2019 NFL Draft: Projected First Round after NFL Combine

Dexter Lawrence’s combine was cut short after a quad injury following his first run of the 40-yard dash. If he injured his quad during the run, it certainly didn’t show as the 342-pound mammoth motored to a 5.05 40-yard dash. That turned out to be the end of his combine, but that’s likely all he needed to show to solidify his spot in the first round of the draft.

I’ve said for a while that calling Lawrence a space-eater wasn’t encapsulating just how gifted of an athlete he is for his size, and his 40-time proved that. He’s far more than your traditional nose-tackle; he’s athletic enough to play in a variety of schemes, and could ultimately become a terror to opposing quarterbacks with his quick first step and overwhelming power. Lawrence led his position group with 36 reps on the bench press.

A defensive tackle is near the top of the Chargers’ offseason needs list with both Brandon Mebane and Damion Square hitting unrestricted free agency. Neither player had good enough seasons to warrant contract extensions, so they could target a replacement among the bevy of talented defensive tackles in this draft class.

If they pass on Lawrence, Los Angeles could be in the market to identify Philip Rivers’ eventual replacement at the end of the first round. That would call for them to fall in love with Duke’s Daniel Jones, and value him a lot higher than the next tier of quarterbacks. I imagine the front office for the Chargers sees a tiny opening in their Super Bowl window for Rivers, and will want to solidify the roster around him to try and take advantage of it.

I imagine they will look at finding Rivers’ successor in this class, though, potentially targeting someone like Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham on day two.