The San Diego Chargers hold the No. 17 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft held April 30-May 2 in Chicago.
Last season the team drafted cornerback Jason Verrett from TCU with their first round pick.
Mock drafts have the team selecting many different players, showing the amount of directions that the pick could go.
Here’s a look at five players that mock drafts have linked to the Chargers:
Melvin Gordon, Running Back, Wisconsin
There has not been a running back selected in the first round the last two seasons, but the Chargers might change that as they have a need at running back with the departure of Ryan Mathews to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Gordon led the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in rushing last season—second most in FBS history—and also led in touchdowns with 29.
His speed and shiftiness is what could garner him a first round selection. He showed off that speed in the NFL Combine where he ran the fifth fastest 40-yard dash of all running backs.
If drafted, Gordon could potentially serve as the team’s starting running back.
Marcus Mariota, Quarterback, Oregon
Quarterback Philip Rivers‘s contract expires after next season and has expressed candidly his reserves for moving to Los Angeles, referring to the rumors that the team might move there.
Mariota, the 2014 Heisman Award winner, is slotted as the No. 2 quarterback in the draft by most experts.
Due to Rivers’s seeming unwillingness to play in Los Angeles, rumors about trading him started to swirl.
However, General Manager Tom Telesco quickly squashed those rumors earlier this week claiming, “He’s our guy.”
Either way, Mariota is a player to watch, who the team might trade up to get.
Danny Shelton, Defensive Tackle, Washington
One of the Chargers biggest needs is finding someone to play in the middle of their defensive line.
Shelton’s 6’2” 339-pound frame helped him serve as a run-stuffer for Washington where he had 14 tackles for a loss last season.
The team’s current first-string defensive tackle is Sean Lissemore with Ryan Carrethers backing him up.
Shelton’s strength and size could help him become a starter right away.
He showed off that strength with 34 bench press reps at 225 pounds at the NFL Combine, second-most out of all defensive lineman.
Todd Gurley, Running Back, Georgia
Gurley missed most of the 2014 season, first due to a suspension, and then missed all of the back-end due to a torn ACL.
Before his injury Gurley had established himself as one of the top running backs in the country.
He runs with more power than Gordon does, but much like Gordon he would have a chance to start right away due to the departure of Mathews.
His injury risks make him somewhat of an enigma for the draft, though.
D.J. Humphries, OL, Florida
The Kansas City Chiefs exploited the Chargers offensive line in the 2014 season finale when they sacked Rivers seven times.
The team has already upgraded its offensive line with the addition of Orlando Franklin in free agency.
If drafted, the team could play Humphries at right tackle and move D.J. Fluker to right guard, a position where some believe he is better suited.
Humphries athleticism and demeanor is what has him projected as a first round pick in mock drafts.
