Card: Leaf 2013 Draft
Acquired: 2013, Box Breaker

DJ Fluker was considered one of the prizes of the 2013 draft. The Alabama standout logged an impressive 35 career starts at right tackle and earned accolades as an AP Second-Team All-American, where he had 33 pancake blocks, 4 sacks in 267 attempts, and only missed 11 assignments and committed 2 penalties in 728 snaps in 2012. Fluker has all of the athletic tools to exceed at the next level. At 6’5″, 339, he has the huge hands to match his solid build, and can create lanes easily for the running game with at his size, length, and hustle. Zipping up the draft boards in the final days of the draft, Fluker’s knock was that he relies too much on occupying space without bringing his hands up to sustain blocks and can sometimes overextend himself. Still sold overall numbers and pro comparisons for the young tackle.

Fluker was taken by the San Diego Chargers in 2013 with the 11th pick where he immediately became the best young prospect on the line. Still he suffered the usual offensive lineman ups and downs expected for a rookie, switching from right tackle to left after King Dunlap suffered an injury, but stats don’t lie. Fluker through November of his rookie season had only allowed 3 sacks and 24 pressures and has even put in time on special teams and on PAT. Pretty solid numbers right there.