After taking a steady approach in free agency, signing just one external player in linebacker Eric Kendricks and re-signing a handful of their own, the Chargers now have their sights set on the draft where they will look to bolster their roster with their selections and make a deeper run in 2023.
Before, we’re going position by position to break down where Los Angeles stands entering the draft.
Next up is the edge defender group.
Catch the previous previews here:
Who's on the roster?
- Joey Bosa
- Khalil Mack
- Chris Rumph II
- Ty Shelby
The Chargers boasted one of the best edge defenders duos when they traded for Mack last offseason.
They looked great in training camp and early on in the season, but a Week 3 groin injury sidelined Bosa for nearly the entire season. He eventually returned in Week 17 and posted just 2.5 sacks on the season.
Mack finished with 56 quarterbacks pressures and eight sacks. But he wasn’t nearly as productive after the loss of Bosa because opposing offenses started to double and even triple-team him.
Rumph wasn’t much of a factor in his second season, recording just two in 15 games in a rotational role.
Who departed this offseason?
- Kyle Van Noy
- Derrek Tuszka
When Kenneth Murray was working his way back from offseason ankle surgery, Van Noy played inside linebacker. He was then deployed as an interior blitzer and was also rushing off the edge and playing in coverage. When Bosa suffered his groin injury, Van Noy became a starting edge defender, and he went on to post a sack in five consecutive games at the end of the regular season.
Tuszka was added last September and played primarily special teams. On 37 pass-rush snaps, Tuszka had three pressures.
Positional need: High
While Bosa was out with his groin injury, the pass-rush production from the position group left a lot to be desired. Mack will be 32 when the 2023 season starts. Rumph has been a core special teamer, but he has not had much of an impact on defense. In a pass-happy league, you need players to disrupt quarterbacks consistently. The Chargers would benefit from another talent in the positional room as insurance for Bosa, who has been riddled by injuries, and as they prepare for life after Mack.
Prospects they could be interested in
- Myles Murphy, Clemson
- Will McDonald, Iowa State
- Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
- Keion White, Georgia Tech
- Derick Hall, Auburn
- BJ Ojulari, LSU
- Byron Young, Tennessee
- KJ Henry, Clemson
- Nick Hampton, Appalachian State
