Tag: Daiyan Henley Chargers

Chargers 2023 roster review: LB Daiyan Henley

We begin our journey to profile each member of the Chargers’ roster with a look at Daiyan Henley, Los Angeles’ newest linebacker

The 2023 season is just a month away, and with weeks of dead time during the quietest part of the NFL offseason, Chargers Wire is endeavoring to document each of Los Angeles’ players before the start of the team’s training camp.

The Chargers are chock-full of offensive talent heading into the 2023 campaign, but it is their defense that faces the higher expectations in Brandon Staley’s fourth year as head coach.

The team’s selection of former Washington State linebacker Daiyan Henley in the third round of April’s draft cemented their commitment to improvement in that regard.

Henley is a complete player with excellent speed and range, good vision to play through blocks, an understanding of pass concepts that allows him to excel in coverage, burst and aggression as a blitzer and plenty of special teams experience.

A wide receiver and defensive back convert, Henley’s only been playing the position for three years, so he needs to refine the little details of the position. But he has the necessary traits and makeup to become a starter for the Bolts in his second season, especially after the presumed departure of Kenneth Murray, who is a free agent after the upcoming season.

Contract (2023): $750,000 base salary, $235,532 prorated signing bonus, $985,532 cap hit.

Acquired: The Chargers drafted Henley in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft with the 85th overall pick.

Quote: On how he would characterize his game:

“I would definitely say fast, low and to the ball. Just meaning that I’m always about the ball, I’m trying to get the ball. I’m sideline-to-sideline. Then, a downhill force. When I can make a hit, I can make a hit. I’m going to do it. Fun, I’m out there to ball, talk a little something on the side and make sure that my teammates are on the same page, as far as us being out here to win this game and have fun doing it.”

Highlight: 

Chargers’ Ryan Ficken points to athleticism as Daiyan Henley’s biggest strength

Ryan Ficken made it clear that Daiyan Henley’s athleticism could factor into a role on his special teams unit.

Chargers special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken will rely on rookies to fill several holes on his unit in 2023. First-year linebacker Daiyan Henley, a former collegiate receiver, looks particularly poised to play a key role for the team in punt coverage as a gunner next season.

Asked about Henley’s most dominant qualities this week, Ficken pointed to the linebacker’s raw vigor as a trait that could benefit his special teams unit next season.

“I would say his athleticism and then his strength,” he said. “He’s a very good football player. If you’re talking about the specific punt and all of that stuff — punt he’s going to have to learn a little bit more in terms of punt because it’s a little bit of a different system than what he’s coming from in college. This guy is a football player.

“That’s what I try and instill in these guys coming from college. They’re running backs, receivers or whatever position they are — they’re not a running back when they get into the NFL. You’re a football player. That’s what we have to make sure that they understand. How can I increase my value to be able to get onto the field and help this football team win a lot of football games?”

Clearly, Ficken won’t be satisfied if Henley’s only core competency lies in his physical traits. Instead, he needs the rookie to soak up knowledge like a sponge and develop into an all-around special teamer to win a role as one of their go-to players in punt coverage.

Watch for Henley to continue improving his game to that end through rookie minicamp, OTAs, and training camp this summer to hone his skillset ahead of the regular season kickoff in September.

Where each of the Chargers’ draft picks ranked on pre-draft big boards

Looking at the Chargers’ selections and seeing how they stacked up with other draft analysts’ big boards.

Analysts and fans are justifying the team’s picks based on value throughout the draft. Did they get a steal? Was it about right? Did they reach?

So we will look at the Chargers’ selections and how they stacked up with other draft analysts’ big boards.

Draft Wire: Top 150

Pro Football Focus: Top 200

Daniel Jeremiah: Top 150

CBS Sports: NFL Draft Prospect Rankings

The Athletic: Top 300

Todd McShay: Top 350

Mel Kiper Jr: Top 150

2023 NFL draft: Watch highlights of new Chargers LB Daiyan Henley

A former receiver, Daiyan Henley might be the most intriguing prospect that the Chargers have selected in the 2023 draft.

The Chargers continued to invest in their defense after the selection of edge defender Tuli Tuipulotu in Round 2, adding Washington State linebacker Daiyan Henley with the No. 85 overall pick on Friday night.

Henley is a smart and athletic linebacker with the ability to cover and blitz, who should prove to be a key asset in the middle of Los Angeles’ defense.

Check out his top college highlights below to get a better sense of his fit with the Chargers:

 

Instant analysis of the Chargers’ pick of Washington State LB Daiyan Henley at No. 85 overall

What the selection of Daiyan Henley means for the Los Angeles Chargers.

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.

2023 NFL draft: Chargers pick LB Daiyan Henley with No. 85 overall selection

The Chargers added a playmaker to their linebacker room in Round 3.

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The Chargers have taken former Washington State linebacker Daiyan Henley with the No. 85 overall selection in the 2023 NFL draft.

Los Angeles needed more playmakers in the middle of the defense, even after the addition of Eric Kendricks, and Henley gives them just that.

Henley finished his first and only season at Washington State with 106 tackles – second in the Pac-12 – adding 12 tackles for loss, four sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception. The Nevada transfer was the only Cougar named to the All-Pac-12 first team.

At 6 feet and 230 pounds, Henley has the speed and range to make plays sideline-to-sideline and downhill. His length gives him a great tackling radius and he misses very few tackles. As a former safety, Henley is proven in coverage. And as a former edge defender, he can get home as a blitzer.