The last major all-star game of the circuit, Mobile’s Senior Bowl, has become a football pilgrimage for many players and media members alike.
Chargers quarterbacks Justin Herbert is a Senior Bowl alum, as is 2022 first-round pick Zion Johnson. Los Angeles has historically used the event as a guideline, drafting at least four participants in Mobile in each of the last three seasons.
Here are ten offensive prospects who could join the club with a strong week in Alabama.
QB Tyson Bagent, Shepherd
To preface: the Chargers will obviously not be in the market for a new starting quarterback. But with Chase Daniel and Easton Stick both hitting free agency, Los Angeles could be in the market for a new backup behind Justin Herbert. Following the hire of Kellen Moore as offensive coordinator, the Chargers could elect to go in a new direction in the room beyond Herbert. Moore, a former NFL quarterback, may have the requisite mentorship abilities to render a veteran backup less useful.
In that case, Bagent is the best bet of the group in Mobile to serve as Herbert’s understudy. A Division II quarterback with plenty to gain at the Senior Bowl, Bagent has the requisite physical tools to make plays in the NFL. He’s also an above average processor from the pocket. Level of competition will prevent Bagent from rising to the level of a Day 2 pick or NFL starter, but his mental acuity should keep him in the league for a long while.
RB Roschon Johnson, Texas
The Chargers have been linked to a different Texas running back, Bijan Robinson, for a while now. I think that Johnson is the better fit, however, given his ability between the tackles at a lower draft capital to combine with the receiving prowess of Austin Ekeler. LA could be in the market for another between-the-tackles runner with the hiring of Moore, who utilized both Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott almost equally.
Joshua Kelley took a step forward this season and there’s still time for Isaiah Spiller to break through, but the Chargers could look to add another rusher in the mold of Sony Michel, who was waived midseason after an ineffective year. That’s where Johnson, a runner with strong leg drive and contact balance, could come in. While a limited lateral athlete, Johnson is an effective one-cut runner who will find an NFL role early on.
WR Rashee Rice, SMU
The top receiver in Mobile, Rice has a chance to cement himself as a top 40 pick with a strong week at the Senior Bowl. I’ll be interested to see how his route running looks; SMU’s offensive system didn’t ask him to do very much in that department. But Rice has the one thing the Chargers are looking for in a wide receiver: speed.
Rice also has physical upside at 6’2”, 203 lbs, which could further endear him to the Chargers. With Mike Williams and Josh Palmer the only locks to return in 2023, LA’s wide receiver corps needs to add speed and separation skills if Justin Herbert is going to flourish in Kellen Moore’s offense. While Rice will need to develop more skills underneath and in intermediate areas of the field, his vertical ability and performance in Mobile will go a long way towards determining his potential future with LA.
WR Andrei Iosivas, Princeton
I’ve been pounding the table for Iosivas since November, and I expect his invitation to Mobile to only continue to open up eyes. With legit track speed and elite athleticism, it’d be easy to assume Iosivas is a one-trick pony. But the Princeton WR is a strong route runner and stands at 6’3”, 200 lbs, rounding out a complete package who I think will be well worth a Day 2 pick.
Again, the Chargers need a makeover in the room with only Williams and Palmer locked in for next season. Keenan Allen could be a cap casualty, leaving a spot in the slot free. Iosivas is a textbook big slot receiver because of his speed and athleticism, and his tape is littered with short passes that he takes to the house. Should the Chargers focus on other needs in the first round or two of the draft, Iosivas is the best value option later on the board.
TE Luke Musgrave, Oregon State
Cleared from an injury that cut his season short, Musgrave should be a full participant in Mobile. That’s a huge deal for a player who’s firmly in the mix as a top four tight end in the draft, but was limited to just two games before tearing his MCL. A freaky athlete who can work the underneath game or threaten defenses downfield, it’ll be interesting to see what Musgrave looks like coming off surgery. If he looks like his tape pre-injury does, I wouldn’t be surprised if his first round momentum begins to crest.
For the Chargers, Musgrave is one of the best options as a plug-and-play tight end in Kellen Moore’s new system. Dallas utilized Dalton Schultz at every level of the field on their way to targeting tight ends the fourth most times for the fourth most touchdowns over the last four seasons. The Chargers lack a player of Schultz’s caliber, but adding Musgrave sometime in the first two rounds could be their answer.
TE Payne Durham, Purdue
While Musgrave is the best option in Mobile if the Chargers are seeking a long-term answer, Durham is maybe the best potential addition down the board to add to what LA already has in the tight end room. Gerald Everett is a short area savant, while restricted free agent Donald Parham Jr. will be the seam ripper if he returns in 2023. Neither are particularly proficient blockers, nor is third tight end Tre’ McKitty, who has yet to develop into the player the Chargers hoped they were getting in the third round.
Durham should, by all accounts, be the best blocking tight end at the Senior Bowl. I expect him to shine in team periods, where his proficiency as an in-line blocker will open up plenty of holes for his running back teammates. Don’t expect him to be a terrific receiving threat: while he’s a reliable pass catcher over the middle, he’s a slower, less flexible player whose upside comes from his awareness of soft spots in zone coverage.
OT Dawand Jones, Ohio State
Jones measured in with an 89 ½” wingspan, the longest in Senior Bowl history. That alone is a reason to circle him on your draft board, regardless of what team you root for. But with strong tape against a good circuit of Big Ten defenses, Jones also has a chance to launch himself up draft boards with a good week in Mobile against the best of the best.
Listed at 6’8”, 359 lbs, Jones is a mammoth even for offensive linemen. He primarily played right tackle for the Buckeyes, which makes him an interesting player to keep an eye on given the state of the position for the Chargers. If Trey Pipkins is not re-signed, LA will be in the market for a new starter on that side of the line, and Jones could be the one to fill that role.
OT Darnell Wright, Tennessee
If not Jones, perhaps it’ll be Wright to replace Pipkins on the right side of the Chargers line. A former five star recruit who started for the better part of all four seasons at Tennessee, Wright brings powerful hands and a firm anchor that make him one of the best pass-blocking tackles in the draft. Those traits come and go in the run game, however, mostly because Wright is (in my opinion) carrying more weight than he needs, which hurts his range as a run blocker.
For the Chargers, it makes for an interesting question. Running the ball to the right was LA’s most successful play on the ground in 2022, and replacing Pipkins with a subpar run blocker could stagnate Austin Ekeler’s production. But Wright has a sky-high ceiling with the traits worthy of his five star billing, and that could be all it takes to convince LA.
G/C Jarrett Patterson, Notre Dame
It’s no secret that the Chargers need depth on the offensive line. With Jamaree Salyer likely replacing Matt Feiler at left guard after Feiler’s likely release from the team, LA’s depth on the interior is limited to Brenden Jaimes. Ideally, any new backup would have positional versatility, especially with center Corey Linsley beginning to show his age and backup Will Clapp set to hit free agency.
Patterson makes the most sense in that respect of the players who will be in Mobile, at least based on what we know right now. After three seasons at center, Patterson shifted over to guard as Notre Dame searched for their most effective lineup in 2022. At the Senior Bowl, I’d expect him to take snaps in both spots to showcase his versatility to teams. Patterson wins with intelligence and technique rather than standout physical traits, but wins are wins, and Patterson produces those in spades.
C Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan
The 2022 Rimington Award winner for best center in the nation and Outland Trophy winner for best interior lineman regardless of position, Oluwatimi the bet he placed on himself when he transferred to Michigan ahead of the 2022 season with the goal of upping his draft stock. After a year in the Wolverines’ NFL-style blocking scheme, Oluwatimi will now have to prove that he’s capable of winning outside the confines of Ann Arbor.
I anticipate that Oluwatimi will be available on Day 3, where the Chargers could potentially scoop him up as a developmental backup behind Linsley. After spending four seasons split between Air Force and Virginia in offenses without a ton of pro blocking schemes, Oluwatimi is somewhat raw from a technique standpoint. His football IQ, however, is evident in the way he plays, and developing him behind an established veteran like Linsley could result in him blossoming into a starting-caliber player.
