Upon being drafted by the Chargers, edge defender Chris Rumph II wasted no time to begin working on his craft to make the transition from college to the NFL.
According to head coach Brandon Staley, Rumph turned to Bears star pass rusher Khalil Mack to workout with prior to the start of training camp.
During his time as the outside linebackers coach with Chicago, Staley had a big impact on Mack’s game.
Staley added that he’s been impressed with Rumph, but he wants him to continue to gain weight.
Adding mass will be vital to his development in this league, but despite being undersized to league’s standards at the moment, Rumph’s knack for living in opposing backfields on a consistent basis should still be put to good use.
Rumph has an excellent feel for getting heat on the quarterback with pure athleticism, explosiveness, length and body flexibility.
Rumph won’t surpass Joey Bosa, Uchenna Nwosu or Kyler Fackrell in snaps, but he should still have a role as a situational pass rusher where he will be used on twists and stunts to get home.
Given the success that Staley has had with players at the position coupled with his current skillset and upside, Rumph should see some production in his rookie season.