2014 NFL mock draft: Ja'Wuan James to San Diego Chargers at No. 57

The San Diego Chargers took Alabama tackle D.J. Fluker with the No. 11 overall pick last year, and immediately reaped the rewards, as Fluker was at times the most dominant rookie in football. He occasionally had to flip over to the left side due to injury, however, and that limited his effectiveness. John Gennaro of Bolts from the Blue is looking to prevent that situation from happening again.

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"After getting a cornerback in the first round, I looked at other positions on the Chargers roster that could use an immediate upgrade and tried to find them in the second round. Nose tackle? Louis Nix was taken 51st and I didn’t like my other remaining options. Wide receiver? I had my eye on Cody Latimer before the 49ers took him at 56, but that’s just how the draft works. Center? Weston Richburg would’ve been a great fit if he wasn’t selected at 55. The drop-off in talent at these positions left me with taking BPA or reaching for someone to fit a need.

I decided to think back to the issues of last year’s team. King Dunlap, who signed a two-year deal last year and won the starting LT job, is talented but injury-prone. Every time he went out last year, the entire offensive line shifted around (Fluker from RT to LT, Jeromey Clary from RG to RT, etc.). It caused problems and it led to losses. Ja’Wuan James prevents this from happening again in 2014, providing a solid backup left tackle with a high ceiling, and gives the Chargers some wiggle room to negotiate with Dunlap next offseason."

Dan Kadar, SB Nation's NFL Draft analyst, has some thoughts and opinions to share on the Chargers' mock draft pick of James:

If wide receiver was a consideration, LSU's Jarvis Landry would have made for a good choice. Don't look too much into Landry's poor combine times, either. Strictly looking at the offensive linemen available, choosing James is questionable. His teammate, Antonio Richardson, is still on the board and the natural left tackle. James never played on the left side, so there is some unknown projection with moving him there. If there is a question about Richardson's knee, just look at how that speculation was originated.

At 3 p.m. ET, Travis Dauro of Canal Street Chronicles will make the New Orleans Saints' second-round pick in our mock draft to close out today's picks.

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2014 SB Nation NFL writers' mock draft results

Chargers picks