The Los Angeles Chargers cornerbacks had a bit of a chaotic year in 2023. J.C. Jackson miraculously returned from a catastrophic injury – but continued to play so badly that he got traded back to the Patriots midway through the season. Most of the remaining group underwhelmed throughout the year as well. While a change in defensive scheme may benefit some of them, not all of them may even get the chance.
2024 Chargers Offseason Preview: Cornerbacks
Asante Samuel Jr
Samuel Jr stands out as the best cornerback on the team at this point, and he’s got another year left on his rookie contract. He finished 2023 with two interceptions and 13 passes defended. He may not be elite, but he’s the most skilled and stable talent among the cornerbacks right now – and he’ll be a key piece for the Chargers to keep next year. Hopefully that will continue and the Chargers will be able to give him a second contract.
Other Active Players Under Contract: Ja’Sir Taylor, Deane Leonard
Ja’Sir Taylor had a couple of solid games late in his rookie year when forced to step in due to injuries. That bought him some confidence from the coaching staff, and he was set to be the new slot corner with the Chargers not bringing back Bryce Callahan. That ultimately did not pan out well. The team could not seem to settle on a role for Taylor, sometimes trying to put him in the “star” role. There were occasional flashes – Taylor did pull in his first career interception, and this was only his second year. While he may not end up a starter in 2024 (unless the team is unable to replenish the position enough in the offseason), there will still be room for him at least as a role player.
Fellow second-year Deane Leonard is still there as well, and while he did not show as many flashes, he also will likely stick around as a backup. He is not someone you would want to be a regular starter at this point, but in terms of depth, you could do worse.
Chris Wilcox and Matt Hankins were also signed to reserve/futures contracts, but they are likely just there to be training camp bodies/practice squad candidates. Wilcox has been in the league for three years but has never been active for a game.
Free Agents: Michael Davis, Essang Bassey
Davis went into 2023 as the most experienced cornerback on the roster – and in the past, he had been a solid CB2 and stepped in very nicely in 2022 after J.C. Jackson got benched (and later injured). However, he struggled heavily this past season, being responsible for quite a few missed tackles. Given that he’s been solid before, it would be understandable if the Chargers opted to bring him back under the new defensive scheme. However, it would be just as understandable if the Chargers moved on.
Essang Bassey has been off and on both the Chargers and the Denver Broncos, and has never been particularly impressive with either team. It’s possible that the Chargers could bring him back if they needed some cheap depth, but otherwise, it is hard to see him coming back.
The Outside Options
The Chargers are going to be a bit strapped for cash this offseason and probably won’t be making any big investments in cornerback in free agency. They could go after a cheap veteran potentially to help out with depth, but they will more likely address the position in the Draft.
That will likely have to wait until the second or third round, because there is no one who is expected to be a top-ten pick in this cornerback class. (Plus, most of the mocks have them taking Malik Nabers or Brock Bowers.) There will be plenty of options to look for at that point in the Draft, such as Quinyon Mitchell, Max Melton, and Kris Abrams-Draine, just to name a few. Another name to watch – though he might not be picked until Day 3 – is Mike Sainristil, given that he is a Michigan product and that Jim Harbaugh has now joined the Chargers and brought his defensive coordinator Jesse Minter from Michigan with him.
In Conclusion
The Chargers cornerbacks are in a state of disarray at the moment, but some of them may benefit from a defensive scheme change. It may take a year or so, however, before we see dramatic improvement from this position group, because of the Chargers likely having limited spending room this offseason. Unless they draft a rookie who is good out of the gate right away, they will likely have to depend on strong coaching to make them passable for 2024. At least they will still have Asante Samuel Jr.
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