Quarterbacks, the past few seasons, had to worry about Joey Bosa coming off the edge whenever they faced the Chargers. But now, they will have another terror in their faces in Khalil Mack, who was acquired via trade.
Between his time with the Raiders and Bears, Mack has a resume that includes the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year, three All-Pro selections, six Pro Bowl nods, and four straight years with double-digit sacks from 2015 through 2018.
Up to this point in the offseason stage, Mack has been limited as he is coming off a foot injury that forced him to miss the final ten games of the 2021 season. Still, the star-studded edge defenders have steadily been feeding tips to each other.
“It’s amazing. Just to have another guy like that to lean on, to look at,” Bosa said about Mack. “He’s great to talk to. Along with that, he’s obviously an unbelievable player, so having a guy like that on the other side is going to be really fun.”
Bosa added that he has looked up to Mack since he was a young player in the NFL and that their opposite skill sets will complement each other’s perfectly.
Mack will not only benefit from rushing opposite another premier pass rusher but playing for Brandon Staley, who boasts a similar scheme to former head coach Vic Fangio.
The year Staley was outside linebackers coach in Chicago in 2018, Mack enjoyed a solid campaign that year, finishing with 68 pressures, 48 hurries, and 12.5 sacks.
“That’s the thing. Strangely enough, the defensive calls are pretty much all the same. It’s just different wording,” Mack said on the defensive scheme. “Just figuring out the different tangibles as far as what coach Staley and the defensive staff want from myself, first and foremost, making sure I’m able to affect games the way I know how to affect games.”
Mack said it’s going to be very fun playing with Bosa, calling him “very smart,” adding that he’s looking forward to their joint film sessions during the season.
Last season, Los Angeles ranked 19th in pressure rate overall, and on third-and-longs, the team ranked 25th in pressure rate. Now, with Mack’s explosive power and burst and Bosa’s athleticism and hand usage to threaten blockers, these numbers should improve drastically.