Brandon Staley has taken a linebacker on Day 2.
Washington State’s Daiyan Henley became the latest rookie to join the fold Friday after being selected with the 85th overall pick. A former wide receiver at Nevada, Henley has just four seasons of experience at linebacker, including one in which he suffered a season-ending injury.
By his third year at the position, Henley was an All-Mountain West second team selection, leveraging that selection into a transfer from Nevada to Washington State. In just one season as a Cougar, he finished as a Butkus Award finalist and was selected to the All-Pac-12 first team.
Henley’s closest comparison by RAS is Bucs and Jets linebacker Kwon Alexander, a 2017 Pro Bowler and overall solid starter at the position. While undersized, Henley boasts elite testing numbers in every area except the vertical jump.
For the Chargers, Henley will likely serve as a one-to-one replacement for Drue Tranquill, who left for the Chiefs this offseason. He’s an elite coverage linebacker – his background as a wide receiver shows in spades when mirroring routes in man coverage and changing directions. He’s developed as a pass rusher every season, to the point that he’s now a valuable situational rusher. He’ll also contribute right away on special teams, a must for a Staley player.
Henley should be thrown into a competition for a starting spot right away in LA, whether it’s wrestling with Kenneth Murray for a spot in the 4-2-5 formation or taking a third starting job in more traditional fronts. He’ll also provide Eric Kendricks and Murray with a reasonable third option to keep the veterans fresh.
There are some small concerns with Henley’s instincts, but LA will be under the impression that Staley’s coaching will iron those issues out given the rookie’s lack of experience as a defensive player.
Bottom line: the Chargers got another instant impact player in this draft, and Henley should be a valuable piece of a growing defense.