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The Los Angeles Chargers Most Underrated Need

The Chargers Safety room is not talked about enough for how bare it is. After the starters, there is no one to pick up the slack. What options are there for the Bolts to bolster this position group?
Chargers Week 1

With the off-season getting underway as OTAs are just beginning, roster holes become more and more apparent. Especially when this team is under a completely new regime. Every player has a fresh, clean slate, but one thing that cannot be hidden is your performance on the field. It is expected that after a few weeks of “showing what you got” to the new regime, if it is not on par for what they are looking for, external options will be looked into. That being said, the Chargers most underrated need is at the Safety Position.

Most Underrated Chargers Need: Safety

Yes, the Chargers have Derwin James in the room, and they just re-signed Alohi Gilman to a solid contract. This is a very strong starting duo on paper, especially under this new Jesse Minter defense, which fits both of their skill sets perfectly. So what is the catch?

Unfortunately, under this defense, you need at least three quality safeties. Derwin James is known to miss games and is coming off his worst season to date. This is concerning as we are still hoping for the 2018 Derwin James to come back. It is 2024. Moving onto Gilman, he has been an outstanding selection under the previous regime, who became a must-re-sign. He was rewarded for his play under a new regime. That speaks volumes. However, after these two starters, the depth is minimal and the Chargers should be looking for a quality starting caliber Safety behind James and Gilman.

Who’s Currently in the Room?

Moving past the starting duo of Derwin James and Alohi Gilman, as mentioned before, the depth is extremely thin. We are currently looking down the barrel of a former third-round selection who has 8 tackles in his entire career, a former undrafted free agent with three career tackles, and a few intriguing undrafted free-agent rookies.

JT Woods

Let’s start with that third-round selection. JT Woods was selected 79th overall in 2022 out of Baylor. Coming out, he was an immense ball hawk with size and speed that blew coaches away. However, his main concern was his ability to tackle. Due to his atrocious tackling ability, he was projected to go mid-to-late day three. Former Chargers General Manager, Tom Telesco drafted Woods in the third round.

This was a bad selection then, and has proven to be a bad selection now. He is likely a cut candidate in 2024. Woods has dealt with injuries, and when on the field he has made little to no positive impact. He has a career 35.5 tackling grade. You will not play in this Minter defense if you cannot tackle. Plain and simple.

AJ Finley

Moving onto last year’s undrafted rookie, Ole Miss’s AJ Finley. Finley initially made the Chargers 53-man roster, impressing coaches and teammates alike with his play and demeanor. Derwin James initially said this about Finley “He’s a lot more mature than I thought…He’s a quiet guy, he works hard. He made a lot of plays throughout training camp.” Obviously, the off-season and the pre-season is much different than the season in itself.

When Finley was able to be on the field, he was mainly a special teams ace, recording a 66.5 special teams grade as a rookie. This is a good start for Finley, as he will likely be a good fit in the Jim Harbaugh-led team, with familiarity with all-star special teams coordinator, Ryan Ficken. That being said, he has yet to do much on defense, and the Chargers desperately need someone who can play that third safety role. Finley is likely more of the safety four/five type.

Akeem Dent

Coming out of Florida State, Akeem Dent is an undrafted free agent with great physicality to his game. Dent will likely be fighting for a roster spot like everyone else on this list, and his aggressiveness and impressive RAS score of 8.65 will likely yield him a practice squad spot at the very least. Unfortunately, again, the Chargers desperately need a player who can play defensive snaps on week one. Expecting a UDFA to do so is not smart roster-building.

Jalyn Phillips

The last and final option the Chargers currently have on the roster is undrafted rookie, Jalyn Phillips. Coming out of Clemson, Phillips has a good size at 6’1 205, with a mediocre RAS score of 5.70. However, the same fate lies for Phillips, even though he is an intriguing prospect in his own right, having plenty of experience and starts under his belt, he still will not be ready to play week one in his rookie season of the 2024 season. A veteran is the way to go.

Who’s Available?

After talking about in-house options for the Chargers, is there any safety options out in the free-agent market? Is there anyone who can remedy this Chargers need?

Justin Simmons

The biggest name available is former division rival, Denver Broncos star, Justin Simmons. The former Broncos safety is currently a 30-year-old free agent who has yet to find a new team, and it has yet to be understood why. He is coming off a Second-Team All-Pro selection and a Pro Bowl selection. That alone should interest teams, as he is likely to be an upgrade for any team who has an extra roster spot available. The Chargers have the cap space, the need, and the roster space for Simmons. Furthermore, Simmons is the perfect rangy ball-hawking safety who can also tackle for this scheme. Why not pick him up?

Quandre Diggs

Quandre Diggs is seemingly the favorite to be picked up by the Chargers, as he is a little more low-key of a signing, that can and will contribute to this 2024 Chargers team. Diggs will likely be a cheaper alternative to Simmons, who can still play that safety three role at a high level. However, Diggs is 31 years of age and is 5’9, with a poor 47.3 tackling grade in 2023. This may lead the Chargers front office to look in a different direction.

Fun Fact: Quandre Diggs is former Chargers Star, Quentin Jammer‘s young brother. 

Tracy Walker

The most underrated player on this entire list is former Lions safety Tracy Walker. Coming off a tough few seasons where he got injured in 2022, and then fell down the depth chart in 2023, Walker has shown in the past to be a very strong asset to the Lions defense. Back in 2022, Walker recorded 108 tackles in only 15 games, while having a strong 62.4 coverage grade. Even just last season in his limited play, he had a 62.8 overall PFF grade. His career 15 tackles for loss is tied for the second most by a defensive back in Lions franchise history. His aggression would fit perfectly in this Minter system. This signing would be a cheap, easy, veteran pickup for the Chargers, giving them a much-needed boost at the safety position.

Main Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Nate Gosney

Nate Gosney

Nate Gosney is a 20 year old football nerd, who has been using his smarts to become an NFL Writer since 2022. Having played in high school all four years at various OL positions, but he eventually found his footing as a blocking Tight End. This journey gives Nate an unique perspective. Trench play & tough football is key to him. Furthermore, he was born and raised a Charger fan. This has led to perpetual heartbreak since 2004. Gosney is a Journalism Graduate from Chaffey College, and is now transferring to Cal State San Bernardino.

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