Chargers News: Mel Kiper's Mock Draft 2.0 Has Chargers Select Shocking Offensive Player

A new player has emerged as the fifth pick in Mel Kiper's latest mock draft.

New NFL mock drafts are coming out almost daily as draft fever is in the air. 

For the most part, most draft analysts have your Los Angeles Chargers choosing either LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers, Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze, Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt, or trading the pick. 

Those five options have been it for the Bolts. However, a new player has emerged in ESPN's Mel Kiper's 2.0 mock draft. According to Kiper, the Chargers will select Alabama offensive tackle JC Latham. 

.@MelKiperESPN's mock draft 2.0 is out NOW 🔥

More on @ESPNPlus 🔗 https://t.co/lFvGoj406n pic.twitter.com/o6XRvPJDlo

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 28, 2024

Here's Kiper's reasoning behind the pick. 

Here's a big -- literally -- deviation from

my debut mock draft

. When I projected the Chargers to take tight end

Brock Bowers

(Georgia) in January, it was before they had

hired Jim Harbaugh

as their new coach. And we should know from Harbaugh's time with the 49ers and at Michigan that he wants to build through the lines, which means starting with the 300-pounders. The 360-pound Latham started 27 games at right tackle in college, which is where he could slot in for L.A.

This is a little bit of a reach in my rankings -- Latham is No. 22 on

my Big Board

-- but he's a nasty run-blocker, which is why I see a fit for him in this offense. He'd form a great pair of bookend tackles with

Rashawn Slater

.

—Mel Kiper, via ESPN

As Kiper said, it's a bit of a reach for him, and I'm sure most of us agree. This is the first time we see Latham in the top ten of any major mock draft. 

Kiper had Latham going number 18 in his 1.0 mock draft to the Cincinnati Bengals. 

The 21-year-old right tackle was dominant in his senior season. According to PFF, he received an overall grade of 81.9 and played in 14 games and 874 offensive snaps. He only allowed two sacks, three hits, and nine hurries. 

He excels in the pass block, receiving a grade of 81.7, a run block game of 79.6, and a true set pass block grade of 79.4. 

Latham has undoubtedly made an impression on Kiper. We'll see if he does the same to the Chargers.