Mel Kiper Jr. explains why he has Justin Herbert going at No. 5 to the Dolphins while Tua Tagovailoa falls to No. 6 to the Chargers. (1:25)

For the first time in more than two decades, the Los Angeles Chargers are in position to take a quarterback in the first round of the NFL draft without a member of the Manning family involved in the process.

The San Diego Chargers didn't get the opportunity to pick Peyton Manning in the 1998 NFL draft. The Indianapolis Colts selected the future Hall of Famer, while the Chargers took Ryan Leaf with the No. 2 selection. Leaf lasted three years in San Diego, missing one of them due to injury, before he was unceremoniously cut after Year 3 and labeled among the biggest draft busts in NFL history.

The next time the Bolts took a quarterback in the first round was in 2004, when they landed a Manning, Peyton's younger brother, Eli. However, Eli Manning had no intention of reporting to San Diego, even after the Chargers selected him No. 1 overall. So the Chargers traded him to the New York Giants in exchange for Philip Rivers, who the Giants selected with the fourth pick.

After 16 seasons, including 235 consecutive starts and six playoff appearances, Rivers and the Chargers mutually parted ways after last season. Therefore, the Chargers are once again searching for a franchise quarterback.

Chargers coach Anthony Lynn and general manager Tom Telesco have expressed confidence in Tyrod Taylor, who was as Rivers' backup last season. However, it's widely projected the Bolts will select a quarterback with the No. 6 overall pick when the NFL draft begins Thursday.

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Among the qualities needed in a young prospect: a proven winner who can create excitement for a team that is still looking to establish itself in Los Angeles in its fourth season after relocating from San Diego and who can help the Chargers contend in the AFC West after finishing last in the division in 2019.

LSU quarterback Joe Burrow will almost certainly land as the No. 1 overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Chargers are expected to have an opportunity to select Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa, Oregon's Justin Herbert or Utah State's Jordan Love, depending who the quarterback-needy Miami Dolphins select with the No. 5 pick.

Telesco declined to speak about any individual prospect last week via a Zoom video conference but emphasized the depth of the 2020 quarterback class.

"It's pretty strong," Telesco said. "I think that people tend to look at only the top of the draft at these different positions, but a lot of them, there's players as you move on, in second, third and fourth rounds that I think are going to be very good players in this league ... it's a good class of quarterbacks."

Tagovailoa came off the bench in the second half to lead Alabama to a come-from-behind victory in the National Championship game after the 2017 season, but his college career ended prematurely when he suffered a hip injury that required season-ending surgery this past November.

Will Justin Herbert, who led Oregon to a Rose Bowl victory in Southern California in January, return to the region as the Chargers' quarterback of the future? Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire

Herbert opted to return to Oregon for his senior season and led the Ducks to a Rose Bowl victory. He is considered to have all the tools to be a successful NFL quarterback, even if his accuracy has been questioned.

Love isn't mentioned as often among top quarterback prospects but also is projected to be in the top-10 mix, despite a considerable uptick in interceptions last season.

Telesco hasn't picked a quarterback in the first round since he was named Chargers general manager in 2013. But the 47-year-old learned plenty about the process during 15 seasons with Indianapolis, where he served in several positions -- ranging from college scout to vice president of football operations -- and watched the Colts pick two stars with the No. 1 pick.

Telesco arrived in Indianapolis shortly after the Colts selected Manning in 1998 and was part of the decision-making process when they selected Andrew Luck with the top pick in 2012.

"Do I specifically lean back on when we took Andrew Luck and that group?" Telesco asked, rhetorically. "I don't know about specifically, but every year you go through this process, you always gain some knowledge of some situations that you went through. You always lean on them, whether you actually remember them specifically or not. This has been the same process for us as every single other year. It doesn't matter who you have. We scouted quarterbacks in Indianapolis when we had Peyton Manning in his prime the same way we did toward the end of his career. It was no different."

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Telesco has offered few hints at who the Chargers could be favoring for their seven draft picks, and that is not exclusive to quarterback. The Bolts also are expected to be in the hunt for offensive linemen, linebackers, receivers and running backs.

However, Telesco did not shy away from discussing attributes he's seeking. Among top priorities? Durability.

"Very, very high," Telesco said, when asked where it ranked. "We have a lot of information on not just the injuries the players have had, but how they've healed and then really trying to predict out risk maybe down the road. Big part of the whole process. No matter how good a player is, if he's not available to you, then he doesn't help the team."

Regardless who is picked to become the Chargers' next franchise quarterback, it's expected he will have time to adapt to the NFL behind Taylor, who has one season remaining on his two-year, $11 million contract.

"I would say right now it looks like he's in the driver's seat," Lynn said about Taylor's chances of earning the starting job.

Taylor is entering his 10th NFL season. Primarily a backup, he started three seasons with the Buffalo Bills, leading them to a playoff appearance in 2017. However, he has started only three games since.

Pleased as they might be with him, the Chargers have the opportunity Thursday to establish the long-term future of the organization.

They are scheduled to open 2020 inside their new home at SoFi Stadium. They have revealed a fresh new uniform look.

The only thing missing as they complete their relocation to Los Angeles is the face of the franchise. That will likely change with the No. 6 pick.