Rams, Chargers have late 1st-round picks
THOUSAND OAKS — Indicative of the great seasons they put together in 2018, the Los Angeles Chargers and Rams have picks well back in the first round of Thursday’s NFL Draft in Nashville.
The Chargers select 28th after reaching the AFC Divisional round, while the Rams exercise the 31st pick of the Super Bowl runners-up.
That’s not to say there won’t be headlines out of Thousand Oaks and Costa Mesa, the respective practice headquarters of the two teams.
Should the Arizona Cardinals select Oklahoma’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Kyler Murray first overall, the Chargers are among the most interested teams in trading for current Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen.
“There is absolutely no news coming out of today,” Chargers general manager Tom Telesco insisted to his pre-draft press conference Monday at the Hoag Performance Center. “Every year I’ve been here, you think about drafting a quarterback.
“But Philip is playing so well right now. It doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere for a while.”
While Philip Rivers is coming off one of his greatest seasons in 2018, he turns 38 in December of what will be his 16th NFL season.
A first round deep in offensive line talent could also be a possibility for the Men of the Lightning Bolt.
Rivers spent the AFC Divisional Playoff game in New England last January running for his life.
For the Rams, coach Sean McVay has packed several lifetimes worth of experiences into his two seasons with the Rams, which included the club’s first Super Bowl appearance in 17 years.
But this will be a first for him on Thursday.
The Rams have a firstround draft pick for the first time in his three seasons in charge.
Whether the Rams will use it or trade back in the draft to pick up additional later round picks remains to be seen, Rams general manager Les Snead told his annual pre-draft press conference at California Lutheran University Tuesday.
Starting receivers Cooper Kupp and Josh Reynolds, linebacker Samson Ebukam, defensive end John Franklin-Myers and safety John Johnson III were all picked in the third through fifth rounds en route to becoming Rams impact players.
“Les does a great job of identifying talent wherever it can be found,” McVay said Tuesday. “I think I’m more concerned with drafting a great player than the round we get him in.”
The Rams also announced Tuesday they are picking up the fifth year option on quarterback Jared Goff’s rookie contract.
Goff has thrown for 60 touchdowns and more than 8,000 yards since coming under McVay’s tutelage in 2017. His quarterback rating has been 100.8.