The Chargers did all right last April in the NFL Draft.  1st rounder (CB) Antoine Cason is a star in the making.  He played in 16 games (3 starts) last season for the Chargers and he made 74 tackles, forced 1 fumble, defensed 7 passes and he intercepted 2 passes (one that he returned for a TD).  Cason will be a impact player for a long, long time on the Chargers.  3rd rounder (FB) Jacob Hester can also handle halfback if the need arises for the Chargers.  He played in 16 games (3 starts) for the Chargers last season and he carried the ball 19 times for 95 yards (5.0 ypc) with 1 TD run.  Hester also caught 12 passes for 91 yards (7.6 avg) with 1 TD grab and he returned 3 kickoffs for 42 yards (14.0 avg).  5th rounder (RB) Marcus Thomas was cut and he signed with the Lions and got some carries.  6th rounder (CB) DeJuan Tribble spent his rookie season on the practice squad.  7th rounder (OT) Corey Clark didn’t play a down as a rookie last season.

GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  C

GRADE FOR THE FUTURE:  B-

The Chargers have finally dipped into the free agent market signing 26-year old linebacker Kevin Burnett to a 2-year deal.  Burnett played in all 16 games for the Cowboys last season and he made 38 tackles, defensed 3 passes, had 2 sacks and forced a fumble.  Burnett was a backup in Dallas but he will be given a chance to compete for a starting job in San Diego.  Burnett has played in 61 games in his NFL career and he has made 148 tackles, defensed 7 passes, has 4 sacks, forced 4 fumbles and he has one interception that he returned for a TD.  This was a good signing for the Chargers.