The Chargers defense has finished in the top-10 the past few seasons, boasting one of the best players in the league at their perspective positional groups.
However, Bleacher Report’s Martin Fenn doesn’t believe that Los Angeles’ defense isn’t worthy of being in that tier heading into the upcoming season. In Fenn’s defense power rankings, the Bolts rank No. 14 overall.
Here’s how he broke it down:
The Los Angeles Chargers have talent on the edge and in the secondary, but they needed an inside linebacker. They got one with their first-round selection of Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray.
Murray had 102 tackles, including 17 tackles for loss, to go along with four sacks last season. the 6’2″, 241-pound linebacker is a big and athletic guy who can close the distance in the running game and plug the gaps, and he chases the ball to make plays all over the field.
Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley might ultimately be dialing up more blitzes despite his heavy Cover 3 scheme, especially because Murray is at his best when he can hunt ball-carriers and get into the backfield.
Los Angeles also made a couple of veteran additions, signing cornerback Chris Harris Jr. and defensive tackle Linval Joseph in free agency.
Harris has been on the decline in recent years, but he should benefit from playing with a loaded secondary with Desmond King, Casey Hayward and Derwin James.
Speaking of James, he will return healthy for the start of the year after missing 11 games in 2019. The same can be said for Melvin Ingram III, who missed only three games but was hampered by a hamstring injury. Ingram’s abilities as a pass-rusher and cover man are especially valuable in Bradley’s scheme, particularly now that they have Murray.
Joey Bosa can focus on terrorizing opposing quarterbacks even more with Joseph expected to be a run-stuffer in the middle.
As frequently seems to be the case, the Chargers have one of the most talented defenses in football. But the question remains: Can everyone stay healthy?
The Chargers lost linebacker Thomas Davis and defensive tackle Brandon Mebane, who were both released, along with safety Adrian Phillips. But they made up for the losses, signing cornerback Chris Harris Jr., defensive tackle Linval Joseph and drafting linebacker Kenneth Murray.
They join elite company which features defensive ends Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram, cornerbacks Casey Hayward and Desmond King, safety Derwin James and an ascending linebacker in Drue Tranquill.
Last year, Los Angeles ranked No. 6 in total defense. However, they ranked near the bottom in takeaways. To ensure they force more turnovers, defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is going to start mixing up the looks, deploying more two-deep safety looks and man coverage.
With the players on the roster, the sky is the limit for the defensive side of the ball. If all key members can stay healthy, they’re capable of finishing within the top-5 in 2020.