2021 NFL Re-Draft: Los Angeles Chargers Go Elite Weapon After Missing Out on Slater

The plan was clear as day. Keenan Allen , Mike Williams , and Austin Ekeler all popped off the screen after the Los Angeles Chargers drafted Justin Herbert in 2020. With all those weapons and an elite QB, they would be unstoppable with the final piece of the puzzle, a top-notch left tackle. That is what the Chargers attempted to do when drafting Rashawn Slater out of Northwestern with the 13th pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

From the Slater side of things that plan has pretty much worked out. He’s been one of the best tackles in football and aside from some injury issues, has met the Chargers’ original expectations. That is why in a new 2021 Re-Draft by the 33rd Team , Slater goes a few spots higher than he originally went.

Los Angeles Chargers 2021 1st Round Re-Draft Pick

Marcus Mosher then opts for Kyle Pitts at 13 with Slater off the board. Pitts was highly touted coming out of Florida that year but has yet to produce consistently since joining the league. That’s what initiated the nine-spot tumble he took from 4th overall to 13th. But Mosher is still high on the tight end.

“ Kyle Pitts was the first tight end since Mike Ditka to post 1,000 yards during his rookie season. Injuries have sidetracked his career since, but he would be a perfect fit alongside Justin Herbert for the foreseeable future. Can you imagine the numbers Pitts would post if he played with Herbert for his entire career?”

Chargers With Kyle Pitts Instead of Slater

Taking a tight end makes for an enticing proposition since it was the one spot that wasn’t occupied by an elite playmaker at the time when Slater was drafted. Sam Tevi was protecting Herbert’s blind side in the year before. He didn’t play another snap in the NFL after 2020, so that would remain a position of need for the Chargers.

Pitts failed to build off his phenomenal rookie season, but also dealt with injury and a diminished role in the offense. He caught 667 yards last year but saw 20 fewer targets than his first season. He would have finished over 900 yards had he seen a commensurate target rate based on his yards per reception that year.

In this re-draft exercise the Chargers picked Pitts ahead of offensive tackles, Alijah Vera-Tucker and Sam Cosmi.

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