Over the next couple of weeks, I will be breaking down the depth chart at each position for the Chargers.
Next up, I project what the defensive tackle room will look like heading into the 2021 season.
Linval Joseph
The Chargers signed Joseph last offseason to serve as the clog of the defense, which ended up paying dividends in 2020. Playing 725 snaps this past season, Joseph not only contributed as someone who commanded double teams, but he made high effort plays against the pass and run. He finished with 62 tackles, 14 quarterback pressures, three tackles for loss and two QB hits. Heading into this year, Joseph will resume the role as the team’s nose tackle, doing the dirty work in the trenches and still constantly hunting for the football.
Jerry Tillery
After failing to live up to his first-round status in his rookie season, Tillery made some made some strides last season. His ascend came when he was experimented as a defensive end. Tillery saw his tackles (17 to 30), sacks (two to three), quarterback hits (three to 14), pressures (nine to 22) and forced fumbles (zero to two) all uptick. Looking ahead to Year 3, Tillery is in a prime position to take a step even further, as he will be in a scheme that favors his skillset and play for Brandon Staley, who has a history of elevating front-seven players. Tillery’s versatility will serve him well and his traits profile more optimally to a 3-4 defense, given his length, strength and power.
Justin Jones
In each of his three seasons, Jones has steadily improved as a player. Jones amassed his first career sack last season and five tackles for loss, which marked a career-high. While he’s stronger against the run, Jones has put the pieces together as a pass-rusher. Now entering his fourth season in Staley’s defense, like Tillery, Jones could is in a great position for his best year yet since he’ll be aligned at multiple spots along the defensive line in the new scheme and his skillset meshes well what Staley will be asking him to do, which is using his strength and powerful play to demand blocks.
Christian Covington
Heading into the offseason, the Chargers had a need to fill out the interior part of the line with someone to compliment Joseph, Tillery and Jones. Following the draft, the team signed Covington to a short-term deal. Throughout his career, Covington has been a valuable rotational piece along defensive line. He has 132 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. Covington is a guy who is capable of disrupting the backfield, whether it’s rushing the passer or stopping the run due to his great lateral quickness and burst to jump off the snap as well as length and strength to hold his own against double teams.
Breiden Fehoko
The fifth and likely final spot will likely be given to a nose tackle to back up Joseph, which is why Fehoko gets the nod over Cortez Broughton. After going undrafted in last year’s draft out of LSU, Fehoko was signed as an undrafted free agent. Promoted from the practice squad, Fehoko was active for two games during the regular season but didn’t record any statistics in his rookie season. Fehoko is a run-stopper who clogs rushing lanes to provide opportunities for his teammates from the second and third level to make, as well as the strength and effort to collapse the pocket.