Not only was there one running back selected in the first round, there was two. The San Diego Chargers moved up to select Melvin Gordon with the 15th overall pick, as they gave up a fourth round pick in this year’s draft and a fifth-round pick in 2016.

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The San Diego Chargers weren’t going to wait around to see if Melvin Gordon got to them at 17, as they traded a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft and a fifth-round selection in next year’s to move up two spots to ensure Gordon was there guy. Gordon joins Todd Gurley as the first running backs to be drafted in the first round in years now, and he deserves it. Gordon has the speed and power to excel at the NFL level and compares favorably to a guy like Jamaal Charles.”- Pat Donovan

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“The Chargers executed the first trade of the draft, moving up two spots to select RB Melvin Gordon. The pick is hardly a surprise. After losing five starters in free agency, GM Tom Telesco promptly signed replacements for four of them, only failed the fill the hole left by departed RB Ryan Mathews. Gordon becomes the third running back picked in the first round by the Chargers since 2001. Hopefully, he is better than 2010’s Mathews, because he will never be as good as 2001’s LaDainian Tomlinson. On a side note: this marks the third straight year Telesco has traded up to get his guy in one of the first two rounds. It’s a young GM’s mistake. Let the talent come to you, Tom.”- Michael Lombardo

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“This is a good move for the Niners to trade down, and for San Diego to put its chips in to win now with Philip Rivers in the last year of his contract. Melvin Gordon has had some issues holding on to the ball, but he’s a far greater force than previous Badger backs like Ron Dayne, Michael Bennett and Montee Ball who did not live up to NFL potential.” – Alex Hickey

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“Clearly the Chargers liked Melvin Gordon more than I did and I guess they felt threatened enough by the Texans, who also reportedly liked Gordon a lot, to move up and snatch him, because a fourth rounder this year and a fifth rounder next year is a hefty price to move up two slots. Gordon is a very talented runner with special ability as a pure running back, and he makes the Chargers offense better, and the job of Philip Rivers easier, in that respect alone. But I have questions about his ability to aid Rivers even more through pass protection and by catching the ball out of the backfield. He’ll need to get better in those areas to make this a worthwhile move.” – Devon Jeffreys

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“I’m not going to kill Tom Telesco for trading up a few spots to get his guy.  The Chargers are in some sort of win-now mode and if they feel that Melvin Gordon can give them some offensive balance I’m all for it.  Again, I believe that there isn’t much dropoff from Gordon to a guy like Duke Johnson so I would’ve addressed the offensive line but I understand the message that Telesco is trying to send to his quarterback.”- Charlie Bernstein