R.J. Mickens was an absolute steal by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 6th round

Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers just got themselves a steal in the form of Clemson defensive back R.J. Mickens in the sixth round.

Yes, Mickens fell to the sixth round and this is where many experts saw him landing, but it's still somewhat shocking to see him drop this far, especially since he was a PFF darling in terms of grades this past season and throughout his career.

Now, Mickens is headed to Los Angeles to play for Harbaugh and he's going to love his new safety.

Mickens was an incredibly productive for Dabo Swinney over the past five years, starting his Clemson career in 2020 but playing sparingly early on until he recorded 30 tackles and two picks as a sophomore. As a junior, he finished with 48 total tackles, three tackles for loss, three interceptions, and two pass breakups. Heading into his senior year, he was one of the top safeties in the ACC.

As a senior in 2023, Mickens finished with 42 tackles and four tackles for loss to go along with three pass breakups, showing that he could be a force against the pass. Then he utilized that extra COVID year in 2024, putting up 75 total tackles, six tackles for loss, two picks, and seven pass breakups.

Obviously he ended his career on a high note and went from an undrafted free agent projection to a late-round pick although I could've seen him going a little earlier. This was a fantastic pick by the Chargers and it feels like he's going to have a huge role on this team for years to come as long as he live up to his potential.