Since being selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft, Chargers safety Nasir Adderley has failed to live up to expectations.
Adderley struggled last season after missing a good chunk of his rookie campaign with an injury. While he flashed in spurts, he was inconsistent in the single-high role in Gus Bradley’s scheme.
In Year 3, Adderley is in a prime position to make a jump since he will be playing for head coach Brandon Staley, who’s proven at getting the most out of his defensive backs.
Staley does this is by playing them in various roles, which is what Adderley is capable of, having not only played safety but cornerback at a high level in college at Delaware.
Therefore, Adderley’s skillset and mentality will be tailored to by allowing him to be around the ball more and play more aggressively, where he will line up in the slot (Star) and hybrid safety-linebacker (Money) on top of patrolling the deep parts of the field.
“It’s exciting,” Adderley said. “I’m gonna be playing a little bit more roles and moving around the field. I feel like it really showcases my abilities. I’m really excited, I’m just making sure I’m locked in and doing whatever I can to help our team.”
Not only will the position flexibility benefit Adderley, his coaches have had plenty of success with other players at the position.
Under Staley’s watch, he helped Rams’ John Johnson turn into one of the team’s top defensive play-makers en route to earning a big contract with the Browns, and last year’s sixth-round pick, Jordan Fuller, into a solid starter in his rookie season.
On the other hand, Broncos’ Justin Simmons developed into a second-team All-Pro player in 2019 and a Pro Bowl selection in ’20 and Kareem Jackson was a dominant force in the back end under the guidance of defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill.
If Adderley takes the leap, he and Derwin James could easily be one of the top safety duos in this league, and this defense could be lockdown.
“He’s taken the extra steps to become a leader on the back end. We’re going to demand a lot from him,” Hill said.