Chargers Draft: 5 players to watch at their pro days on Monday, March 20

Mar 20, 2023 - 4:46 PM

Seven notable schools will host NFL scouts and coaches at their pro days today in hopes of their respective players being able to add on to their value ahead of next month’s NFL draft.

The marquee schools with pro days today include Iowa and Syracuse while schools like Bowling Green, Toledo, and James Madison will also be hosting workouts.

Below are five players that the Chargers should be interested who will hit the field today.

Bowling Green

DL Karl Brooks

Brooks was a team captain in 2022 and will end his college career with 48 career starts. He’s built like a traditional defensive tackle while possessing some surprising agility for someone of his stature. It’s with this skillset that he’s become a notable pass rusher from the interior, despite having less than ideal arm length.

Brooks was invited to this year’s Senior Bowl and was named First-Team All-American by Pro Football Focus on top of being named to the All-MAC First Team. With 10 sacks and 18 tackles for loss in 2022, he’s going to be an excellent value for a team late on day two.

Iowa

LB Jack Campbell

Campbell had one of the most impressive combine workouts for a linebacker this year coming off a senior year where he captained one of the best defenses in the entire country in Iowa City. He’s got a throwback build at 6’5 and 249 pounds with the length and sneaky athleticism to be an impact player in coverage, as well.

After Drue Tranquill signed with the Chiefs, the Chargers could use another promising linebacker in the middle as they’re seemingly going to enter the 2023 season with a 31-year old Eric Kendricks and Kenneth Murray Jr. who is still working his way to becoming a more consistent player in the NFL.

Northern Iowa

OL Erick Sorenson

Sorenson is a two-year starter for the Panthers at center with 30 total starters during his four-year career, including several at guard. He’s got ample size at 6’6 and reportedly played at around 320 pounds this past season.

The Chargers obviously don’t need an immediate player at center by any means, but Sorenson’s size and versatility could make him an interesting late round pick as a developmental project. The scouts for the 2023 Hula Bowl also saw these ideal traits which earned Sorenson an invite to one of the nation’s postseason showcases.

Syracuse

Update: Tucker will not be participating in Syracuse’s pro day and is expected to go back to Indianapolis to be medically re-examined after being flagged during the combine.

Another player to keep an eye on is offensive tackle Matthew Bergeron. At 6’5 and 318 pounds, he was the first freshman to start at offensive tackle in over 20 years for the Orange. He was named Second-Team All-ACC as a senior after starting 11 games in 2022. he only jumped at the combine where he recorded a 30.5” in the vertical and an 8’7” in the broad.

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RB Sean Tucker

Tucker is one of the best running backs in this draft class that doesn’t seem to be getting talked about as much due to the wide shadows being cast at the top of the position by guys like Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs. But make no mistake, Tucker will play on Sundays.

At 5’9 and 207 pounds, he’s built thick with the level of contact balance you hope for from a back who runs this close to the ground. He’ll churn out the tough yards in between the tackles but don’t be surprised to see him break away from a defender or two in the open field. While his stride length is on the shorter side, Tucker can find a second gear that almost makes it seem like he’s gliding by defenders at times.

Tucker did not run at the NFL Combine so today’s pro day will hopefully paint a clearer picture of the type of athlete he is.

Toledo

TE Jamal Turner

When asked who he compares himself to in the NFL, Turner highlighted Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely who enjoyed a nice rookie season catching passes from both Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley.

At 6’5 and 239 pounds, Turner is built like today’s modern F tight end with the ability to stretch the field and attack the seams with his size and speed. After failing to hit 90 or more receiving yards in his previous four seasons at Toledo, Turner broke out for 378 yards and eight touchdowns on 29 receptions.

You won’t find Turner on many lists of the top tight end in this year’s class, but some team will find value in his physical makeup which leads me to believe he’ll be a priority free agent should he fail to hear his name called next month.