Good morning.

San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers talks with Darren Smith of The Mighty 1090 in this audio link.

Rivers said he watched the draft over the weekend and liked the picks his team made throughout the draft.

Specifically, Rivers said that second-round pick tight end Hunter Henry will be expected to play early due to the loss of Ladarius Green in free agency.

Rivers got a chance to watch Henry catch the ball in the lead-up to the draft. Rivers’ younger brother, Stephen Rivers, threw to Henry while both worked out in nearby Carlsbad, California.

“He’s going to be a guy that we’re going to need to come in and contribute right away and be out on the field on a lot of the stuff we do two tight-end wise,” Rivers said. “I’m assuming he’s a sharp guy and I’ve seen him catch the ball. I don’t think he had a drop last year.

“I think he runs well enough, but he uses his body, finds ways to get open and catches the football. I think he’s going to be a key piece. He’ll be right in the mix once he gets out here.”

My take: Interesting comments from Rivers, further emphasizing the importance for San Diego getting a player like Henry in the second round. Rivers also said Travis Benjamin is faster than any receiver he’s ever thrown to, which is saying something considering how many years the veteran quarterback has been in the league.

Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network writes that San Diego’s selection of Henry in the second round was one of the five picks he loved in this year’s draft. Jeremiah said the Chargers needed to add another playmaker for Rivers, and got by far the best tight end in the draft. Henry won the John Mackey award in 2015, given to the top college tight end in the country.

My take: I like the pick as well. I believe Henry has the skill set to develop into a complete tight end at the next level.

Paul Bessire of PreditionMachine.com presents his 2016 rookie class rankings, based on analytics and data science used to rank every NFL draft prospect. The Cleveland Browns top the list, followed by the Chicago Bears and the Cincinnati Bengals. The Chargers are No. 7.

My take: According to Bessire, the Chargers added a win to the team’s 2016 record based on San Diego’s performance in the draft. San Diego’s 2015 draft class ranked No. 17.

Ricky Henne of Chargers.com provides the five lessons learned from this year’s draft for the Chargers. GM Tom Telesco calls it pretty close to a perfect draft.

My take: Interesting note that the Chargers did not execute a trade in the draft for the first time in the Telesco era.