SAN DIEGO (AP) – The San Diego Chargers got defensive on the second day of the draft.
One day after they picked a defensive lineman with their first-round selection, the Chargers took three more defenders and a wide receiver on Friday.
The Chargers took cornerback Marcus Gilchrist with the first of San Diego’s two second-round draft picks. Gilchrist, 5-foot-10 and 193 pounds, started at free safety for Clemson in 2009 and at cornerback in 2010.
“He’s a very good cover corner,” said Chargers coach Norv Turner, who’s interested in seeing Gilchrist return punts and kicks as well.
Michigan linebacker Jonas Mouton, also selected in the second round, led the Big Ten Conference with 117 tackles. At 6-foot-1 and 240 pounds, Mouton will compete for an inside linebacker job in the 3-4 defense.
Like Gilchrist, he’ll audition on special teams, a Chargers weakness in 2010. “He absolutely will be an outstanding special teams player,” Turner said.
The Chargers drafted two players from nearby schools in the third round: San Diego State wide receiver Vincent Brown and USC cornerback Shareece Wright.
Brown averaged 19.6 yards per catch last season, and his 23 career touchdowns rank fifth in school history.
Wright started 15 of 40 games in a career sidetracked by a hairline fracture of the neck in 2008 and academic ineligibility in 2009.
Turner implied that the 2011 schedule reinforced the decision to draft two cornerbacks Friday. “We play a lot of teams that are going to spread us out next year, a lot of teams that play three or four wide receivers,” he said, “and that’s something we’ve got to be prepared to handle.”
On Thursday night, the Chargers took Illinois defensive lineman Corey Liuget with the 18th overall pick.
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