With the third pick in the upcoming NFL draft in late April, the San Diego Chargers have an opportunity to emulate a historically great defensive force.
This force takes the form of the Seattle Seahawks fabled defensive unit; a unit that is arguably most notable for their famed secondary in the “Legion of Boom.”
Even with little changes in past years, the three mainstays of the unit have been strong safety Kam Chancellor, free safety Earl Thomas, and cornerback Richard Sherman.
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In San Diego’s own efforts to create a dynamic defense, the Chargers have already fulfilled the shutdown cornerback component of this group in Pro Bowler Jason Verrett. Additionally, with the third pick in the draft, the Chargers could fill up the free safety position in the form of stud defensive back Jalen Ramsey. The versatile Florida State Seminole has the talent to play multiple positions – the speed to play bump and run man coverage as a cornerback (4.41 40-yard dash) as well as the explosiveness to fluidly tackle and be the last line of defense (11’3 broad jump).
The seemingly one minor flaw Ramsey has is his lack of short-area quickness. He ranked outside of the top 10 at the NFL combine for both the three-cone drill and the 20-yard shuttle. This suggests that he may be better suited to play as a free-safety rather than a pressing cornerback that has to handle high-agility players such as Odell Beckham Jr. and Antonio Brown.
As a free safety, Ramsey would be charged with the task of being the last line of defense. At Florida State last year, Ramsey missed only four tackles all season and had a completion percentage against him at 35 percent.
The Kam Chancellor, enforcer-type safety aspect is a more puzzling position to assess considering the rare type of talent and size that Chancellor possesses. However, there is a certain player in this year’s draft that warrants a second day pick in Clemson safety Jayron Kearse. He is a physical specimen at 6’4″ and 216 pounds while having all of the intangibles an organization looks for in a physical safety given his 4.62 40-yard dash and 10’4 broad jump.
The former Tiger has shown a willingness to play up in the box as a run stuffer while holding his own against athletic receivers in man coverage.
Kearse would best be used in man coverage as a defender of athletic tight ends given his build and deceptive speed. The Chargers desperately need a compliment in the secondary to bruising linebacker Denzel Perryman in order to take away the ease in which opposing teams throw the ball.
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With a potential trio of Verrett, Ramsey and Kearse, the Chargers would be able to look at their secondary as an asset instead of a liability. To succeed in the modern NFL, an advanced, athletic secondary is a necessity. Adding these pieces to an already-emerging front seven would give the Chargers an up and coming defense that could propel them back into the playoffs.