COSTA MESA, Calif. -- In his first mock draft of the year, ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has the Los Angeles Chargers selecting Alabama defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne with the No. 17 overall pick.
Kiper calls Payne the best nose tackle in this year’s draft. And with Brandon Mebane getting long in the tooth and the Chargers struggling to stop the run last year, Kiper believes the Chargers need some help up front defensively.
In his first mock draft released in mid-December, ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay had the Chargers selecting Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield as an eventual replacement for Philip Rivers.