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New England Patriots: Full 2018 first round NFL mock draft

By Kenneth Teape

CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 30: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announces that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers chose Jameis Winston of the Florida State Seminoles
CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 30: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announces that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers chose Jameis Winston of the Florida State Seminoles /
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LAC No.17: Alabama DT Da’Ron Payne

The San Diego Chargers missed the playoffs narrowly in 2017, as their 9-7 record wasn’t quite good enough to get them in. With Phillip Rivers still playing at a high level, the Chargers are in pretty good shape on the offensive side of the ball with him and Melvin Gordon.

With the 17th overall pick, the Chargers should be looking to improve what was one of their glaring weaknesses from last season, and that was their run defense. Last season, the Chargers allowed the second-most rushing yards in the NFL, as only the Washington Redskins were worse.

At 17, the Chargers will take defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne to help sure up the interior of their defensive line, and improve against the run. At Alabama, Payne was one of the key players on one of the best defenses in college last year. For the Chargers, adding a run-stuffer like Payne would be a great addition and certainly would improve their run defense. For a franchise that is close to being a playoff team, adding Payne could be the move that gets them over the top.

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