With the Los Angeles Chargers picking seventh in the 2017 NFL Draft, here are the 25 most recent players selected with the number seven overall pick.
San Francisco 49ers rookie defensive end DeForest Buckner (99) gets set for the snap in a three point stance during the 2016 NFL week 16 regular season football game against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2016 in Los Angeles. The 49ers won the game 22-21. (Paul Spinelli via AP)
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Lucky Whitehead (13) lines up against the Dallas Cowboys in an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) runs upfield with a pass against the Atlanta Falcons in a Thursday Night NFL football game Nov. 3, 2016 in Tampa, Fla. The Falcons won 43 - 28. (Al Messerschmidt via AP)
Arizona Cardinals guard Jonathan Cooper (61) against the Cleveland Browns in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
Safety Mark Barron (23) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sets for play against the Minnesota Vikings October 26, 2014 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The Vikings won 19 - 13. (AP Photo / Al Messerschmidt)
San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith (99) reacts after a play against the Baltimore Ravens during the third quarter of the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game, Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden (23) chases the action during the NFL week 10 regular season football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014 in Cincinnati. The Browns won the game 24-3. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli)
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey (85) gets past Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Stanford Routt (26) for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis (98) lines up in a four-point stance during an NFL game against the Oakland Raiders on November 18, 2012. The Saints defeated the Raiders 38-17. (AP Photo/Kevin Terrell)
Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) tries to break a tackle by Chicago Bears free safety Chris Conte (47) during overtime of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013, in Minneapolis. The Vikings won 23-20. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)
Oakland Raiders safety Michael Huff (24) reacts during an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, October 14, 2012, in Atlanta. The Falcons won 23-20. (AP Photo/Paul Abell)
CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 14: Wide receiver Troy Williamson #82 of the Minnesota Vikings runs a pass pattern against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on October 14, 2007 in Chicago Illinois. The Vikings defeated the Bears 34-31. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Roy Williams (11) bobbles a pass during an NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008 in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Greg Trott)
Quarterback Byron Leftwich #7 of the Jacksonville Jaguars throws a pass against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on August 23, 2007 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Jaguars beat the Packers 21-13. (AP Photo/David Stluka)
Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie (74) blocks during the NFL week 10 football game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, November 14, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears won the game 27-13. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli)
Linebacker Andre Carter #96 of the San Francisco 49ers comes around the end against the Houston Texans at Monster Park on January 1, 2006 in San Francisco, California. The Niners defeated the Texans 20-17 in overtime. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli)
Arizona Cardinals running back Thomas Jones races with a swing pass from quarterback Dave Brown for a 19-yard gain to the San Diego Chargers' 2-yard line during the second quarter Friday, Aug. 25, 2000, in San Diego. The Cardinals were unable to score. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Washington Redskins defensive back Champ Bailey (24) on Sunday, September 22, 2002, in San Francisco, California. The 49ers defeated the Redskins 20-10. (AP Photo/Al Golub)
New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Kyle Turley (68) is seen in action during an NFL game against the Carolina Panthers Oct. 14, 2001 in Charlotte, N.C. (Allen Kee via AP)
New York Giants wide receiver Ike Hilliard (88) runs upfield with the ball during Super Bowl XXXV Jan. 28, 2001, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants 347. (Allen Kee via AP)
New England Patriots wide receiver Terry Glenn (88) carries the ball during an NFL football game against the San Diego Chargers at Foxboro Stadium on August 31, 1997 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The Patriots won 41-7. (AP Photo/David Stluka)
Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Mike Mamula (59) is seen in action during an NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals Sept. 10, 1995, in Glendale, Ariz. (Kevin Terrell via AP)
San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles at Candlestick Park Sunday, December 29, 1996. 49ers beat Eagles 14-0. San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Bryant Young (97). (AP Photo/Al Golub)
Chicago Bears Curtis Conway (80) during a game from his 1993 season. Curtis Conway played for 12 years with 4 different teams.(David Durochik via AP)
Miami Dolphins' Troy Vincent (23) intercepts a Steve Bono pass to Kansas City Chiefs' J.J. Birden in the end zone during second quarter action in Miami, Fla., Dec. 12, 1994. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
The draft is the crown jewel of the NFL offseason and the Chargers are armed to once again add a significant playmaker as they own the seventh overall selection.
The Bolts know firsthand the importance of hitting it big with a top 10 pick. After all, the last four times they owned one they landed Joey Bosa (third overall in 2016), Philip Rivers (fourth overall via trade in 2004), Quentin Jammer (fifth overall in 2002) and LaDainian Tomlinson (fifth overall in 2003).
While the front office has been hard at work evaluating talent from the moment the 2016 draft ended, this week's Senior Bowl marks a significant milestone in the scouting process. Right now, all 32 teams are in Mobile, AL evaluating some of the nation's top talent.
However, this year's Senior Bowl is especially monumental for the Los Angeles Chargers as they usher in the Anthony Lynn era. For the first time ever, Bolts brass gets to see their new head coach in action.
General Manager Tom Telesco is excited to finally get to work alongside Lynn.
"A big part of team building is relationship building," he said. "Obviously, I haven't worked with Coach Lynn before, and we will have some new assistants that we haven't worked with before, either. So I'm eager to see how it works and how they evaluate. You just can't sit down in the meeting room and do it over a couple days. How we work together is gradual and organic where it just grows and grows. It really starts this week. We have had to do so much work the last week or so on staffing that we haven't really sat down and talked some good football about evaluating players"
Few teams have had more success scouting the Senior Bowl than the Chargers. In 2001, a running back prospect out of TCU named LaDainian Tomlinson caught their eye. Three years later, they came away impressed with a young gunslinger named Philip Rivers, determining he was their quarterback of the future.
While the Senior Bowl doesn't garner the same fervent attention as the Scouting Combine, in a lot of ways it is a better indicator of talent.
"You are able to watch the top senior players in the country practice during the week against top level talent," Telesco explained. "It is a great evaluation tool for us because of the fact that everybody they are going against are NFL type players. They are all NFL type prospects. Sometimes during the college season, whoever a player's one-on-one matchup is, that player might not have a future in the NFL. So we know that in this game, almost every player there is an NFL prospect. They all have legit NFL potential to play in the league."
They also get a chance to watch the players in a real practice setting opposed to the drills and workouts they'll undergo at the Combine.
"The practices are run by NFL coaching staffs, which is good for us," the GM continued. "That is the best part. At the Combine, we get to meet with the players and interview them, but here we have the chance to actually watch them practice in helmets and shoulder pads. They go through a similar practice they would have at this level, which is invaluable for us. We probably get more out of the practices (at the Senior Bowl) than the actual game sometimes due to the amount of work they do all week. Phil Savage and their whole staff that run the Senior Bowl do an incredible job."
