AJ Smith, General Manager of the San Diego Chargers

AJ Smith is the chief architect of the resurgent San Diego Chargers. When he was named the new General Manager in spring of 2003, the Chargers had not had a winning season since 1996. They were a perennial laughingstock of the NFL. Check out this great article on how Smith took over, and how he rebuilt the team into the winner that it is today.

Smith clearly believes the key to building a winning team is a solid draft. The 2004 NFL draft was AJ's first truly great draft. It netted the following standout players:

QB Philip Rivers - Now the trigger man of the NFL's highest scoring offense

DE Igor Olshansky - Solid run-stopper and contributor to the NFL's top pass rush

PK Nate Kaeding - Solid kicker who has several touchbacks this year

Offensive linemen Nick Hardwick and Shane Olivea - Key players on the Chargers' best offensive line in years

OLB Shaun Phillips - One of the AFC's top pass rushers, who is also solid in pass coverage and tackling

RB Michael Turner - Capable backup to the great Ladianian Tomlinson,who has made some big plays. Also an excellent kick returner.

The 2005 NFL draft netted the following standout players:

OLB Shawne Merriman - One of the NFL's most disruptive defenders who has just reclaimed the lead in sacks, despite missing 4 games on suspension

DE/DT Luis Castillo - In a 3-4 defense, his job is to take on blockers to free up the likes of Phillips and Merriman to make plays. But he is also explosive enough to make plays on his own

WR Vincent Jackson - A monstrous (6' 5", 241 lb) WR with speed and hands. Though currently a backup, Jackson showed big play capability this year, as well as excellent run-blocking

RB/KR Darren Sproles - A dangerous kick returner who unfortunately is missing this season due to injury

The 2006 NFL draft netted these standouts:

CB Antonio Cromartie - Despite being a rookie, he has been mostly solid as a nickel corner. He has also had some big returns as a kick returner. Cromartie has the greatest physical upside (size, reach, speed) of all Charger CBs.

OT Marcus McNeill - Took over the offensive left tackle position and has exceeded all expectations, excelling in both pass protection and run-blocking. Has the best size-speed combination of all Charger offensive linemen. All top scoring offenses have an elite-class left tackle and the Chargers are no exception.

QB Charlie Whitehurst - A controversial pick to some, but with the departure of Drew Brees and the ascendancy of Philip Rivers, its nice to have another talented young QB to develop in case anything happens to Rivers.

Key free agents brought in by Smith, via trade or straight signing:
WR Keenan McCardell - An accomplished veteran who is not only a key player in the offense but also a teacher to the younger wide receivers.

OT Roman Oben - A solid starter at left tackle in 2004 and 2005, until he was sidelined by injury. Now a solid backup to McNeill.

S Marlon McCree - A veteran playmaking safety who is now doing for the Chargers secondary what McCardell did for the WRs, provide leadership and share secrets of the trade, as well as make plays on the field as the starting free safety.
ILB Randall Godfrey - Solid run stopper
TE Brandon Manumaleuna - Gets plenty of playing time as the Chargers love to use 2-TE sets. He was acquired for his blocking and has excelled in that capacity. However, he has also provided an unexpected bonus as a receiver with his soft hands. His monstrous 288-lb girth makes him a load as both a blocker and receiver. He's a key component of the power run blocking package that makes Tomlinson unstoppable in goal line situations.
QB Billy Volek - Veteran backup to Rivers, who excelled as a Tennesee Titan in relief of injured QB Steve McNair

S Bhawoh Jue - One-time starter at FS who is a solid backup to McCree

CB/S Steve Gregory - Undrafted free agent excelling as a special teams tackler.
OLB Marques Harris - Helped fill in ably for Merriman during his suspension
nfl - Helped fill in for the injured Castillo and is a solid contributor to the DL rotation

You can see from the sheer number of contributing players listed that were acquired in just the past 3 years how AJ Smith transformed the San Diego Chargers from a bad team into a team that just won the AFC West and is expected by many to go to the Superbowl.

In conclusion, here's a photo sequence of AJ Smith enjoying Tomlinson's record-breaking 29th touchdown of the 2006 season, against the rival Broncos. I love this sequence because it shows AJ Smith the passionate football fan, not AJ Smith the hard-nosed businessman: