SAN DIEGO -- ESPN NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. held a conference call with reporters on Thursday and was asked about the deep pool of talent at the running back position in this year’s draft.

While Kiper has the San Diego Chargers selecting Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon at No. 17 in his latest mock draft, he believes that NFL teams can wait until later in the draft to get a quality back.

Running back is a priority for the Chargers, with Ryan Mathews set to hit free agency. The Chargers averaged 3.2 yards per attempt on first down runs -- when defenses know offenses want to run the football -- second-worst in the NFL.

“I would not take a rookie running back in the first round, but I would from the second round on,” Kiper said.

Kiper said that runners like Georgia’s Todd Gurley and Indiana’s Tevin Coleman could be had in the second round, while players like Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah or David Johnson of Northern Iowa could go in the third round.

He also pointed to talented ball carriers like Miami’s Duke Johnson, Boise State’s Jay Ajayi, Michigan State's Jeremy Langford and Alabama’s T.J. Yeldon may be available in the fourth of fifth rounds.

“Take your pick,” Kiper said. “You can find them. They are there every year, and they are going to be there again this season.”