SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Chargers needed a game-wrecker on offense, according to general manager Tom Telesco.
And Telesco believes his team got one by selecting Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon in the opening round of this year’s NFL draft.
“It was a need for us to get an impact player -- a guy who could break games open,” Telesco said. “We don’t have it, but now we have one. And we’re excited to get him.”
San Diego showed its commitment to that belief by moving up two spots to select Gordon with the 15th pick in the first round Thursday night. The Chargers sent their first- and fourth-round picks this year and a fifth-round pick next year to the San Francisco 49ers.
“Picking at No. 17, we had about 15 players we felt really good about at that pick,” Telesco said. “I’d say about seven of those 15 we felt were impact players. He was one of those seven, and we just had to get him.”
Telesco said that Gordon was the only impact player remaining on the team’s board when the Chargers selected at No. 15.
With Ryan Mathews leaving in free agency and signing with the Philadelphia Eagles, bringing in an every-down running back was an obvious need for the Chargers. And Gordon certainly seems to be up to the task of replacing that production. His 2,587 rushing yards last season for the Badgers were second-most in FBS history behind Barry Sanders’ 2,628 yards in 1988, and he scored 32 touchdowns. The Chargers finished with six rushing touchdowns in 2014.
“He just has some explosive ability,” Telesco said. “And going into this draft, we were talking about trying to find some game breakers, some impact players on both sides of the ball, and increase our team speed. Melvin can do all of that.”
Gordon also set the single-game NCAA rushing record with 408 yards in just three quarters against Nebraska on Nov. 15, edging the mark of 406 held by former Chargers star LaDainian Tomlinson since 1999. The record fell the next week when Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine ran for 427 yards against Kansas.
Gordon told reporters he believed the Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins and Chargers were potential landing spots for him in the draft. Chargers director of college scouting Kevin Kelly attended Gordon’s pro day in March, talking with the Wisconsin running back afterward. However, Gordon said the Chargers canceled a scheduled pre-draft visit.
Gordon is familiar with the San Diego area. He worked out in preparation for the scouting combine at the EXOS training facility in nearby Carlsbad, California.
“I’m ready to come in there and compete,” Gordon said. “Ryan Mathews is gone, and there’s a chance to come in there and play. You’ve got some backs in there that know the system and have played the game. I’m excited to learn from those guys, but I’m definitely ready to come in and compete because that’s what I got drafted to do.”
But coach Mike McCoy said Gordon will have to earn his way in a running back group that includes Danny Woodhead and Branden Oliver and Donald Brown.
“We’ll find out what he does best in our system, in our terminology,” McCoy said. “We’ll see how quickly he can learn, and move on from there.”
Telesco said Gordon was the best pass protector out of the running back group in the draft, and his ability to catch passes out of the backfield is better than advertised. One of two running backs selected in the opening round, with the St. Louis Rams grabbing Georgia running back Todd Gurley at No. 10, Telesco addressed the notion that a productive running back could be found later in the draft.
“The good ones will go,” Telesco said. “I’ve always said that. Running backs are a big part of this game still. They’re going to handle the ball 15 to 25 times a game. So if the talent is there, they’re going to go.
“They’re hard to find. I know everyone says it’s easy to find a running back in the draft, but sitting in my seat it’s not always that easy.”