By what some call some strike of luck, the Chargers had a surprisingly impressive year, considering the low expectations. In reality, they had added a few key pieces around Philip Rivers. On paper, it seemed as if it would only lead to minor improvements, but because of such additions, namely DJ Fluker, Keenan Allen, and the rise of King Dunlap, Rivers was able to have arguably the best year of his career. That being said, an atrocious defense held San Diego back from being more than a wild card team. San Diego made it a priority to address the poor defense.

First Round, 25th Pick: Jason Verrett, Cornerback, TCU

As the fourth cornerback off the board, Verrett was a bit of a steal. San Diego was desperate for a cornerback and Verrett is arguably the best cornerback prospect from this class. His athleticism, fluidity, and aggressiveness will allow him to be a Brent Grimes level cornerback at the next level. Grade: A

Second Round, 50th Pick: Jeremiah Attaochu, Outside Linebacker, Georgia Tech

Athletically, Attaochu is one of the best prospects in this class. That is not to take away from his technique, but his athleticism will allow him to win certain situations that others could not, as well as allow him to be a versatile piece on San Diego's defense. With Melvin Ingram's injury issues and Jarrett Johnson being nothing more than average, Attaochu adds an explosive pass rusher that they needed. Grade: A-

Third Round, 89th Pick: Chris Watt, Guard, Notre Dame

While there was a need at guard, Watt was a reach. Watt is relatively sound in regards to technique, but athletically, he is limited. He does not have the upper body strength to be a mauling guard, nor does he have the base to be an elite pass blocker. Watt can provide solid depth and, at best, be a serviceable starter, but for a third round pick, he will disappoint. Grade: C

Fifth Round, 165th Pick: Ryan Carrethers, Nose Tackle, Arkansas State

Seeing as San Diego's nose tackle typically comes out when the team is not running their base 3-4 which, in today's NFL, is often. Although, they needed an upgrade at the position and in the fourth round, they found a player of appropriate value to address that. Carrethers is a large, nasty nose tackle that, at the very least, can be an effective "plugger" type. Grade: B

Sixth Round, 201st Pick: Marion Grice, Running Back, Arizona State

Considering Ryan Mathews has yet to complete a full season, adding running back depth was a smart move. In the sixth round, Grice is solid value. Not only does Grice provide running back depth at a fair price, but he can be used as a weapon in the passing game, both from the backfield and split out wide. He is somewhat of a redundant threat as Danny Woodhead, though. Grade: B-

Seventh Round, 240th Pick: Tevin Reese, Wide Receiver, Baylor

On tape, Reese is one of the fastest receivers in this class, but aside from that, he is far from complete. His hands are a mess, he can not run proficient routes, and he lacks any sort of physicality. At best, he can be a deep threat that may be able to get lucky and catch the defense off guard. Grade: C

It would be more ideal to be able to land more future starters other than the first two (Verrett and Attaochu), but to be fair, most of the other picks will provide solid depth. For a team that needed to build immediate starting talent around an aging quarterback, this class was a bit of a let down. Average class with only two realistic starters.

Overall Grade: C