The offseason has been exciting for the Los Angeles Chargers following the hiring of head coach Jim Harbaugh along with the addition of several other staff members and several new players through free agency and the NFL Draft.
Despite all of those changes, quarterback Justin Herbert still remains as the centerpiece of the franchise. He’ll look to bounce back after suffering a season-ending finger injury last year.
It’s not uncommon for franchise quarterbacks to have some involvement in personnel decisions regarding the NFL Draft. And recently on The Pat McAfee Show, Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz was asked about Herbert’s involvement in this year’s draft process.
“With Justin, we know what he’s about,” Hortiz said. “He’s about competing and wanting the best team around him. He doesn’t want to be a GM, he doesn’t want to be a head coach, he wants to be the quarterback for the Chargers.”
While some athletes historically have been known publicly for their influence in front office decision-making, Justin Herbert is not. He is entering the fifth season of an NFL career that has been relatively low-key off the field despite living in the bright lights of Los Angeles.
But early in the NFL Draft, the Chargers made it clear that making Herbert’s life easier is a top priority. The team selected Notre Dame offensive lineman Joe Alt with their first-round pick and Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey with their second-overall selection before exclusively drafting defensive players for the remainder of the draft.
“We obviously know what we need to do to build a team around him, and the key is we can help the quarterback by making our defense better and getting the ball back again,” Hortiz explained. “So he trusted us and we didn’t look for a lot of input from him, but our goal was to help make the team around him better and we think we did that.”
Alt was regarded by many as the best offensive lineman prospect in the NFL Draft, with McConkey also proving himself as one of the best route runners in this year’s draft class that can serve as a reliable target to Herbert after the franchise parted ways with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams this offseason.
But after only four teams in the NFL gave up more yards per game last season than the Chargers, there’s no question that some defensive needs had to be addressed in the draft as well. All eyes will be on Herbert, Harbaugh, and Los Angeles next season to see how the new-look Chargers perform in their new era.
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