Good Afternoon Stormcloud! The last group up of these roster reset articles (My apologies to any special teams stans but I can't make resigning JK Scott interesting enough to justify an entire article) is the Defensive Line which in Jesse Minter's scheme refers to anyone who lines up with hands in the dirt between 6i and 0 techs. This unit features the most turnover of all positions in terms of snaps which are available due to the outgoings players. The Chargers have made a commitment to changing the make up of this position with some very specific traits in mind. This evaluation will therefore include:

• Returning players who signed a new deal with the team
• External free agents who signed before the May 1st compensation pick exemption deadline
• Players who were added in any of the seven rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft
• Undrafted free agents (UDFA) who signed deals with the team after the draft
• Unsigned players who are listed as camp invites in media reports

Note: If a player has an asterisk after their name (*) this means that they were added during the 2024 season and have been retained

Outgoing players

• Poona Ford
• Morgan Fox
• CJ Okoye
• Jerrod Clark
• Micheal Mason
• Savion Jackson

The new look IDL room

• Incumbent (3): Otito Ogbonnia, Justin Eboigbe, Scott Matlock,
• Returning (2): Teair Tart*, Christopher Hinton
• Free Agents (2): Naquan Jones, Da'Shawn Hand
• Draft (1): Jamaree Caldwell
• UDFA (2): TeRah Edwards, Josh Fuga

Returning

The decision to bring back Teair Tart was an easy one that would have only been prohibited if another team blew through his reasonable contract ceiling. That unfortunately happened for Poona Ford and I think the Chargers will consider it lucky that the same situation didn't play out for Tart. To lose them both would have been borderline disastrous as they ascended throughout the 2024 season to be the bonafide starters and as much as others were rotated in, it was more for relief than for tactical upgrades. In Jesse Minter's minicamp media availability on June 11th he talked about how his idea for interior rotation between four players turned into a starting pair with relief in behind due to how impressive their play was on early downs. They allowed the Chargers play with lighter personnel with their abilities against the run as the example play below illustrates how they gave the linebackers a two on one with the center.

Tart earned his way into that position after being brought in for competition between the first and second preseason game last August. He immediately showed that he was a level about the reserves he was playing with and he didn't slow down at all. I was amongst the analysts calling for him to have more snaps every single game until he was finally given the full time spot opposite Poona Ford in Week 9. His barefaced statistics were decent with 18 pressures, 14 run stops, 22 tackles and 1 sack however he was a lot more impactful than that as Nate Tice's insightful article titled 'NFL's low-key MVPs: 4 players in the middle of the field who add tons of hidden value like Frank Ragnow' highlights:

The Chargers gave up 5.2 yards per rush with Tart off the field, which would rank 31st league-wide, and 3.9 yards per rush with him on the field, which would be tied for second. Their rushing success rate also dropped from first with him on the field to 19th with him off it. The Chargers allowed a paltry 32.1% success rate against early-down runs last season with Tart on the field. (Think about that: two out of three first- and second-down runs with Tart on the field would put the offense behind the chains.) Explosive rush rate allowed? Ninth with Tart on the field, 20th with him off. EPA allowed per run? Minus-0.07 without Tart, minus-0.20 with him. Which, again, would rank first just above the Broncos.

Christopher Hinton remains with the team for a fourth season despite only appearing in eight games and not seeing the field at all last year. He has survived into his second regime which would usually come with an element of surprise however Coach Harbaugh has a pre-existing relationship after convincing him to come to Michigan as a 5-star recruit all the way from Georgia. His time in Ann Arbor was underwhelming compared to the hype in came in with but he did managed to have a good enough senior season to be offered a UDFA contract by the Giants in 2022.

Hinton became a full-time starter during the 2021 season, setting a new career high in tackles with 33 to go with 1.5 tackles for loss, another sack, two more pass breakups, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. He was later named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honoree.

From Bolts From The Blue's player profile of Hinton

Hinton failed to break through the ranks in New York, or at his short stops in Miami and Atlanta but he finally found his opportunity in Los Angeles in November as part of Brandon Staley's defensive line rotations. I personally have not seen any flashes from Hinton that would persuade me that he is worthy of a roster spot where so many others have been given a shorter window in which to prove themselves. He was one of my lowest graded preseason players from last summer therefore I can only draw the conclusion that his long-standing relationships with Jim Harbaugh and Mike Elston mean he gets a longer leash than most practice squad players are usually afforded. He might be a scout team asset or a high character player but whatever it is does not translate to solid tape.

Free Agents

Naquan Jones announced himself to the Chargers when he sacked Justin Herbert on his way to his most productive game as a pass rusher of his young career in Week 8's loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He dismantled Trey Pipkins' poor attempt of a block with a laughable ease although it should be questioned as to how much of a marker for success that is. Jones had an inconsistent path to that point having been hovering between the roster and practice squad for both the Tennessee Titans and Cardinals since he came into the league in 2022. His 1 year $1.835 million contract may seem like he would push him into starting contention however with only $250,000 guaranteed he could sit anywhere between being a starter and being an end of summer cut.

Last season Jones played as the third interior defensive lineman who came on whenever the Cardinals lined up in an odd front, which Jonathan Gannon deployed ranging between 15 and 30 times a game. I see his use being similar in Jesse Minter's scheme at least early in the season although that's not to say he can't play in an even front as he has the size to be a decent DT if he can develop his technique when meeting double teams.

Naquan is primarily a run stopper where he wins with consistent effort, violent hands and decent strength however his ceiling is lower than you'd want it to be due to his limited athletic ability. That said he is a lot faster than his testing numbers showed coming out of Michigan State, you can see this when he makes tackles a long way downfield after chasing the play in a display of his impressive motor. I see this high effort trait as necessary on a team that has a few players along the front that have struggled to finish plays. Jones also flashed as a pass rusher with a mean club move that gets quick pressures up the middle of the formation.

Da'Shawn Hand was the number one high school recruit in the nation in 2014, earning that ranking over the phenom Myles Garrett. He looked like he was on track to turn that promise into reality after a sensational rookie season as a Detroit Lion coming out of Alabama as a 4th round pick in 2018. However his play regressed to the mean as the reality of combative sports set in; a series of unfortunate injuries threw off the defensive lineman's ability to build on the foundation of his early promise. Over the course of his four year rookie contract he missed more games (30) than he played (29) with a myriad of issues including ankle, groin, and elbow injuries. This rotten luck continued into his time at the Tennessee Titans, who took a chance on his talent, as he tore his quadriceps muscle on the second snap of the 2022 season, forcing him to placed on Injured Reserve for the sixth time in his five seasons.

“Unfortunate situations. I can’t help that I got hurt the years I got hurt, I kept a strong mind-set and I’m here now, still. A lot of people that had my injuries don’t come back, or don’t come back the same. Can’t play, can’t walk. My mind-set got me through it. I kept my head down and had a positive attitude.”

Da'Shawn Hand opening up about his torrid injury luck

Fortunately Da'Shawn found some footing when he landed in Miami and in 2023 he was able to claw his way from the practice squad to play 16 games. Whilst his use was sporadic, he earned his highest PFF grades of his career including a three game stretch to end the season against the Ravens, Bills and Chiefs where he averaged 83.8. Last season he finally returned to being a full time starter where he played 564 snaps, the most of his career, and had a career year against the run where he had 31 tackles, 17 run stops and 6 TFLs. I watched some of this tape from that season and you can see signs that the player of old is back and, despite his storied career, Hand is still only 29 years old so there's plenty of scope left to improve especially at a position where peaks tend to happen much later on.

Da'Shawn is a well rounded defensive lineman that played all along the interior in Anthony Weaver's 3-4 front last season. He aligned all the way from a 1t by the center to a 6t opposite a tight end, this shows a versatility in both athletic skills and a deep knowledge of the playbook. Hand is a linear player who prefers to use his balanced athleticism to attack the shortest path to the ball whether that is through a lineman's chest or by shooting the gap. Minter and his staff were looking for an upgrade of Morgan Fox and Hand is most certainly that if you're looking at a consistent presence no matter what the offense is drawing up. Hand is 35 lbs heavier meaning he is able to play early down snaps against the run yet he is just as a quick as his predecessor on pass rush snaps. Da'Shawn has his limitations of course, he has almost no pass rush moves and he can get stuck at the top of blocks against bigger lineman however his relentless energy, likely fueled by his injury battles, means he wins a lot more of these fights than he loses.

It seems to me that the Chargers' front office have made the right bet at the right time once again as Hand looks primed to return to the levels of his earlier potential, it will be a matter of staying healthy and continuing to ascend towards being a three down player again. I project Hand to start alongside Tart with Teair likely sliding into the DT role and Hand being the primary DE. Da'Shawn's contract backs this up, his one year deal is worth up to $3,350,000 and he has $1,925,000 of that guaranteed which is significantly more than the other additions will be earning this year.

Draft

I have been unreserved in my praise of the Chargers' 2025 draft class and Jamaree Caldwell is a big part of my reasons for that. He was my favorite defensive pick and although I was high on him at the time, he has only climbed even further since I went deep into his film. I have broken down three full games of his tape (watch this space) and it is astounding to me how the Chargers' third round selection was a surprise to so many of the nation's draft analysts who watched that Oregon defensive front many times over the course of their 13-1 season. I graded Jamaree as having a positive impact on the play on 28.5% across those three games which, for a nose tackle, is absurdly high and to be clear that's a play where Caldwell went above expectations, not where he simply did his job. For additional context, I had a negative grade on just 3.5% across those same games which were all against teams that finished in the Final 8 of the CFB playoffs.

Caldwell may have been a key part of the Ducks' run defense but he is far more than the gap filler type many have portrayed him as. Despite his huge size he is very light on his feet and is somehow able to get skinny through gaps that look closed. He pries them open with brute force by burrowing his way through in an unceasing manner that renders half man or zone blocking schemes perilous to deploy against him. Jamaree plays gap-sound cohesive defense too, he doesn't cheat gaps and it allows his second level players to flow over the top of him in a way that has earned him some big fans in Oregon's linebacker room.

"Jamaree Caldwell. Big boy on my defensive line. I think he's a guy who always doing his job. Always taking on double teams. Always in the right place at the right time." - Jeffrey Bassa

"Our guys up front, especially the D-line, make my job really easy, Jamaree Caldwell, Derrick Harmon... endless dudes up front that just eat up double teams and make those gaps easy for me to run through. Shout-out to the D-line for making my job easy." - Bryce Boettcher

Oregon's starting linebackers both touted Jamaree Caldwell as a player who deserves more recognition ahead of the Rose Bowl in 2024

This selfishness doesn't end there either. His ability to collapse the center of the pocket allowed for his fellow pass rushers to pin their ears back to go hunting knowing the quarterback would struggle to stay in the pocket for too long. Derrick Harmon (21st overall), Jordan Burch (78th overall) and projected 2026 first round pick Matayo Uiagalelei (brother of the Chargers' own DJ) collated 25 sacks between them in 2024 and you can of course attribute those achievements to their own talent but it would have been a lot harder without their unselfish linchpin in the middle. This style of cohesive front play in turn allowed Dan Lanning's defense to play Quarters on the back end at a very high rate which resulted in them finishing 16th in the CFB for total defense despite playing a passive and reactive style that allowed their offense to win them games.

There are clear reasons why Jamaree wasn't taken earlier though, the main one is that he really struggles to finish plays, his tackling is substandard and he does not have the athletic ability to match last second adjustments by quarterbacks escaping pressure. This is because he plays too high and it means he isn't able to break down which is compounded by the momentum he carries as a quick big man. As I highlighted in my Outside Linebackers' roster reset, the Chargers targeted guys who can finish plays off the edge so this negates some of the concerns with Caldwell.

UDFA

TeRah Edwards spent the past three seasons as an Illinois Fighting Illini after transferring from Northwestern where he wasn't getting the playing time he thinks he deserved. He repaid the staff for their faith in him with an impressive senior season as he had 32 tackles, 24 pressures, 16 run stops and 3 sacks. On the face of things his pass rush numbers are impressive, to have a 7.2% pressure rate as a nose tackle in an odd front is outstanding. The fact that he didn't play third downs would normally be even more impressive but playing alongside future top 50 pick Gabe Jacas probably evens that out.

There are some excellent flashes when TeRah gets it right as the clips above demonstrate but his tape overall is quite flat. He doesn't lose ground but he usually doesn't make any either. Against the run Edwards used his strength and showed an impressive ability to bend and split double teams but his best asset is that he understands how to play with leverage as he plays low and drives upwards despite his big size. This allows him to hold up against combo blocks which could get him on the field as a nose tackle should the team move on from some of the incumbent players. The Chargers will need to turn those flashes into more frequent wins over the course of July and August to make the roster in September but he faces a steep climb with the depth in front of him.

Josh Fuga played alongside fellow 2025 classman Aeneas Peebles in the middle of Virginia Tech's defensive front. Fuga played as part of a heavy rotation between the three interior spots but his best play came in an even front when he had a single gap responsibility over being asked to play a gap-and-a-half or two gaps. Fuga has a sudden and heavy two handed punch that he pairs with his low stance to shock lineman back into their anchor. This sets him up well to beat slower guards and works very nicely to hold up to double teams so his presence in the run game is well felt.

Unfortunately when it comes to pass rushing, his initial shock is where the play often ends with Fuga as he has very little else in his bag. It was surprising to me that the Hokies kept him on the field for third down. Josh was also guilty of collapsing his lead arm and shoulder charging which is a big tell that someone is technically underdeveloped. Even though both Fuga and Edwards are being paid the same UDFA contract I see TeRah's path to the roster as being slightly more feasible as his flashes were more explosive but for either one to make the final 53 would be very surprising to me as the competition for this position group will be fierce.

Reasons for change

In the contemporary landscape of two high safety looks with nickel personnel as the base there is one overarching truth about defending the run effectively on early downs: you need to be big along the line. Any defensive coordinator without this element of size will need to sacrifice other elements of his scheme in order to operate an effective run defense; that could be playing with a bigger apex player like a Will linebacker or being less aggressive on their early down blitz calls, either way it pushes you away from your core principles. That is where Jesse Minter found himself last season because as much as Teair and Poona were able to play above their size, they couldn't take on double teams for 20 snaps a game whilst maintaining their explosiveness on passing downs.

This meant relying on the depth and it just was not good enough. Fox took a step back and is 25 lbs undersized, Eboigbe was too far away from NFL speed and Matlock was an offensive player. The lack of size from the bench is why Otito Ogbonnia played so many snaps for the Bolts last season even though he added very little in terms of pass rush. The defense needed someone who could hold up to Duo and Inside Zone blocks even if it came at the expense of being flat with no ability to collapse the pocket due to the imbalance that could spring any quarter back with the pocket presence to see the opening. Jesse Minter negated this impact with his incredible ability to make small changes in order to play gap sound run defense despite being short on numbers.

However these smart adjustments came at the expense of being able to play aggressively and whilst that's not always what Minter wants to do, it's never a good thing to have options taken away from your repertoire to leave you with a narrow game plan. So when Minter sent his shopping list of traits to Joe Hortiz's team, I'm confident in saying that size was close to the top of it. The smallest player the Bolts added was 6' 3" and 300 lbs and a consistent theme of strength is present in all the new additions. There are no more Morgan Fox types to be seen. This highlights the likely philosophical transition from coverage first principles to an attack minded scheme where Minter can trust his secondary to hold up after their excellent play last season.

Positional Reset Evaluation

This is the first position I think has taken a definite step back, even if I like and understand the direction the coaching staff are going for. Poona Ford was a fire hydrant in the middle of the defense last season, that elite level of play more than earned the 3 year $27,600,000 contract he got from the Los Angeles Rams. It is a shame to see an important player walk away after he resurrected his career in powder blue but the front office clearly had a cost ceiling and it's respectable to see them stick to it. The exact reasons that Joe Hortiz and Ed McGuire refused to match that offer are unknown (I think it was the length of the deal) however once it was clear that the team weren't willing to match it, the plan for how to replace Poona was enacted.

This offseason, the Chargers had more cap space to work with, and instead of breaking the bank for top-of-the-market players, they focused on dart throws. One player out in a position group, two players in. Two players out, three players in. No players out, still more players in.

Daniel Popper, The Athletic, describing the Chargers' Dart Throw approach to the off-season

The kind of impact that #95 provided would have been be very hard to replace in a like-for-like player especially with the market for interior defensive lineman absolutely exploding, therefore the 'Moneyball' philosophy that Hortiz has utilized on the defense this season was opted for in attempting to replace Poona Ford in the aggregate. As much as I am disappointed that the Chargers were not able to retain Ford, I am excited about the group they have brought in with the money they saved by letting him go. The Chargers acquired Da'Shawn Hand, Naquan Jones and Jamaree Caldwell for only $625,000 more than Ford's cap hit for 2025.

The off-season strategy for the defense has been one of adding depth to raise the floor for the output which to me, is a smart way to keep a defense that over performed from regressing too far to the mean. There is also another factor to consider; above average players and league leading defensive coordinators will both get poached from winning teams, as is the nature of the league. If the Chargers only commit to short term deals for ascending or resurging players, then they'll be able to negate the long term issues you get with chasing stars that could leave the team short once they reach the top.  This is a young position group with no player over 30 years old and 7 of the 10 players still on their rookie contracts, there is plenty of future redundancy built into that group which creates a sustainable stream.

“Maybe there’s more total capable guys now than we had at this time last year, and let it all shake out. That’s kind of how I feel about the D-line.”

Jesse Minter

This strategic approach also speaks to Joe Hortiz's beloved comp picks; if you're not chasing top tier contract players at a position where the market has blown up, then you save double the money when you can find a starter that's hitting free agency the following spring. If they go on to earn a big deal elsewhere and you already have a succession plan in place a year early then this is how you stay competitive financially. This progressive mentality allows teams to stay agile despite having a set of star players at key positions who need to be paid their worth. This may sound overly simplified but the majority of the league haven't got the patience or foresight to set up their teams in this very specific manner to reap the rewards. This is how consistently successful franchises are built. I don't think I'll ever get tired of comparing how this forward thinking, pragmatic front office compares to the passively reactive one we had in place for over a decade.

So there it is, 27000 words assessing all 11 positional groups which saw some level of change. My overall assessment of the Chargers' off-season will be rolled into my season predictions later this summer. I'll be continuing to write all through the summer break so if you have anything you'd like to see us dive into then please let us know.

In the meantime, Bolt Up!

Good Afternoon Stormcloud! Next up on the defensive side of the ball are the Outside Linebackers, or Edge Defenders as they are otherwise known. The team saw a whole host of exits from this unit, with a big name seeing the end of his time in powder blue. How the team replaces their combined production will be a critical part of this analysis. This evaluation will therefore include:

• Returning players who signed a new deal with the team
• External free agents who signed before the May 1st compensation pick exemption deadline
• Players who were added in any of the seven rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft
• Undrafted free agents (UDFA) who signed deals with the team after the draft
• Unsigned players who are listed as camp invites in media reports

Note: If a player has an asterisk after their name (*) this means that they were added during the 2024 season and have been retained

Outgoing players

• Joey Bosa
• Chris Rumph II
• Andrew Farmer II
• Ty Shelby
• Brevin Allen
• Chris Collins

The new look OLB room

• Incumbent (2): Tuli Tuipulotu, Bud Dupree
• Returning (3): Khalil Mack, Caleb Murphy*, Tre'mon Morris-Brash
• Free Agents (0): N/A
• Draft (1): Kyle Kennard
• UDFA (2): Garmon Randolph, Kylan Guidry

Returning

The biggest signing that Chargers made this off-season was keeping future the hall-of-famer, Khalil Mack, in the building. With reported interest from multiple teams the team not only had to offer the right money but they would have had to convince him that their path to a Superbowl was on track and realistically achievable in a time frame that fits his fight against Father Time. Mack signed a fully guaranteed 1 year $18 million deal which was lower than he was projected to get on the open market. This tells us that he chose to be a part of this team once again and that he shared Jim Harbaugh's belief that this team is on an upwards trajectory which should give fans hope. The length of this deal is probably what both teams wanted too, it gives both parties a way out if either Mack or the team regress but with the way Mack is integrated into the fabric of Jim Harbaugh's team, I do not envision 2026 being the end of the road for their partnership.

"I told Coach, 'See you Monday' then Khalil was like, 'Why are you not coming in tomorrow?' I said, 'You know what, you're right'. Next morning, I met him in the weight room and we got to work in. After that, it was an every Friday thing. Khalil just showed me how to be intentional every day and taking advantage. Small incremental gains every day to get to where I want to be, to set myself up later."

Tarheeb Still on Khalil Mack's influence on him this off-season

In my time following the team in 2006 we have seen some incredible leaders; Rivers, LT, Hardwick, Merriman, Gates, Weddle and Allen were all inspirational on the field. However since I started living and breathing everything to do with this team 7 years ago, there have been very few who have had the impact off the field that Khalil Mack has had. Mack and Derwin have set the tone for the defense to build from with their elite work ethic and hard-nosed style of play. Harbaugh has done well to let the pair be part of the player leadership group which is key to any team with championship aspirations.

The Chargers offered Caleb Murphy a future/reserves contract at the end of last season after they picked him up mid-season after he was released by the Tennessee Titans. Murphy spent two preseasons in Nashville after joining them as a UDFA coming out of Ferris State in 2022. Caleb is not a standout athlete so you can see how he fell out of the bottom of the seventh round however he was one of the best Division II players of all time so you can also see why the Titans took a chance on him.

"Murphy was a two-time Division II National Champion who set the NCAA single-season record with 25.5 sacks and tied the standing record of 39 tackles for loss during the 2022 season. He was awarded the Ted Hendricks Award, becoming the first non-FBS player to earn the honor of the nation’s top defensive end."

From Bolts From The Blue's analysis of his signing

Murphy took off during his first preseason in 2023, he had 7 pressures which led to 4 sacks and 3 hurries across 50 pass rush snaps however his run defense was poor according to PFF and he failed to break into the 53-man roster and spent the season on the practice squad. Unfortunately for Caleb he failed to have the same effect in 2024 and was subsequently released. The Chargers took a chance on his productive traits in late October and he played 12 snaps between Weeks 10 and 11. I see Murphy as a pre-season body that can allow the established players in Bud Dupree, Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu to take a backseat during the games.

Tre'Mon Morris-Brash impressed everybody during 2024's preseason and it was a surprise to many that he didn't make the 53-roster after a stellar showing across the three games last August. His consistent production despite being a UDFA that even the draft community knew very little about, was a pleasant surprise. However once he was sent down to the practice squad we didn't see him again despite a whole host of injuries to Edge players, Jesse Minter and his staff chose others like Caleb Murphy and Chris Collins over Tre'Mon which is usually a sign that there was something that people outside of the building weren't seeing. Whether there was an unknown injury or just poor practice tape we don't know, however to lose out on an opportunity like that must have meant something was amiss. If he can come back from that and return to the impressive quality of his play from this time a year ago, then he has a real chance at providing the explosive edge the team was looking for in the back half of last season.

Free Agents

The team opted to completely ignore the free agent pool of Edge players which was not only substantial in numbers but it also had many different types that provided options for teams in need. However when I was evaluating the available free agents after the Superbowl I thought there was a lack of high quality options and the league agreed with only one player who signed with a new team entering into the top 20 contracts in terms of AAV. In hindsight it appears that it was a smart move for the Chargers' front office to play forego investing in the available talent considering how many players got overpaid despite the middling talent on offer. Hortiz has shown us all that the patience he learned in Baltimore is still well placed now he's the man in charge of making the final call.

"You don't make snap judgments, you don't make snap decisions. The draft process, the free agency process, signing players during the season, everything is a process. It's a discussion. The best decisions come through discussions."

From Joe Hortiz's introductory press conference

There's a reason I am talking about available free agents on a roster reset article and that is that I am not convinced that Joe Hortiz is done adding to the position group. The Chargers are going to find out very early whether they have the answers at outside linebacker or not with a standout pair of offensive tackles blocking their path to the quarterback. The patience Hortiz has shown over the last three months has meant the Chargers are in-play to still make a move at Outside Linebacker should they see reason to do so. Some of the top Edge free agents who were available in March are still unsigned as we go into Phase 3 of the off-season; Von Miller, Matt Judon, Za'Darius Smith and Jadeveon Clowney. They are all waiting for the phone to start ringing and those calls are very likely to happen when competitive teams start to realize they are getting no pressure on the quarterback, this happens every single year so the veterans are smart to play it slow.

Draft

The Chargers may have selected Kyle Kennard in the fourth round however he comes into the team with one of the most decorated Resumes of any Day 3 selection in recent memory. He was a Consensus All-American, the Nagurski Trophy winner, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-SEC. It's not very often a player with that many accolades from his senior season has to wait 125 picks to hear his name called. Kennard was one player whose film I didn't get to before the draft but now I have watched a great deal of his tape I can happily say that he is exactly as advertised. That's both a compliment and a cause for pause, the latter is something we should expect for a Day 3 prospect but there is plenty to be excited about. I'll be doing a full breakdown of what the rookie out of South Carolina is going to bring to the table but I'll set the expectations by saying he should be seen as a contributing factor very quickly this season.

As the spear tip of the Gamecocks' impressive defensive front, Kennard benefited somewhat from his teammates collective efforts to account for 11.5 sacks in his lone season in Columbia. His production off the edge took a huge jump when he landed in the SEC before then he was a Yellowjacket in the ACC for four years and during his time at Georgia Tech he totaled 15 sacks across four seasons. Kyle gave Will Campbell hell when the Gamecocks hosted LSU and the number four overall draft pick wasn't the only lineman he caused trouble, his sacks were spread out with a sack in 9 of his 10 games including 4.5 against ranked opponents which is usually a sign for continued success at the next level. He also had 15.5 TFLs which, together with his sack production, earned him the Bronko Nagurski which is awarded to the best defensive player in the nation.

Kyle is a pass rush specialist who uses his height, length and bend-ability to beat Offensive Tackles to their mark and wins with a few reliable moves. His 70th percentile arm length is something he relied on to give him the leverage he needed to control the rep but there is a lot more to pass rushing than being long. Pete Jenkins, the legendary defensive line coach with 35 years of experience at the highest level of the game, broke down the art of pass rushing into three phases;

The Approach: The point at which the rusher gets off the ball to the point where the rusher contacts the blocker

The Contact Point: The point at which the rusher executes a move on the blocker

The Decision Point: The point at which the rusher decides whether to stick with the rush or counter

Pete Jenkins - former LSU and Philadelphia Eagles' Defensive Line coach

Kennard has become excellent at the opening and closing phases. His abilities at 'The Approach' are much improved from his days at Georgia Tech in terms of technique, angles and leverage, he combines these to put him in position to consistently win early. Don't let his 55th percentile 10 yard split fool you, he has an elite get-off which means he's landing his third step as the quarterback is receiving the ball from a shotgun alignment. When it comes to 'The Decision Point' Kennard makes the right call more often than not. He blended a good knowledge of when to use his favorite speed-rip move or use his linear twitch to plant and cut inside, this allowed him to have an outrageous pressure to sack conversion rate of 39.7%. He also made the right calls in critical moments such as goal line situations where he was consistently in the right place at the right time, that is rarely ever a fluke.

The middle phase, 'The Contact Point', is where Kennard needs to improve as he enters the NFL and it is why he fell out of the top 100. He has accurate and technically sound hand fighting skills but he lacks counters and gets stuck on blocks too often. He converted well once he got into the backfield but he only had 39 pressures on 310 pass rush attempts, a pass rush win rate of 12.5%, which put him in the bottom quartile compared to the rest of the 2025 draft class.

Using more of a “jet mode” stance as a super senior, Kennard was able to improve his takeoff as a pass rusher to be disruptive from wide alignment. He can use his length in different ways to pry open blocks, but he is inconsistent as a point-of-attack player and larger tackles can engulf him. Overall, Kennard has work to do developing his counters and becoming more consistent on run downs to reach his NFL potential, but he brings energetic speed off the edge when he can pin his ears back. He projects as a passing-down specialist, and his role can evolve from there.

From The Athletic's Dane Brugler's Draft Profile of Kyle Kennard

I always find it fascinating to look at player comparisons as the above graphic shows and the fact that Kennard is the same size as Will Anderson Jr caught me off guard because they play with such different styles. In terms of how he fits into this group, it will be interesting to see his early share as whilst I think he will initially be used as a money-down specialist, I see traits in his game that make me believe the team will push him towards becoming a full time starter within the next two seasons.

UDFA

Garmon Randolph stands out when you're looking at Baylor's defense as they are lined up before the snap. He is just shy off 6' 7" and a trim 265 lbs, whilst this is rare for an Outside Linebacker, it's more common in Tight Ends which is where Garmon played for the majority of his high school days. Since Matt Rhule recruited him to join the Baylor Bears in 2019 Randolph has played basically every position across the front seven but found his home as a stand-up outside linebacker playing off the edge of the Dave Aranda's Tite front. The first thing you notice about him is his athleticism, he has an overall RAS of 9.17 with his best testing seen at his 10 yard split of 1.55 seconds which is 96th percentile for Edge rushers, this is especially impressive with a 98th percentile height. This stands out on film as he able to use his long frame and speed to turn speed to power and drive back tackles who haven't got the anchor to cope.

However there are the significant drawbacks you would expect from a player who went undrafted, his production was poor with a total of 10 sacks and 14.5 TFLs across 6 seasons, he didn't start until his third season but that's still a low output with 27 starts under his belt. Garmon was still figuring defense out when COVID hit and he has had to battle through an ankle injury but the fact he only had a single season as a full time starter in 2022 before being sent back to a rotational role tells us that the coaches didn't see an NFL player in the making. That said there are flashes on his tape that excite scouts and Dane Brugler of The Athletic was clearly a fan of the direction he is heading in so maybe we can hold out hope yet especially seeing as he is still getting used to a position at which he has had a non-linear path of progression.

He has an explosive first step as a rusher and smooth movement skills when dropping into space. A taller player, he gets upright when setting the edge, but his length and hand strength help him win battles. His motor also jumps out, although his hard-charging style leads to too many missed tackles. Overall, Randolph is still learning how to fully weaponize his size and athleticism, but it feels like there is untapped talent ready to be developed.

From The Athletic's Dane Brugler's Draft Profile of Garmon Randolph

Kylan Guidry, on the otherhand, is more of a traditional Outside Linebacker type who is compact and explosive. His best asset is his speed where overall he has a 91st percentile overall speed profile including the fastest 20 yard split of any Edge prospect ever (I have checked every resource I can access and it's legit laser timed run). That's 4 hundredths of a second behind the fastest ever time which was by a receiver weighing 36 lbs less than Guidry.

All-22 film of Western Kentucky's defense is seemingly impossible to get hold of so the little tape I've seen on him is from the broadcast angle however you can see his closing speed and a decent ability to efficiently blow through blocks to get to the ball carrier. Guidry is decent in coverage too and this versatility, when combined with his athletic abilities, means he's able to play just about anywhere on defense. In 2024 he primarily played OLB with 274 snaps there but he also had 80 at inside linebacker, 24 plays in the apex and even 25 at corner when match ups determined he flexed outside. He's also got some special teams experience so his path to the roster is made more realistic because of the flexibility that his profile offers the coaching staff on game days.

Reasons for change

The Chargers did not get the kind of pressure they wanted out of the Outside Linebacker group they had last season. They ranked 22nd in the league in pass rush win rate at 37% despite coming into the season with an Outside Linebacker group that was meant to be one of the best in the league. One of the biggest contributing factors to this was the continued decline of one of their highest paid players and the misplaced faith in the supporting group who were asked to step in as replacements and provide impact as relief options.

Joey Bosa was one of the league's best technical pass rushers at his peak but between injuries and a decline in performance it was clear that he wasn't going to have a tenth year as a Charger. I think his subpar performances in recent years have escaped the attention of most fans because of his reputation as an elite Edge player earlier in his career. He just had three elite performances in the last two seasons despite earning $39 million in that time and those came against the Raiders, Jets and Titans, each of which had abysmal quarterback play at the time. He was healthy for a large part of the 2024 season but he was largely a non-factor and once this became apparent Jesse Minter had to prepare countermeasures in order to find alternative sources of production.

The lack of pressure from the Bolts' base fronts, particularly in the second half of the Texans' game, has influenced how Joe Hortiz has gone about changing things this off-season. Bosa's exit has left the team short of 456 snaps but all the players who failed to step up when he was out have also been cut loose, so the change is going to be fairly significant even if three of the four main contributing players are back. Any defensive coordinator in the game would prefer to get consistent pressure by sending four as allows your secondary to play with more freedom but without that you need to become more creative. The Chargers are fortunate to have a play caller who has a proven track record of leading the way in terms of creating pressure without premier Edge players.

So how have the Chargers decided to change the picture to get more pressure? Well as of right now that is in the balance. A true inflection point is rare to come across in the NFL however we will get to see one if the team chooses to add another piece to the Outside Linebackers group over the next phase of the off-season. This move will provide a tell as to how Jesse Minter wants to play defense going into his second year as coordinator; if the Chargers choose not to recruit a veteran mercenary to their pass rush arsenal then we should expect to see more off-ball pressures through Minter's version of 3-under 3-deep Fire Zone using his bigger secondary players like Derwin James and Junior Colson to force the issue and try to win games themselves. However if the team opt to add one of the available veterans then we can assume it will be more of the same base front with the focus on coverage on the back end that we saw achieve solid if not spectacular milestones that will keep Justin Herbert and the offense in the game.

The addition of Kyle Kennard and the decision to retain Caleb Murphy tells me that the team are currently leaning towards the off-ball pressure creation approach. Off-ball players are usually efficient at getting pressure when they're sent on blitzes but inefficient at finishing it themselves. Therefore they are often paired with 'sharks' who can rush in a disciplined manner, work hard and be in position not only to make plays themselves, but to clean up where others have moved the quarterback off of his spot. This therefore speaks to the front office choosing players with experience of finishing pass rush attempts over those who have the traits but not the production. This strategy would also provide an explanation as to why the team didn't invest any significant capital at the position.

Position Reset Evaluation

When a team loses a star name and chooses to shift resources to other positions you can normally use Occam's razor to ascertain that the position group has therefore become weaker. Whilst I do not think the team has improved their pass rush options I think the overall structure of the room has improved through increased versatility and that goes some way to negate the loss of talent.

Kyle Kennard on his own provides the kind of length, speed and natural pass rush skills that this group desperately needed last season. However when you add the explosive abilities of Randolph and Guidry, you can start to understand the vision for what this unit can deliver in the preseason.

During last year's preseason I was enamored with the creativity that Jesse Minter showed when designing cohesive pressure paths to get to the quarterback. This was especially enjoyable after years of Staley's disconnected defense driving us to despair. However the regular season rolled around and it all went back to basics. Minter wanted to be structurally sound which, given the context of a first time head coach trying to build a foundation, made sense yet I couldn't help but hope to see a return to the chaos his Fire Zones made for opposing offenses. This year maybe the complete opposite; the preseason could be the test-bed to see how often he can create pressure by sending four and then, when the season proper kicks off in Brazil, Minter could turn the dial up to 11 and catch the AFC West's offensive coordinators off guard to set up the season in style.

Good Evening Stormcloud! Next up on the defensive side of the ball are the Off-ball, or inside, Linebackers. Much like the safeties there was less turnover here but there are still some transactions to analyze and positional value to be discussed! This evaluation will therefore include:

• Returning players who signed a new deal with the team
• External free agents who signed before the May 1st compensation pick exemption deadline
• Players who were added in any of the seven rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft
• Undrafted free agents (UDFA) who signed deals with the team after the draft
• Unsigned players who are listed as camp invites in media reports

Note: If a player has an asterisk after their name (*) this means that they were added during the 2024 season and have been retained

Outgoing players

• Nick Niemann
• Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste

The new look ILB room

• Incumbent (2): Daiyan Henley, Junior Colson
• Returning (2): Troy Dye, Denzel Perryman
• Free Agents (2): Del'Shawn Phillips, Kana'i Mauga
• Draft (0): N/A
• UDFA (1): Marlowe Wax

Returning

Troy Dye was brought in last off-season to be a special teamer with backup upside yet in the regular season he continually stepped up to the plate when injuries started to mount up. He was really impressive during a three game stretch between Baltimore, Atlanta and Kansas City where he grew into the run defense to a level that I don't think many people saw coming. Compare that to the preseason where he struggled to step into his gaps and you can see that he was able to grow into Jesse Minter's defense thanks to Navorro Bowman's guiding hand. 

Side note but Bowman's impact has been a level above what you could expect from a first time on-field coach. There is very little correlation between being a good player and a good coach so even though Bowman was one of the best Linebackers of his generation he should be given ample praise for the job he has done considering he was only an analyst at Maryland for a single season. The way he elevated Daiyan Henley's game stood out but everyone that stepped into the role was able to keep the game flowing without any major deficiencies and that is no mean feat.

"Being back in a place where you're wanted and appreciated is an amazing thing for me. That was a big reason why I came back, plus a great locker room, great staff, great guys… It was just the right fit."

Troy Dye on finding a home in powder blue

Dye led the team with 391 special team snaps and that is where he is going to provide the most impact especially as the Chargers lost Nick Niemann in free agency and Tuli Tuipulotu will be seeing a reduced role due to his promotion to starting Edge, both players were core-four special team starters. He will likely be the captain and leader of Ryan Fickens' unit. Whilst it's good to know we can rely on him to step in and play at an adequate level at linebacker, his impact will come on the more under-appreciated side of the ball.

Denzel Perryman, the last remaining San Diego Charger, returns to the team on another short term deal as he enters his 11th season since being selected by the Bolts in the second round of the 2015 draft. Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz clearly respected his experience when they sought out to reunite Denzel with the team that drafted him after three seasons away including stops in Houston, Vegas and Carolina (for a very brief time). His leadership shone immediately which was a necessity as was the older player in a young linebacker room with a young coach. It wasn't just his longevity that Bolts covered though, he set the tone that Jesse Minter wanted his Linebackers to play with through aggressive run fills and patient backside pursuits.

"They brought me back for a reason, I still feel like regardless of my age, how many years it is, I still bring some kind of value to the team."

Denzel Perryman on looking ahead to the 2025 season

To play with light boxes and faster slimmer players at the second level of the defense the team needs players who can trigger downhill and hit the hole with force, Denzel continues to provide that at a remarkable level even if his body isn't quite holding up to the physical toll that play style takes. He missed the majority of the second half of last season with groin and toe issues and with Junior Colson hopefully stepping up, his play time may be reduced but when he is in the game expect to see him harrowing after the ball carrier in the only way he knows how.

Free Agents

Del'Shawn Phillips was brought in on a 1 year $2 million deal that speaks to his projection as a special teams ace. Phillips has been around the league appearing in 72 games with stops in Houston, Baltimore, New York (the green side) and Buffalo. After losing Nick Niemann to the Texans the Bolts acted quickly to replace his position as one of Ryan Fickens' most valued members of his special teams unit. Despite his longevity in the league Phillips has seen limiter action on defense with only 272 snaps resulting in 42 tackles over his six seasons in the league. According to PFF he is a strong and consistent special teams player with a grade of at least 71.6 in each of the last five years with a high of 90.5 in his lone year as a New York Jet.

"Known for his impact on special teams, Phillips has totaled 34 tackles on 1,389 special teams snaps. In three postseason contests, he has totaled a solo tackle, tackle for loss, three special teams tackles and a safety."

From Chargers.com

Kana'i Mauga looks to be another special teams' addition with his experience as a contributing player on five phases. All 305 snaps of regular season action were as a special teamer for the Las Vegas Raiders over the past two seasons but he was actually brought in by the Denver Broncos as a UDFA coming out of USC. So to say he knows the state and division very well would be an understatement. Mauga has the size and mid range speed to be a contributing factor on defense in the preseason but there would need to be multiple injuries for him to see the field in the regular season.

UDFA

Marlow Wax was the only rookie linebacker the Chargers added after opting not to draft one however there are plenty of reasons why the Chargers opted to add a player of Max's type despite the room being essentially complete. Wax is a smaller linebacker that plays with speed and more  strength than expected however his lack of elite traits dropped his stock. He also had a lower leg injury in his senior year that reduced his opportunity to collate film for scouts which would have caused him to fall even further. That said his production was impressive over the seven games he was healthy for as he stacked up 38 tackles, 23 run stops, 16 pressures, 8 hurries, 5 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 1 interception. This earned him an Honorable Mention All-ACC selection.

As I mentioned in the Safety roster reset evaluation, I think Jesse Minter will move into playing more fire zone which would rely on blitzing players from off ball alignments and that is exactly what Marlowe excels at. His production as pass rusher was clear to see with 20 sacks over his last four seasons and there are some encouraging signs that this will be sustainable when taking the leap to the NFL.

Wax's burst from a standing start is impressive with a 99th percentile 10 yard split which gives him a split second advantage when firing between offensive lineman. He is also far stronger than a player of his stature should be, he benched 23 reps which puts him at the 57th percentile but to achieve this at such a small size means that in terms of a weight adjusted bench press he was actually in the 68th percentile. You can see this show up on film too as he frequently flattens running backs on the way to the quarterback. When he combines these skills with his relentless motor and fearless play style you can really see why the Chargers chose to bring his talents to Southern California.

Reasons for change

As with the Safety room we have very little change to talk about here with the total investment in the three new faces not even surpassing $5 million. However unlike with the secondary that is less about their faith in the quality of their starters and more that the importance of off-ball linebackers is dramatically reduced in Minter's two-high nickel base scheme. This is exacerbated on third downs when Minter likes to play Dime, he ran this at 23.7% of the time when they had Derwin, Alohi and Elijah but this slipped to 18.2% without Molden or Gilman. In Dime personnel grouping there is only one off-ball linebacker on the field so with the Chargers' starting 11 healthy, we should see less snaps available to the Linebackers.

This is not to say the Chargers don't have talent at the position, Daiyan Henley was one of the most consistent players on the defense last season which was his first as a starter. This was a big step up from Brandon Staley's puzzling decision to bench him completely in his rookie year so Harbaugh, Minter and Bowman deserve credit for reinstating The Ranger's confidence which allowed him to achieve the levels many of us thought were possible. I thought he was unlucky to miss out on All-Pro recognition, his production was certainly good enough with 147 tackles, 50 timing stops, 14 pressures, 6 pass break ups and 1 interception but it was his coverage skills that stood out to me. His ability to be an all down player is based on his fluidity in space and his range, skills which elevates his game to a point he can get the national attention he deserves.

The bet for this position is much clearer than at other spots; this staff believes that Junior Colson is going to take a similar step up that the Bolts saw from Daiyan. The former Michigan Wolverine needed a while to acclimatize to the speed of the NFL but unfortunately his injuries came at inopportune moments to hinder his progress when he really needed to stack small improvements to keep pace with a defense that was taking off. It ended up being a very limited year for the young player however Junior is still only 22 years old, which is the same age as the 2025 draft class's four year seniors. As many others have pointed out, that could be like having another draft pick walk in the door at OTAs.

Position Reset Evaluation

This group is one of the only ones that I would say has stayed the same if not devalued itself from last season. Losing a reliable backup and special teams ace in Nick Niemann and with Perryman coming back from a slew of lower body injuries at 33 years old means that linebacker could be seen as position that needed addressing. It would therefore be seen as an under-investment to replace those players with an unproven sophomore, two special team only players and an UDFA. However despite my morose preface I think this was exactly the right strategy to avoid pouring precious resources into a devalued position especially when the Bolts have two potentially explosive young starters that can grow together to be a linchpin for the defense to build around. It is a gamble but as usual this team has contingency built in with veteran pieces that can slot in where needed.

I do not envision the team adding more players to this room unless there's a significant injury. One thing to watch is that Daiyan had an off-season surgery on a torn labrum in his left shoulder, he played through a lot of the season with it and it has kept him away from OTAs so far. There is always the chance for roster churn, in fact the front office already did this when they brought in Kana'i Mauga in place of Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste, who signed a Reserve/Future contract at the end of last season.

The NFL's use of ‘Base’ defense (4-3/3-4) has dropped in the last five years from ~27% to 21.2% this past season. During that time, most NFL defenses shifted to different versions of Nickel. In 2019, the average NFL defense used a five DB alignment on 55.5% of their plays. Today, that number sits at ~67% (PFF).

From Matchquarters' analysis of league wide defensive trends

The value of the linebacker unit is going to be their consistency and reliability as a veteran group that can execute the assignment in front of them rather than one that is going to be able to win games themselves. This approach to the position aligns with the meta of the league's best defenses that are asking less of their off-ball linebackers to push them from a primary means of attack into a secondary response unit.

Good Morning Stormcloud! Staying in the defensive secondary we now look at the Safety position which became more settled as the season came to a close. This stellar unit helped Jesse Minter to build a robust pass defense so the question is how does Minter grow from here without over committing resources. This evaluation will therefore include:

• Returning players who signed a new deal with the team
• External free agents who signed before the May 1st compensation pick exemption deadline
• Players who were added in any of the seven rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft
• Undrafted free agents (UDFA) who signed deals with the team after the draft
• Unsigned players who are listed as camp invites in media reports

Note: If a player has an asterisk after their name (*) this means that they were added during the 2024 season and have been retained

Outgoing players

• AJ Finley
• JT Woods
• Akeem Dent
• Jalyn Phillips

The new look CB room

• Incumbent (2): Derwin James, Alohi Gilman
• Returning (4): Elijah Molden*, Tony Jefferson*, Kendall Williamson, Emany Johnson
• Free Agents (0): N/A
• Draft (1): R.J. Mickens
• UDFA (1): Jaylen Jones

Returning

It's telling that Elijah Molden was the first deal the Chargers struck with an internal free agent. He was always going to be a priority for the team due to them giving up draft capital for him however his play warranted the deal and then some in my opinion. At this point I'll give Joe Hortiz some more praise for seeing their starting free safety in the form of a slot corner because that takes some incredible foresight and it shows he and his staff have an understanding of what makes a good defensive back at the NFL level. I'll double down on the praise too as they brought him back on a deal that's already a steal but will soon be even better. His 3 year $18.75 million deal has $13.5 million in guarantees puts him on par with Eric Murray and Brandon Jones and for further context his deal is worth half of what Grant Delphit and Talanoa Hufanga got paid as other free agents in the same class. Molden was always a candidate to resign at or below his market rate due to him being a Chargers fan and he showed a sense of gratitude to the team for taking a chance on him after his snap count was starting to dwindle.

Molden made an immediate impact on Jesse Minter's defense as he hauled in an interception against the Titans in Week 2 and kept playing at that level for the majority of last season. The former Tennessee Titan hits every mark you want to see in a free safety in the modern NFL; he can read offensive play structure from a distance, he acts early and decisively, his zone coverage work is very good at all levels and he is a pretty sure tackler in space. After he was injured in Week 17 his absence was immediately noticeable despite the decent play the Bolts were getting out of the entire safety room. His presence allows Minter to play his 3 safety 'Big Nickel' looks which puts Derwin in a position to be in the game wrecker role that serves the whole defense better than letting him cover downfield.

In fact on a recent podcast appearance with Chris Long, the Defensive Lineman who spent 11 seasons in the NFL, Derwin said that he had been putting in a lot of work with Khalil Mack and Bud Dupree to develop his pass rush moves, saying he had been working with them every single day. A move that Long said reminded him of the type of work Malcolm Jenkins used to put in. His excitement was as infectious as it always is and I think his bullishness was telling us he's going to have a career year in terms of blitzing. With Alohi and Elijah securing the deep parts of the field, James would be free to attack downhill more often and perhaps that could be the answer for where this team will find another gear in terms of getting pressure to the quarterback. Minter used his fire zone coverage at much lower rate than he did at Michigan so if he stepped this back up using Derwin, Junior Colson, Tuli Tuipulotu and Kyle Kennard as the flexible pieces then that can allow the chargers to bring pressure on early downs in a more sustainable manner than last season.

Tony Jefferson was one of the more under-appreciated signings of last season in terms of the national media spotlight. The veteran safety went from the Baltimore Raven's scouting department to a contributing player on a playoff team which is an incredibly hard change to make. Tony surprised us all with his play speed and strength but it was his leadership and on-field teaching that made him so valuable across periods where all three starters were missing through injuries and a ban for Derwin James. The intention was never to see him play 20+ snaps on a regular basis and I think he will return to the quasi-coach role he was brought in to do. I think the team's official 'Unc' will welcome this transition but the team can sleep well knowing that they have a contingency option waiting in the wing should the starters miss time again.

Kendall Williamson is back with the team after signing a Reserve/Future contract at the end of last season which was his second in the league after being drafted in the 7th round by the Chicago Bears. He failed to make the 2024 team after sitting on the practice squad all of his rookie season but he was picked up by the Buffalo Bills. This didn't last long and once again found himself cut before the regular season however in October the Chargers gave him another shot signing him to the practice squad. Williamson was a first-team Academic All-American at Stanford so he's clearly a smart player and sometimes that's a great asset to have on your scout team. Unless he finds a completely different gear, I find it hard to see him making the team despite him playing 19 regular season snaps last year.

Emany Johnson is another mid-season addition from last season that returns on a Reserve/Future contract. Johnson was a UDFA coming out of Nevada where he was teammates with Daiyan Henley before the Chargers' starting linebacker transferred from Reno to Wazzu. Emany spent the 2023 season at the Dallas Cowboys without seeing regular season action before he was released at the final roster cut downs the following season. The big safety is an athletic type with good speed, particularly over 20 yards, and upper quartile explosive movement skills. Despite the constant injuries to safeties during his two month spell with the team, he never got onto the field and he was actually released before the playoffs. Therefore the indication is that the team sees him as a camp body who can provide scheme knowledge which allows the team to rest the incumbent starters during preseason.

"The 6’2, 216-pound safety was a First-Team All-Mountain West selection in 2023 after posting 100 total tackles, three interceptions, four pass breakups, and 3.5 tackles for loss in 11 starts."

BFTB on the signing of Emany Johnson

Draft

R.J. Mickens was the last of the Chargers 6th round picks last month, the former Clemson Tiger profiles as a free safety after playing over 50% of his snaps as the top perch in West Goodwin's hybrid zone scheme. His experience is impressive having spent 3 seasons starting in a pro-style system which means his translation to Minter's defense should be relatively smooth as he has seen and done it all. You can see this in his film too with strong communication skills, calm leadership and patience.

"The son of an 11-year NFL veteran, Mickens grew up around the game, and it shows in the way he sees the field"

Dane Brugler on Mickens

Mickens covers a lot of ground when working downhill with some eye catching displays of closing in perfect time to disrupt the play. His 4.49 speed shows up in bursts but it's not consistent however where his athletic talent does show up is his vertical as that muscle mechanics translates to being able to stand up ball carriers in the hole which he is able to do. That said there are some clear reasons why he fell to the 6th round. The first thing that stands out is his tackling both in terms of execution and getting to the ball carrier, both are streaky and these failures seem to come at the worst times. Mickens takes poor angles when firing from a single high alignment to outside the numbers, often flying in blind and getting blocked late due to a lack of awareness. One thing to note is that when he's coming from a two high alignment to hit a gap between the tackles, he looks much more comfortable so this will fit Minter's scheme a lot more.

Safeties are incredibly difficult to project to the NFL and as much as you can spot physical traits that can translate such as tackling, block destruction and ball skills, there is very little consensus on how teams evaluate playing in space in a preventative role as it involves a lot of intangibles. I've always described analyzing safety play at the NFL level as like being able to understand fine art through the negative space, to look at what's not there and see the artist's reasoning for not adding more. Without understanding the exact coverage adjustments and key sequence it's very difficult to know how the prospects coming out of college will affect the game as professionals. Therefore it is always smart to take a safety at some point in the draft especially as they're usually contributing factors on special teams.

UDFA

Jaylen Jones, the Chargers' lone UDFA signing at the safety position, is a strong safety out of Virginia Tech who has only played defense for two seasons since switching from wide receiver in the fall camp of 2023. His first season was a steep learning curve as he played 419 snaps despite making the change only weeks before the season opener so it was no surprise to see him struggle early on. His torrid 32.7% missed tackle rate could have forced him to give up on this new pathway but Jaylen put in the work and improved leaps and bounds entering his senior year. His tackling became a strength, he only missed 4 attempts across his entire final season as a Hokie and his growth was not limited to that area. Jones was able to turn his receiver skills into ball production too as he hauled in 3 interceptions with 6 pass break ups.

“High effort (type of player), he knows what he’s doing. He’s out there energetic, high effort. He’s going to watch a lot of film. We watch film a lot of times. So just somebody who is a student of the game who wants to get better and wants to be great,"

Virginia Tech's Nasir Peoples on Jaylen Jones switching positions

His tape speaks the same language as the metrics as he looks like a receiver still learning the position but he has good instincts, shows patience beyond his experience and is not afraid to get physical. At times he displayed his lack of time on task including a mental error that led to an easy touchdown against Miami which resulted in a temporary benching. However the basics are there and with his athletic upside you can see the potential that the Chargers' scouts were probably keen to see what he can do. I like his chances to grow his skills on the practice squad and as such a new player to the position there's no telling how far he can go.

Reasons for change

To be succinct: there was no reason to change the major components of this safety group because the three starters are returning and they were already one of the best and deepest groups in the league. It's not just Chargers fans who think this either as the trio of Derwin James, Elijah Molden and Alohi Gilman are getting the kind of national attention they deserve. The biggest factor for me is that the trio only played 9 games together so there is plenty of room for improvement in terms of their synergy.

Position Reset Evaluation

For the Chargers to only bring in two new faces is an indication that this team has a lot of faith in the five returning players. I think both additions, R.J. Mickens and Jaylen Jones, bring some applicable skills and have relevant scheme-aligned experience so they can apply pressure to the guys on the roster bubble especially if they can master special teams. Both are shorter than ideal safeties but their ability to play across multiple spots means their availability will give them access to the field should they both make the roster.

It's hard to say that the position has improved as the changeover has been so minor but with new faces comes new opportunities for growth and that's what Harbaugh, Minter and the secondary coaches will be looking to find. I wouldn't rule out another couple of additions on either side of camp as eight players for three starting positions leaves them a little short for preseason rotations. Either way it happens this room looks set and strong with the natural chemistry of the starting three providing a foundation for the unit to build from.