Devalued? Chargers trade up to take running back Melvin Gordon

Not only was there one running back selected in the first round of the NFL draft, there were two to go in the top 15.

And the San Diego Chargers obviously don’t buy that the running back position is being devalued, because they gave up a fourth-round pick this season and a fifth-round pick in 2016 to trade up from 17 to 15 to get Gordon. The Houston Texans had the 16th pick and obviously the Chargers were worried that Gordon, who almost broke Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record at Wisconsin last season, wouldn’t be there after the Texans picked. Gordon had 2,587 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns last season.

The Chargers have a lot more certainty at running back now. Ryan Mathews signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, but even though he is very talented he couldn’t stay healthy. Branden Oliver played well last season when Mathews was hurt, but he doesn’t have the pedigree of Gordon, a Heisman Trophy finalist.

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Having a productive running back will help the Chargers offense, and Philip Rivers in particular. He won’t be asked to do it all himself, because presumably the Chargers really like Gordon if they were willing to give up two picks to go get him. He’ll get plenty of carries, and has to be considered one of the early favorites to win NFL offensive rookie of the year, considering that fellow running back Todd Gurley (who was the 10th pick to the St. Louis Rams) will be returning from knee surgery.

No running back was taken in the first round in 2013 or 2014. The Chargers obviously don’t feel that it’s a bad idea to invest in a running back in this era, because they paid a decent price to make sure they got the back they coveted.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab