The San Diego Chargers select, with the 25th pick, Cornerback Jason Verrett

So, with imperious disregard to my injunction to stay away from defensive backs and beef up in the middle of the D-line, the San Diego Chargers' Tom Telesco went ahead and picked tiny cornerback Jason Verrett.  Well that's just dandy.

I'll admit right off that I have no scouting knowledge or acumen, and nothing more than a passing acquaintance with the prospects available in the first round tonight.  It's just a philosophical thing for me, you can find athletic DB's in later rounds or as free agents, either playing on the bench in large programs like LSU or Alabama, or at small colleges.  What you don't stumbled upon are massive defensive tackles with smarts and quickness like Louis Nix in the sixth round.  So I figured, let's shore up the defensive line, and whatever defensive backs we get, they'll be better by dint of having pressure up front.

But like I said, what do I know.  What I thought I knew was that of all the cornerbacks hyped before tonight, Mr. Verrett was the one I especially didn't want, just based on his size.  The league is going big, following the Seahawks' model, so why would we grab a pint-sized corner in the first round?

The analysts love this guy though, they've actually seen him play, which I have not, so there's that.  And , one thing he's got going for him is that he's a player, he starts for his team, shuts down bigger WR's with corresponding reputations.  So we're getting away from the A.J. Smith drafts, where he'd pick unknowns way ahead of where they were predicted to go, projects who looked good in workouts but needed lots of coaching and time to develop.  Tom Telesco has thankfully done away with that approach, he doesn't act like he's smarter than everybody else, he picks players, team captains, guys who've produced in college, not guys who if they put it all together, maybe, could really turn into something.

So the kid's a Charger, and I trust the Bolts' brain trust far more than I trust myself, so I'll embrace the guy, accept the decision, and hope that he has a great, long career with us.