While lower expectations are placed on rookies that were drafted in the late rounds or that are undrafted free agents, there are often players that end up exceeding those expectations and end up leaving everyone wondering how in the world somebody went undrafted or slipped to the seventh round. Trying to guess who that is going to be on a year-to-year basis is a bit of a crapshoot, but there are indicators we can use to make an educated prediction. For the Los Angeles Chargers, out of their 2023 class of undrafted free agents, the hidden gem among the bunch looks to be cornerback Tiawan Mullen.
Tiawan Mullen is the Hidden Gem for the 2023 Los Angeles Chargers
Mullen’s College History
Of course, the first question is why him in particular. Mullen had an interesting run with the Indiana Hoosiers, where some of his best stats came early in his college run instead of late. In his sophomore year in 2020, after having a season with 3.5 sacks, and three interceptions, he landed All-American honors and First-Team All-Big Ten honor – while only playing eight games.
With a season like that and honors like those under his belt, one might be wondering how Mullen ever went undrafted. The answer is due in part to what came next – he ended up missing much of the 2021 season due to injury. And while he played all 12 games in 2022, he didn’t quite get back to his 2020 level. On the plus side, he had two interceptions and eight passes defended, but only got All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors.
Nevertheless, he still showed obvious flashes of talent while playing in a power conference. But the injuries and a somewhat underwhelming senior year may have hurt his stock a little. His being a little undersized may not have helped matters either at 5’10 – in the NFL, he’d definitely be at a physical disadvantage at times – particularly on the outside. And while that doesn’t break his chances by any means, that sort of thing can make teams wary.
Where He Fits In
The Chargers already have their starting cornerback lineup pretty well set between J.C. Jackson (if he can return to form), Michael Davis, and Asante Samuel Jr. After those three and Ja’Sir Taylor, the quality goes down pretty heavily. Provided Mullen has a good training camp and preseason, it probably wouldn’t be that hard to beat out the likes of Kemon Hall and/or Deane Leonard for a spot on the 53-man roster as a depth cornerback.
The question, then, is how he would get time on the field. And it is possible that he may have to wait for an injury to a starter to get that first real chance. But he will likely make it a competition between him and Ja’Sir Taylor for the slot position – which, if the Chargers see the promise in him, could actually explain why they have not brought back Bryce Callahan if they have two young and promising competitors for slot/nickel positions. Basically, Mullen could fill a role on the inside/middle and succeed there, and that includes making an impact on the run game – despite his size, he’s tougher than he looks.
In Conclusion
Tiawan Mullen is among the most likely candidates of the undrafted free agents to make the final roster – he has an easier path there than most (again, just beat out Kemon Hall and Deane Leonard and you’re set). He is also among, if not the most likely candidate of that bunch to end up making a play at least for being in the rotation. The results might not be seen right away, depending on how the depth chart shakes out. But Mullen, on paper, is the hidden gem that could help give the Chargers secondary a boost.
Main Photo: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
