NFL draft: Chargers take RB Isaiah Spiller to open Day 3

30.04.2022 21:56

DailyNews.com

COSTA MESA — Third time might be the charm for the Chargers to find a running back in the draft to complement Austin Ekeler.

The Chargers opened Day 3 of the NFL draft by selecting running back Isaiah Spiller in the fourth round with the 123rd overall pick. Spiller recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons at Texas A&M.

Spiller will join a crowded Chargers’ running back group that includes Ekeler, Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree III, with the latter two being selected by the team in the past two drafts, respectively.

The 6-foot-1, 217-pound Spiller has the size to become the Chargers’ short-yardage running back, a role they have struggled to fill since Melvin Gordon left two seasons ago. The Chargers drafted Kelley in the fourth round of the 2020 draft and Rountree was a sixth-round pick last year.

Ekeler had a career season in 2021 with 20 total touchdowns, but the dynamic 5-foot-11 playmaker logged a career-high 731 snaps, partly because Kelley and Rountree struggled to contribute in the rushing game. Ekeler’s previous season high was 599 snaps in 2019.

“Ekeler is a great player,” Spiller said. “He’s strong, too. He’s been doing great for them. It’s going to be fun getting to know him and getting to work with him.”

Spiller wants to help Ekeler as a running back who can move the chains and run between the tackles, but he also wants to showcase his full skill set as a pass-catching running back. Spiller displayed his reliable hands in college, a trait he learned from his father, Fred, who was a tight end at Texas A&M.

“I would describe myself as an all-around back,” said Spiller, who grew up idolizing former NFL MVP running back Adrian Peterson. “I feel like I can do it all; run, catch, and blocking, as well. So, just going in and improving on those things and getting to the next level to showcase what I can do.”

NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah raved about Spiller’s vision and his feel for running inside the tackles. Dane Brugler, a draft expert for The Athletic, had Spiller ranked as his third-best running back in the draft behind Kenneth Walker III and Breece Hall.

Spiller has the skill set to contribute as the Chargers’ No. 2 running back, but he’ll need to develop into a reliable pass blocker to see the field regularly in the Chargers’ pass-heavy offense with quarterback Justin Herbert.

“I feel like I really can still improve on that,” Spiller said about being a pass protector. “Just learning the system and the technique that they like to use. So, I feel like I could really improve on that as well.”

Spiller rushed for at least 100 yards in 16 games during his three seasons at Texas A&M, where he played in 35 games and started 29.

UCLA’s OGBONNIA JOINS CHARGERS

UCLA defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia already knew he was going to the Chargers before they picked him in the fifth round.

The Chargers selected the 6-foot-3, 324-pound Ogbonnia with the 160th overall pick. The four-year UCLA standout has the size and strength to develop into a stout run stopper, something the Chargers need more of after a disappointing season against the run.

Ogbonnia, who played in 43 games with the Bruins, said he enjoyed the vibe from Chargers’ coaches after their productive meeting.

“I always knew I was going to the Chargers ever since I visited them,” Ogbonnia said. “I had a feeling I was going there. I kinda manifested it in a way where I didn’t almost jinx myself, but it ended up happening and I’m forever grateful for it.”

Ogbonnia will join fellow newcomer defensive tackles Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson, two veterans the Chargers signed during their drastic defensive makeover in the offseason. The Chargers need run stoppers, but Ogbonnia said the team thought highly of how disruptive he was against the pass in college.

O-LINE VALUE IN SIXTH ROUND

Georgia offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer had to wait longer than expected to hear his named called, but Salyer said it was worth the wait to be picked by the Chargers at 195th overall in the sixth round.

Salyer was Georgia’s starting left tackle last year on their national championship team, but he has experience on all five positions of the offensive line. Salyer said most teams viewed him as an interior offensive lineman or right tackle during the draft process.

The Chargers drafted Zion Johnson in the first round to be their starting right guard in 2022. They have a vacancy at right tackle, but the Chargers will probably take their time to develop Salyer to see where he fits best.

Brugler ranked Salyer as his fourth-best offensive guard and gave him a second-round grade.

ROUNDING OUT THE ’22 CLASS

The Chargers took cornerback Ja’Sir Taylor with the 214th pick in the sixth round. The 5-foot-11, 188-pound Taylor holds the Wake Forest program record for most career games played with 62 in five seasons.

The Chargers added their third defensive back of the draft after selecting Deane Leonard with the 236th pick in the seventh round. Leonard, a native of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, was a cornerback at Mississippi.

TRADE NOTES

The Chargers executed another trade with the Chicago Bears and regained the 2023 sixth-round pick they relinquished for star edge rusher Khalil Mack in March.

They traded picks 254 and 255 from the seventh round to the Bears for next year’s sixth rounder. The Chargers entered Saturday morning with four picks in the seventh round.