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Who moved to the head of the NFL class during the draft? Find out with FanHouse's team-by-team 2009 Draft Grades.LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles threw a wrench into the mock-drafting plans of anyone hoping to predict who the Chargers would take in the first round of 2009's NFL Draft; San Diego had obvious defensive needs, but the future at running back was uncertain as well. Of course, lots of folks had them taking Knowshon Moreno, and he was off the board a touch early anyway.
But A.J. Smith & Co. still managed to shock everyone when they grabbed Larry English with the 16th overall pick; although, in fairness, Smith's never been one to snag conventional players in the draft.
But perhaps the biggest shock-factor relating to English is that his selection clearly alerts Shawne Merriman that he needs to prove he's worthy of a new contract, or else he could be moving along elsewhere. If Smith wasn't trying to send a message, he would have simply selected a defensive end. He didn't.
Draft Picks
1.16 (16) - English, OLB, Northern Illinois
3.14 (78) - Louis Vasquez, OG, Texas Tech
4.13 (113) - Vaughn Martin, DT, Western Ontario
4.33 (133) - Tyronne Green, C, Auburn
4.34 (134) - Gartrell Johnson, RB, Colorado St.
5.12 (148) - Brandon Hughes, CB, Oregon St.
6.16 (189) - Kevin Ellison, S, USC
7.15 (224) - Demetrius Byrd, WR, LSU
Fortunately, Smith did get two players in Vasquez and Green who should quickly help out a deteriorating offensive line. But there's no one on the draft board that will make an immediate impact on the defensive line. Byrd and Johnson are nice late(r)-round picks at the offensie skill position and Hughes and Ellison provide some secondary backup.
Grade: B- But in the end, Smith's success in this draft may revolve around Merriman's health; if his Pro Bowl linebacker can play the full season, English may look superfluous because he won't actually be starting. But if Merriman isn't ready to contribute, English could end up playing a critical role this year. Of course, that might not mean good things for the team as a whole, so we may end up questioning the draft anyway.
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