LA Chargers Grab Justin Herbert, Go For Two Early In The NFL Draft

The Los Angeles Chargers hope that two ones are better than one Tua.

The Chargers selected Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert with the sixth overall pick and traded up for another first-round selection to nab Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray at No. 23.

L.A.’s maneuvers came after Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa went to the Miami Dolphins with the No. 5 selection.

Tagovailoa was another option the Chargers were considering to fill the void left by veteran free-agent Philip Rivers’ departure to the Indianapolis Colts.

With Tagovailoa gone — along with the buzz he would have generated for the Chargers’ move into SoFi Stadium next season — Herbert was L.A.’s choice.

The Chargers will say they had the 6-foot-6 Herbert graded higher than Tagovailoa anyway. There’s a case to be made for the ex-Ducks star when comparing his durability and build to Tagovailoa.

Among the 6-foot Tagovailoa’s setbacks at Alabama was a hip injury which restricted him to nine games last year and required surgery.

That didn’t scare off the Dolphins and they Chargers aren’t spooked about finding their quarterback of the future with the strong-armed Herbert.

Herbert was sturdy in Oregon’s run to the Pac-12 championship and a Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin, a game in which he was named the offensive MVP.

That performance capped a season that saw Herbert throw for 32 touchdowns, versus six interceptions, and solidified his status as a first-round pick.

To get Murray, the Chargers spent some second-day draft capital to bolster the second tier of what could be an explosive defense. The New England Patriots gained LA’s picks in rounds two and three after surrendering the No. 23 selection which was spent on Murray.

The Chargers have a need in the middle of their defense after Thomas Davis was released.

Otherwise the unit shows playmakers along the line in ends Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram and in cornerback Chris Harris and safety Derwin James in the secondary.

Murray will be given a chance to contribute quickly. He was a three-year starter and a three-down player for the Sooners, where he notched at least 100 tackles in his final two seasons.

Herbert isn’t expected to start immediately with veteran Tyrod Taylor on the roster. But Herbert comes to franchise with an Oregon pedigree, just like Hall of Famer and ex-Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts.

The Chargers took Fouts in the third round of the 1974 draft and watched him revolutionize the NFL behind the innovative coaching of Don Coryell. Fouts, who still attends Oregon games, has been among Herbert’s biggest boosters.

L.A. has one selection remaining in each of the rounds four through seven.