The Los Angeles Chargers had a dominant performance against their crosstown rivals in the Los Angeles Rams. With a blowout victory, all three phases of the game were clicking. In particular, the Chargers’ defensive line showed why they all deserve a chance to make this team.
Whether it was the “starting” group of Chris Rumph II and rookie Tuli Tuipulotu or the “third string” rotation of Nigeria’s C.J. Okoye and UDFA Andrew Farmer, this team got in the backfield.
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Chargers Defensive Line Room Dominates in Preseason Week 1: The Standouts
Chargers Defensive Line: Edge Rushers
This 2023 Chargers edge rusher group is deep. Two All-Pro caliber starters in Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack are supported by young talent like Tuipulotu and Rumph, to outside-looking-in talent like Farmer and Kemp.
Chris Rumph II
When Rumph was drafted in 2021, his main deficiency was power. He did already have, however, good burst and excellent hand placement. Rumph’s first two seasons were rocky, but Tom Telesco knew that the young pass rusher was a long-term investment.
Thus far, the waiting has paid off. The former Duke product is starting to break out in his third season with the Bolts having put on some necessary weight.
Rumph collected a sack early against the Rams. Doing so on only seven pass rush snaps is impressive. Additionally, his win rate on these snaps was 28.6%, which was a team-high.
Overall, Rumph is finally taking that step that Telesco and Staley expected of him when he was drafted in 2021.
Carlo Kemp
Kemp was undrafted out of the 2021 draft and found his footing in the USFL. He led his team in sacks and put his name on the map. The Chargers signed him to a reserve contract and he impressed last preseason.
This, combined with his smarts, led him to be an intriguing prospect the Chargers wanted to keep around. He landed on the practice squad for the 2022 season.
Against the Rams, Kemp continued to show why he deserves a spot on this team. He had five pressures, two quarterback hits, and three hurries. He also had a pass rush win-rate of 25%, second on the team.
Kemp is fighting for his spot in a very loaded edge rusher room. However, he has likely already earned his spot on the Chargers practice squad at minimum.
Ty Shelby
Ty Shelby is a 24-year-old rusher out of Lousiana Monroe. He is 6’3″ and 250lbs, which is a good size for the edge position.
Shelby had 5.5 sacks in his last year with the Warhawks. The Chargers picked him up, and gave him a shot this preseason. Coming seemingly out of nowhere, Shelby had a good game.
Shelby recorded two quarterback hurries, two pressures, and a very good 21.1% pass rush win-rate. Beyond his ability against the pass, he also proved to be a competent run-stopper.
This was a good start for the former Warhawk. However he will likely need another few outstanding showings for a chance to make the roster.
Andrew Farmer
Farmer excelled at the HBCU level. In his two seasons with the Lane College Dragons, he posted 44 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks. As a redshirt senior alone, he posted 25 tackles for loss in just eight games.
Farmer’s production was backed up by his amazing HBCU combine performance. He posted a 4.72s 40-yard dash, 38″ vertical jump and 9’10” broad jump.
The Chargers were stoked to sign Farmer in the undrafted free agent process. In his first game, Farmer had three pressures, one sack, two quarterback hurries, and a 25% pass rush win percentage. In all, he was effective in his 13 pass-rush attempts. On the run-defense side of things, he had one stop and was generally solid.
Chargers EDGE Andrew Farmer should be a priority for the practice squad.
Farmer had 3 pressures and a sack, but he also showed his stoutness vs. the run.
Farmer was the leader in tackles for loss among Division II players last season. Finished with 44 TFLS in 21-22. pic.twitter.com/X4NcHzeLRn
— Gavino Borquez (@GavinoBorquez) August 13, 2023
Chargers Defensive Line: Interior Defensive Linemen
The Chargers’ interior defensive line showed they belonged as well. There were having electric plays from players from big schools like Michigan to players that have never played a game of football until that same day. There is a lot of talented depth here so expect a lot of defensive linemen on the practice squad.
Christopher Hinton
The Chargers’ interior defensive line was quite thin last year, as plenty of injuries hit that position group hard. Losing pieces like Austin Johnson and Otito Ogbonnia led to undrafted players getting their shot on the roster.
Christopher Hinton was one such player. In 2022, Hinton recorded three tackles in four games. While not the most impressive, he showed good flashes against starting NFL linemen. So far, he has shown enough to be a reliable backup as his 56.8 PFF grade for 2022 suggests.
Hinton continued to strengthen his case as a a valuable depth piece for the Chargers defensive line. During Week 1 of the preseason, Hinton had 12 pass rush snaps, recording one pressure and one quarterback hurry. While he was average against the pass, Hinton showed his worth in his play against the run.
On nine snaps, the Michigan product had one stop, meaning he had a 12.5% stop rate. Hinton constantly held his ground against the Rams, showing to be a good run defender for a team that desperately needed help in this department last year.
Jerrod Clark
Jerrod Clark was the Chargers’ biggest undrafted free agent get. Many considered him to be a late-round selection and a good backup nose tackle for any team that needs help clogging the run. The Coastal Carolina product is 6’4″ and 330lbs with surprising quickness and a high motor.
Clark’s pass rushing was never his strength. Though he did not make any substantial impact, he did record a singular pressure and hurry.
The highlight of Clark’s skillset is his ability to clog gaps and swallow running backs. The 0-tech specialist had 12 rush defense snaps. On these snaps, Clark recorded three tackles, three stops, and a team-leading 27.3% stop rate. For a team that is worried about the recovery time of their run-stuffing defensive tackles, Clark makes an intriguing case to make the roster.
C.J. Okoye
The amazing story of C.J. Okoye has been a central narrative for the Chargers this off-season. Okoye was in Nigeria playing basketball and was asked by a random coach to try out for a football camp. With nothing to lose, Okoye took his chance and got connected to NFL Africa.
During this process, Okoye learned the game of football and refined his body for football. Okoye measured in at 6’6″ and 315lbs at the international combine and demonstrated impressive explosive ability. The Chargers saw his best fit in the interior of the defensive line.
With only one off-season for Okoye to catch up with lifetime football players, the odds were not in his favor. However, to everyone’s surprise, Okoye has played impressively.
During his first ever organized football game, Okoye recorded one pressure and one sack. While not anything superb, this is more than anyone expected from someone who is new to the game. Okoye has made his odds to make the Chargers practice squad a lot more interesting.
Conclusion
Although it has only been one week of live NFL football, the Chargers defensive line group looks sharp. It will be interesting to see how it ends up shaping out as recovering linemen like Austin Johnson and Otito Ogbonnia will return to the fold soon.
With more depth coming into play, Telesco and company will have some tough decisions, especially in the defensive line room. Look to the next few weeks to provide a more vivid picture of the final 53-man roster.
Why is this sack from @chargers DL CJ Okoye so special?
THIS WAS HIS 1ST ORGANIZED FOOTBALL GAME EVER.@Cj_dlion12 @OsiUmenyiora pic.twitter.com/1tuGft3DYs
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) August 14, 2023
Main Photo: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
