The Los Angeles Chargers’ new regime has already seen a massive culture and roster change. This has been evident with key players like Mike Williams and Keenan Allen leaving the Bolts. If they weren’t safe, what about a seventh-round selection with little NFL experience? This situation usually leads to these low-status players fading into the distance. However, the player who played in Canada, and was brought in to be developed might finally hit his peak under a new regime, and become the Chargers’ biggest dark horse breakout candidate.
Meet the Chargers’ Biggest Dark Horse Breakout Candidate
Deane Leonard was born in Calgary, Canada. His football ability was seen early in his life, playing football in high school. Instead of taking his talents to the United States, he went to the University of Calgary, playing defensive back. During his stint with Calgary, he was a two-time All-Canadian, amassing six interceptions and helping his team win the 2019 Vanier Cup. He quickly realized that if he wanted a chance at the NFL, transferring to a school in the United States was his best shot. Leonard transferred to Ole Miss and had two strong seasons with the team, leading to an interesting prospect in the 2022 Draft.
Coming into the 2022 NFL Draft, Deane Leonard was seen as an undrafted free agent pickup who will likely be unknown across even the draft space, as he was ranked 530th on the 2022 NFL Draft Consensus Board. However, the Chargers decided they wanted “dibs” on Leonard and spent their seventh-round selection on the Cornerback from Ole Miss. The Ole Miss Cornerback had great size and speed standing at 6’1 while clocking in a 4.37 40-yard dash. He has very fluid hips and physical tools to show his prowess as a tackler and coverage defender. His main issue in the NFL is inexperience and short arms which led to a lack of ball production at Ole Miss.
Deane Leonard’s First Two Seasons in the NFL
Once in the NFL, the Chargers dark horse breakout candidate had a long way to go before earning that title. His first season with the Bolts did not yield much play time on defense, as the team mostly relied on Leonard for his Special Teams ability. However, his play on special teams, was, well, special. It was enough to show that he deserves a spot on the roster for his play on special teams alone.
The Canadian-born defender’s second NFL season was much more fruitful. He played 222 defensive snaps, filling in for an injured Michael Davis. His stretch of three starts were up and down, but the flashes were apparent. In his first start against Detroit against a feisty passing offense, Leonard recorded a 70.6 coverage grade and only gave up two catches for 23 yards on five targets. The Ole Miss product was ready to play against anyone and refused to back down. Furthermore, his special teams play was still great, but his snap counts went down due to injury. His 90.1 special teams grade ranked sixth in the entire league amongst players with at least 100 special teams snaps.
Truly one of the most heads up, brainy plays I've ever seen a #Chargers player make. Ja Taylor and Deane Leonard, two rookie DBs from this past class earning a living on special teams…well, they earn their living.
And (essentially) win the game. What a play! https://t.co/VmFVMXaY9H pic.twitter.com/UM4KGXLcOF
— Tyler Schoon (@tylerjschoon) October 23, 2022
Why is Deane Leonard The Chargers Biggest Dark Horse Breakout Candidate?
Now that the group that brought Deane Leonard in is gone, why should we expect a breakout? As simple as it is, the coaching staff in the building now is much more talented than the previous regime. Leonard has already shined throughout off-season workouts, and his ability to start on defense this season is going under the radar.
Starting with the coaching staff, Jim Harbaugh, Jesse Minter, and Ben Herbert will all play key roles in the third-year player’s success. Maximizing his body with Coach Herbert, being recognized by defensive coordinator, Jesse Minter as a standout, and the general “Harbaugh Effect” are all valid reasons to believe Leonard’s 2024 campaign to be his best yet.
Chargers DC Jesse Minter mentions Deane Leonard as an early standout amongst the corners while being excited about Tarheeb Still's leap in the last few practices.
on Cam Hart: "His size and length is something we wanted to add to that room."
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) June 12, 2024
The competition for the former seventh-round selection might be the easiest in the entire league. Deane Leonard is strictly an outside corner, thus his competition will be between Asante Samuel Jr, Kristian Fulton, and fifth-round selection, Cam Hart. Samuel Jr will likely be the team’s #1 option as Fulton, Hart, and Leonard will battle for the second spot.
Fulton is coming off a bad year with the Titans but does have a major upside that has yet to be tapped into, and Hart was a Cornerback option that was very liked in the draft community. The case for Leonard stems from familiarity playing with the majority of the DB corp, and the flashes he showed last season as well as off-season workouts. Training camp and preseason will likely solidify the winner for the CB2 spot. Do not count out the Chargers’ biggest dark horse breakout candidate.
Main Photo: [Orlando Ramirez] – USA Today Sports
