging to see the value of Simmons over either of those positions. Sure, “best player available” philosophy comes into play here. But so should the fact this draft is loaded at the top of the first round at offensive tackle. Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert is a risk, of course. But it may be worth it for the Chargers.