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After flashing very early on in his rookie season, Chargers linebacker Kyzir White’s year was cut short after sustaining a knee injury.
White used the time off to get healthier, stronger and bigger. He started the 2019 season as the starting middle linebacker while Denzel Perryman was nursing an ankle injury for the first two games.
White struggled in that role, so Perryman took over. With Thomas Davis serving as the starting WILL, that only left White with one option: SAM. With the Chargers playing a lot of nickel and dime packages, that means the SAM doesn’t see the field as much.
Because of that, White didn’t play as much as many were expecting. When White did see the field, though, he was making plays. The former West Virginia product finished with 40 tackles, two passes defensed and one tackle for loss.
Heading into Year 3, White is hoping to not be lost in the shuffle and earn some meaningful playing time.
Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said that White “is really coming on strong now,” adding that the team has been moving him around a lot and he’s been making a lot of plays throughout training camp.
White’s recent play has suggested that he’s worth an expanded role. Like I mentioned, if he plays the SAM, then he won’t have much of an opportunity to make an impact, given the majority of the time the defense is in a sub-package.
Speaking of sub-packages, there is a void at the dime linebacker spot, which was played by Adrian Phillips the past couple of seasons, that still needs to be filled. White is capable of manning the spot, given his experience at both linebacker and safety.
He could also rotate inside with rookie Kenneth Murray and Drue Tranquill.
The bottom line is that White needs to see the field more, as long as he can stay healthy. To Bradley, this is the “strongest linebacker group he’s had since he’s been in Los Angeles.”