Los Angeles Chargers defense has chance to be special
The Los Angeles Chargers defense should lead the way in the 2020 season.
The NFL world is collectively losing their minds over the recently released Madden 21 ratings and the (very loyal) fanbase of the Los Angeles Chargers wonders how long the Tyrod Taylor era will be and/or when the Justin Herbert era begins. However, one thing that’s being slept on is just how good the Chargers defense can be in the 2020 season.
With the rest of the AFC West needing to deal with Patrick Mahomes for the next decade-plus, the Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos and Chargers have been loading up their rosters accordingly. If this past offseason is any indication, the Raiders and Broncos are figuring that they won’t be able to stop Mahomes and the Chiefs, so they’re attempting to build their own offensive juggernauts.
On the other hand, the Chargers bolstered a strong core of position players, improved their offensive line and drafted what they hope will be their quarterback of the future in Herbert. What they’ve also done is build a defense over the last few seasons to stop these offensive arsenals.
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Defensively, they are the most equipped team in the division to contain the Chiefs. Barring injury — seemingly always a problem for this team — the Chargers defense also has the potential to be a special one in the entire league.
Talent on every level of the defense for the Los Angeles Chargers.
On the defensive line, the Chargers feature a fantastic pass-rushing duo, Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa. With the addition of gargantuan defensive tackle Linval Joseph clogging the middle, the pass rush should thrive even more.
At linebacker, veteran Denzel Perryman should still be starting at middle linebacker while 2020 first-round draft pick Kenneth Murray out of Oklahoma completes a solid duo of starting linebackers. That’s not even mentioning the ever-improving Uchenna Nwoso and free-agent acquisition Nick Vigil, who is no slouch.
The Chargers secondary is where things get juicy, though. Casey Hayward has slowly become one of the most consistent corners in the game while the signing of four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Chris Harris Jr. was another pleasant surprise. Despite an up and down final year in Denver, Harris is still one of the premiere slot corners in the game.
Speaking of slot corners, Desmond King, a 2018 All-Pro in his own right, is still lurking as well. A subject of recent trade rumors, it’s been speculated that King will move away from his natural slot spot and into the safety/dime linebacker spot that was formerly held by Adrian Phillips.
Staying with safeties, the return of Derwin James, one of the best safeties in the league as a rookie in 2018 before his injury in 2019, to full-time duty will be absolutely colossal. Having James next to Rayshawn Jenkins in his second full year as a starter should pay off in dividends.
Elsewhere in the secondary, the underrated Michael Davis and versatile Nasir Adderley are in place, both of whom could potentially play the outside corner spot opposite Hayward. Simply put, the secondary is a question mark but only in finding the right places for everyone, not in the skill of the pieces themselves. They’re built to last against the vaunted AFC West offenses.
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The 2020 season for the Chargers should certainly be a landmark one, especially being the first without Philip Rivers in about a decade and a half. However, the other reason it should be noteworthy is the defense could very well be a special group and should help the Chargers hopefully get back to the playoffs.