Sunny outlook from experts for Gordon in San Diego

Published May. 1, 2015 3:00 p.m. ET

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The San Diego Chargers' selection of former Wisconsin tailback Melvin Gordon at No. 15 during the NFL Draft on Thursday night was met largely with praise from national pundits. Given that the Chargers were in desperate need of a playmaker at running back, picking Gordon was the obvious choice.

The Chargers gave up a 2015 fourth-round pick and a 2016 fifth-rounder to move up two spots in the draft and snag Gordon. And San Diego general manager Tom Telesco said it was because Gordon was considered the last of seven "impact players" remaining in the draft on the team's board.

"You don't like to give away picks, but sometimes you've got to do what you've got to do to get an impact player," Telesco told UT-San Diego. "It's a tough decision."

Last season, San Diego ranked 30th out of 32 NFL teams in rushing yards and yards per carry average. And with Ryan Mathews off to Philadelphia in free agency, Gordon will vault to the top of the depth chart. Other tailbacks on the roster include Branden Oliver, Danny Woodhead and Donald Brown.

"Obviously the way we ran the football last year was nowhere near the standard we have here to run so I think he will come in, help the other three and get the running game going again," San Diego head coach Mike McCoy told Chargers.com.

Gordon will attempt to follow in the footsteps of former Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson, whose single-game FBS rushing record he beat with 408 yards on the ground against Nebraska on Nov. 15. Tomlinson went to five Pro Bowls and rushed for 13,684 yards in the NFL.

"Every little kid looked up to LaDainian Tomlinson," Gordon said.  "I used to play as him on Madden.  It's just crazy how everything worked out; beating his record, having him give me a shout-out on Twitter (to) meeting him.  It's just crazy, it's almost like it was meant to be."

Telesco noted San Diego liked that Gordon was tough mentally and physically and that his high character made it far easier to trade up and select him. Here's what others were saying about Gordon:

U-T San Diego sports writer Nick Canepa wrote "the Bolts are better -- and brighter and flashier -- today than they were yesterday."

He added: "LT isn't here anymore. MG, who runs like one of the classic sports cars, fast and furious and incredibly productive and durable, is.

"And that means 2015 remains relevant to Bolts fans. We can't be too sure about 2016 -- it seems much farther away than Carson, don't you think? But for now, we know the football brains on Murphy Canyon Road didn't get stupid and mortgage a more certain present for a very uncertain future."

From U-T San Diego sports writer Tom Krasovic:

"Will Melvin Gordon turn out better than Ryan Mathews did?

"He should. He's a better prospect than Mathews was in 2010.

"Gordon, a three-year starter at Wisconsin, showed better vision and balance than Mathews at Fresno State, is more supple and thicker through the legs, and is coming off a far more consistent career as a high-volume rusher who played faster than his timed sprints suggest."

From NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock:

"You pair (Gordon) with (Danny) Woodhead, and you've got a perfect scenario. He changes the whole balance of their offense now. Philip Rivers was everything. He takes the pressure off that. They run the football more efficiently, and Philip Rivers will get better. . . .

"He's got special talent and ability. He's also bigger than people think at 6-1 and 215 pounds. He catches the football well out of the backfield. And when you watch this kid run in tight areas, that's what differentiates him."

CBSSports.com analyst Pete Prisco gave the Chargers a "B" grade, noting, "the Chargers made the move up to get him, and they needed a back. I don't like taking rushers high, but with Philip Rivers staying around, it makes sense. It will take the heat off."

Current and former Badgers and Chargers also chimed in on Twitter:

Follow Jesse Temple on Twitter

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