SAN DIEGO – There was no superstore-style intercom announcement.
The decision-makers inside the Chargers’ draft room did not do a jig on the table or clang a bell like Wall Street does to signify the day’s opening.
Instead, in a tone that most public libraries would accept, Chargers executives took turns informing Illinois defensive lineman Corey Liuget that he’d be selected at No. 18 overall.
As Colorado tackle Nate Solder shook hands with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, making New England’s pick official, Liuget already was receiving congratulations from General Manager A.J. Smith, Head Coach Norv Turner and President Dean Spanos in that order.
Contrary to the image projected by live draft broadcasts, which show look-ins during the most hectic portion of a team’s day, the majority of time spent is more board room than New York Stock Exchange.
Scouts, positioned on couches to the right of the long, rectangular table that sits Smith, Spanos, Turner and others, snack on finger food and monitor their personal first-round mocks to rate their accuracy, ready to offer nuggets of information if needed.
Those seated at the table discuss the proceedings, confirming one another’s thoughts in a type of shorthand that belies men that have spent hours conversing and need not flesh out every thought to understand one another.
As San Diego’s pick drew closer, the mood in the room shifted along with the number of occupants. But instead of resembling a bland and solemn courtroom, the dialogue was more like the nervous energy among a group of high schoolers before a dance. Aiming to stay calm and collected, a sort of giddiness spilled forth by way of grins and playful jokes.
By the time Washington selected Ryan Kerrigan with the 16th pick, Smith, Spanos and Turner began to alternately smile and fiddle with pens and notes in front of them.
When Liuget became their pick, a player personnel assistant took a magnet bearing his name and placed it underneath a Chargers helmet on one of the many draft-tracking lists stretched across white boards in the room. The executives passed around the phone like they were talking to an out-of-town relative during a holiday.
Though the process carried subtle hints of big business – the charts, ratings and notes scattered about the room represent months of research, leg work and discussion between scouts, coaches and ownership – Thursday marked the harvest.
As a result, a festive, gratifying and reserved atmosphere surrounded the group of men that spends so much time and effort searching for players that can help the Chargers win.
“There was great excitement in the defensive room (when we drafted Liuget),” Turner said. “It was equally as exciting in the draft room because this is a guy we think has a chance to do some real special things.”
