With the 15th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the San Diego Chargers select Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon. San Diego acquired the pick in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers. The Chargers sent the 17th pick, as well as a fourth-round pick this year and a fifth-round pick next year to San Francisco in order to move up two spots. It was the first trade of the evening.

CBSSports.com senior writer Pete Prisco gave the Chargers a B for the pick:

While there weren’t any running backs selected in either of the last two drafts, Gordon had been as a pretty sure bet to be a Day 1 pick for a few weeks, and he was the second back off the board after Todd Gurley went No. 10 to the Rams. Gordon has great vision and balance, and once he gets to the second level, he’s gone. He put up massive numbers as a junior at Wisconsin last season, ultimately totaling 2,587 rushing yards, just 42 short of Barry Sanders’ all-time FBS single-season record. Gordon averaged 7.54 yards per carry on his way to those 2,587 yards, and he also scored 29 rushing touchdowns.

Melvin Gordon will go to San Diego to make life easier for Philip Rivers. (Getty Images)

He had some truly mind-blowing single-game rushing totals as well, including six games with 200-plus rushing yards and an astronomical 408-yard performance against Nebraska. With 17 runs of 40 yards or more on the season, Gordon is a huge big-play threat, and his ability to make quick cuts also allows him to ground out yards between the tackles. He’s not a big, powerful guy that’s going to push the pile, but he can make something out of nothing by slithering through creases and making a cut before he gets hit. 

He’ll have to improve catching the ball out of the backfield if he wants to be an every-down back, but he should be able to plug-and-play right away. Gordon should immediately improve San Diego's running game, and thanks to the mammoth offensive line in front of him that now includes Orlando Franklin as well as the incumbent D.J. Fluker and King Dunlap, he should have plenty of holes to run through.

For an on-field scouting report, we have this tidbit from Dane Brugler and Brandon Thorn: 

"Well-rounded skill set and is elite in two areas: balance and acceleration. Goes zero to 60 in a flash and bursts to top speed quickly with the vision and patience to follow blocks and find holes to daylight.

"Has the natural balance to bounce off contact without losing momentum with a physical nature to break arm tackles. Lowers his pads and keeps his legs pumping to generate deceiving power. Hits top speed in a flash to quickly get to the second level and beyond.

"Good, but not elite overall athlete. Unproven as a pass-catcher. Only average power. His body type isn't ideal, with a high-cut frame and only average bulk throughout (similar skill-set as Jamaal Charles)."

Here are the fiscal details of Gordon's selection: He gets a four-year deal worth $9,589,701, which carries a signing bonus of $5,234,328.