The Los Angeles Chargers ended 2017 as one of the hottest teams in football, and with several impressive pickups in last weekend's NFL Draft, the Bolts are poised to be a force in the AFC West yet again.
The Chargers selected Florida State safety Derwin James 17th overall for their first selection of the NFL Draft. James was widely regarded as one of the most talented prospects in this year's draft.
Some mock drafts had James going in the Top 10, and the Chargers benefitted from his surprising fall. The athletic defensive back appears to have a chip on his shoulder after watching 16 players drafted before him.
Per the Los Angeles Times:
"I've got something to prove. Sixteen teams passed [on] me," James said after being picked by the Chargers at No. 17 overall Thursday. "I was surprised. It's surprising, but it doesn't matter where you get picked at. You look at the NFL, it's not where you go. It's what you do when you get there."
The Chargers went defense again in the second round, and did not disappoint. The team stayed local with USC outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu.
Similar to James, Nwosu was viewed as a high quality pickup that could make an immediate impact. He will also be playing his home games in his home city of Carson for the next two seasons, where the Chargers temporary home of the StubHub Center is located.
During his USC career, Nwosu compiled 169 total tackles, 20.5 for loss and 12.5 sacks. He also recorded one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Below is a look at the full list of players the Chargers picked up in this year's NFL Draft:
Round 1, No. 17 overall: Derwin James, S, FSU
Round 2, No. 48 overall: Uchenna Nwosu, LB, USC
Round 3, No. 84 overall: Justin Jones, DE, NC State
Round 4, No. 119 overall: Kyzir White, S, West Virginia
Round 5, No. 155 overall: Scott Quessenbery, C, UCLA
Round 6, No. 191 overall: Dylan Cantrell, WR, Texas Tech
Round 7, No. 251 overall: Justin Jackson, RB, Northwestern
Click here to see what the experts had to say about the Chargers' 2018 draft class.
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