The Chargers have had a great amount of success when it comes to bringing in hidden gems that went undrafted in the past, including safety Adrian Phillips, tight end Antonio Gates and running back Austin Ekeler, among others.
Who could be the undrafted rookie that steals the show this year? Recently, Bleacher Report’s Chris Roling revealed his top UDFAs that will turn heads in training camp. According to Roling, former Northwestern defensive end Joe Gaziano is going to be the one who will impress.
Roling wrote:
Sometimes an undrafted player’s productivity is just too hard to ignore, and that’s the case with new Los Angeles Chargers defensive lineman Joe Gaziano.
He spent his college days at Northwestern in the Big Ten and put up 152 total tackles over four seasons, 49 of them for a loss, and posted a superb 30 sacks over the same span.
Which isn’t to say Gaziano will get himself in the lineup next to Joey Bosa in the near future. But he’s got the sort of versatility and motor that will help his efforts stand out, enabling him to stick around in a reserve role for what could be a long time.
In a league where pressuring the quarterback is crucial, you can’t have too many pass-rushers. The Chargers have a dynamic duo with Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram, but the team can afford to have some ammo behind them.
At 6-foot-4 and 281 pounds, Gaziano is the type of player that Los Angeles would covet – a productive and hard-nosed player who constantly makes his presence known at rushing the passer and defending the run.
Gaziano also has some alignment versatility, possessing the profile to work inside, too. In 52 games at Northwestern, he recorded 153 tackles, including 48.5 tackles for loss, 30 sacks (school leader), 15 passes defensed and eight forced fumbles.