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BBV Community Mock Draft 2011: With The 18th Pick, San Diego Selects ...

J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin.

Playing the role of San Diego Chargers general manager is 'Anthony P.' Here is his rationale for the selection of Watt:

Since the 2004 draft, where AJ Smith famously turned Eli Manning into Philip Rivers, Shawne Merriman, and Nate Kaeding, his early-to-mid-round draft choices have mostly worked out. Names like Shaun Phillips (4th round), Luis Castillo (2nd round), Vincent Jackson (third round), Darren Sproles (4th round), Eric Weddle (2nd round), Antoine Cason (1st round), and Ryan Mathews (1st round) have all helped the Chargers to amass 76 regular season wins, five playoff appearances, and one Conference Championship appearance since 2004. There's been no real pattern to A.J.'s draft choices, no penchant for stocking up on defensive linemen, like the Giants, or wide receivers, like the Lions. It's always been by need. And this coming draft is no exception.

If you were to just look at the stats from last season, you'd think all was well in "Chargers World," save for the crazy amount of special teams blunders that likely prevented them from making the playoffs. First in total offense, second in total points, second in points per game, first in total defensive yards given up, and first in defensive yards given up per game. A closer look however, shows them lacking in some areas on defense. Middle of the pack in interceptions, near the bottom in passes defensed, and third from last in forced fumbles. They were in the top five in total sacks (47 total), but that stat is a little misleading, with 27 of them coming in five games against QB-starved teams like Arizona, San Francisco, Denver, and Kansas City (the game where Brody Croyle started after Cassel's appendectomy). Take out those games, and that makes 20 in the other 11 games... not good, especially when you might have only one real playmaker, Cason, in the secondary this season with Weddle possibly leaving for free agency.

With guys like Rivers, Mathews, Jackson, Gates, Floyd, Naanee, Tolbert, and possibly Sproles, the offense will be just fine, and probably continue to put up the sick stats they've grown accustomed to over the past half-decade.

This year's need is on the defensive line. A big ol' lineman, who can step in from Day 1, plug up some holes, take on some double-teams, and get some pressure on the upper-echelon quarterbacks. A guy like that can help cover up some secondary deficiencies, which the Chargers certainly have, and can address in later rounds if they want to. Now by no means are they getting a game-changer like Bowers or Fairley this late in the first round, but a solid pickup can be had at a position-of-need.

But alas! In our draft, a solid Top 12 talent is available! J.J. Watt, star DE of Wisconsin. 6-foot-6, 292 pounds. Second team All-American, first team All-Big Ten, and Team MVP for 2010. Last season, he led the team in sacks, quarterback hurries, forced fumbles, and tackles-for-losses. Great moves, quickness, hands, and very durable. Only played two full years of Div. 1 football, so his skills need a little extra work to adapt to the pro-style of play. But with the right coaching and system, he'll fit in nicely. I see a little bit of JPP in him, and if the Chargers get out of Watt what the Giants got out of JPP last season, they'd be extremely happy.

My take: Probably the right pick for the Chargers here, considering who is left on the board. Matching the Chargers needs with the available players, Watt is the best impact player here for San Diego.

Of course, this now puts me on the clock for the Giants pick. I might torture you guys just a bit and make you wait until Thursday morning for it. We'll see.

Round 1

Pos Team Player Pos School Drafter
1 Carolina Cam Newton
QB
Auburn
Tito
2 Denver Nick Fairley
DT
Auburn
Mike Fiammetta
3 Buffalo Patrick Peterson
CB
LSU
Bigbluethruandthru
4 Cincinnati Blaine Gabbert
QB
Missouri
BitterEli
5 Arizona Von Miller
OLB
Texas A&M
gmen2thebowl
6 Cleveland Marcell Dareus
DL
Alabama
Bobely
7 San Francisco
A.J. Green
WR
Georgia
Pat19
8 Tennessee Da'Quan Bowers DE
Clemson
RealLT
9 Dallas
Prince Amukamara
CB
Nebraska
Simms-McConkey
10 Washington Julio Jones
WR
Alabama
jcalafiore
11 Houston
Robert Quinn
DE/OLB
North Carolina
daddyzander
12 Minnesota Tyron Smith
OT
USC
RolloT
13 Detroit Anthony Castonzo
OT
Boston College
Ed Valentine
14 St. Louis
Aldon Smith
DE
Missouri
GiantNomad
15 Miami
Mark Ingram
RB
Alabama
HenneGivenSunday
16 Jacksonville Cameron Jordan
DE
California
ct17
17 New England
Mike Pouncey
OG/C
Florida
Ryan Valentine
18 San Diego
J.J. Watt
DE
Wisconsin
Anthony P
19 N.Y. Giants


Ed Valentine
20 Tampa Bay



willgfass
21 Kansas City



The Blood Of Eli
22 Indianapolis


dannymac56
23 Philadelphia


JimmyK
24 New Orleans



Charles L.
25 Seattle


Ejaay
26 Baltimore


LarrySoprano
27 Atlanta


pataroons
28 New England



Ryan Valentine?
29 Chicago


You're my boy, Blue
30 New York Jets



PlaxicoBurress
31 Pittsburgh


stephen_ross
32 Green Bay



NYG28

Round 2

Pos Team Player Pos School Drafter
33 New England



Ryan Valentine?
34 Buffalo


Bigbluethruandthru
35 Cincinnati


BitterEli
36 Denver



Mike Fiammetta
37 Cleveland


Bobely
38 Arizona



gmen2thebowl
39 Tennessee


RealLT
40 Dallas


Simms-McConkey
41 Washington


jcalafiore
42 Houston


daddyzander
43 Minnesota


RolloT
44 Detroit


BigBlueIntervention
45 San Francisco



Pat19
46 Denver



Mike Fiammetta
47 St. Louis



GiantNomad
48 Oakland


G Fan In England
49 Jacksonville



ct17
50 San Diego



Anthony P
51 Tampa Bay



willgfass
52 N.Y. Giants


Ed Valentine
53 Indianapolis



dannymac56
54 Philadelphia


JImmyK
55 Kansas City



The Blood Of Eli
56 New Orleans



Charles L.
57 Seattle


Ejaay
58 Baltimore


LarrySoprano
59 Atlanta


pataroons
60 New England



Ryan Valentine?
61 San Diego



Anthony P
62 Chicago



You're my boy, Blue
63 Pittsburgh


stephen_ross
64 Green Bay



NYG28