Tag: Jamaree Salyer

Studs and duds from Chargers’ 34-24 win over Texans

Here’s who came through and who disappointed in the Chargers’ victory over the Texans.

The Chargers got back on the winning track on Sunday in Houston, pulling out a 34-24 victory over the Texans.

The game shouldn’t have been as close as the final score indicates, primarily due to a few poor performances in the second half.

Here’s who came through and who disappointed in Week 4.

Stud: Jamaree Salyer

Give this kid all the flowers you have, man. Salyer hadn’t played left tackle as a pro even in practice until this week and then got thrown out as a starter against a Texans team with four pass rushers with a pass rush win rate of at least 12%. Yet, by my count, Salyer didn’t give up much, and the offensive line only allowed one sack to Houston’s defensive front. The rookie hardly had his name called all morning, generally a fantastic sign for an offensive lineman. Salyer also made his mark as a run blocker the same way he did in the preseason, proving to be a key cog in getting the rushing attack going for the first time this season.

Dud: Kenneth Murray

Murray has improved since last season, but it’s becoming clearer that he’s simply not a viable option in coverage. LA used him primarily as a blitzer in the second half against Houston, a role in which he could find effectiveness as a power rusher. But in coverage, Murray frequently found himself on the wrong side of plays. While it’s not fair to expect him to hang with slot receivers like Brandin Cooks, he’s being asked to at least share that responsibility at a clip that simply does not make sense. At some point, I think the Chargers need to consider taking him off the field in clear passing situations unless he’s going to be rushing the passer.

Stud: Khalil Mack

There was a bit of concern about Mack’s ability to make an impact on this game with Joey Bosa out, considering Houston was likely going to send extra help his way all morning. Despite that, Mack had his usual fantastic day, regardless of whether he was on the left or right side. Tytus Howard was bullied by the former All-Pro, while left tackle Laremy Tunsil committed at least two penalties trying to keep Mack contained. A key fourth and one sack, a pressure on Davis Mills’ interception to Nasir Adderley, and two QB hits made for another standout game.

Dud: Nasir Adderley

Speaking of Adderley, that interception was the only positive play of the day for the safety. Mills’ pass floated right to him on that play, so it’s hard to even give him that much credit for being in the right place at the right time. For the rest of the game, Adderley struggled with the thing he’s always struggled with: taking the correct pursuit angles. He overran Dameon Pierce on the rookie’s 75-yard TD run, expecting Pierce to cut inside. Instead, Pierce caught him flat-footed and beat him to the outside, outracing everyone else to the end zone. Adderley also overran a few routes in the flat; when the Chargers adjusted by making Derwin James the flat defender, Houston found no success with such plays.

Stud: Mike Williams

Williams finally had the type of game we’d been clamoring for him to have since Keenan Allen went down in Week 1. While he had the stats in Week 2 against Kansas City, he primarily won the ways he usually does: deep, contested catches down the sideline. Today, we saw the $60 million man win at every level of the field. Williams was consistently open on slants because rookie corner Derek Stingley Jr. was playing off coverage to hedge against the deep route. He won on crossers in intermediate areas because LA got the running game moving and forced Houston’s linebackers to account for the possibility of a ground attack. It resulted in a seven reception, 120-yard performance on 11 targets. This is what LA needs if Keenan Allen can’t go.

Dud: JC Jackson

Maybe Jackson still isn’t quite right. It’s only his second game as a Charger because of his ankle surgery, and in that first game against the Chiefs, it was obvious that he wasn’t 100%. But this week, Jackson was off the injury report by Friday, indicating that he’s supposed to be full go. Yet he was consistently Davis Mills’ favorite corner to target today, giving up a big catch to Nico Collins and committing a pass interference penalty. His tackling effort on tight end Jordan Akins was also poor, forcing his teammates to recover to bring Akins down by his ankles inside the Chargers’ five-yard line. Again, it’s early, and Jackson still gets his legs back under him. But the contract LA gave him to be their version of Jalen Ramsey is beginning to look like a painful mistake.

Stud: Austin Ekeler

We talked this week about how something had to give between Houston’s league-worst run defense and LA’s league-worst run offense. Although Ekeler still only had 60 yards on the ground, it was a massive improvement over the 27 yards a game he had been averaging through the first three weeks. The Chargers also made it a point to get Ekeler more involved in the short passing game, giving him seven targets for six receptions, 49 yards, and the game-sealing touchdown. Ekeler’s hat-trick will be a big confidence-building performance for him and this new-look offensive line without Rashawn Slater. And yes, it’s against Houston. But maybe this is LA’s spark to get the rushing attack back on track.

Dud: Finishing ability

This Chargers team is built to play a 30-minute game. It’s that simple. There is zero reason they should have let an inferior Texans team get back into the game after going into halftime up 27-7. You cannot score 27 points in the first half and then punt on your first three second-half drives while the Texans score two touchdowns. You cannot fumble a kickoff return and lose further momentum by allowing Houston to kick a field goal to bring it to 27-24. The Chargers went away from everything that worked in the first half until late into the fourth quarter when they had to. Perhaps the most egregious example was Joshua Kelley’s usage. Kelley looked like LA’s best rusher in the first half, consistently getting 6, 7, and 8 yards per carry. Yet in the second half, it was all Sony Michel, who continues to be ineffective. I understand you want to get Michel going in a game that should be all but won when you’re up 20. But at some point, you must ride the hot hand, which goes for the entire team. Learn to play a 60-minute game, otherwise, better teams than this can and will beat you.

Everything to know from Chargers’ 34-24 win over Texans

Highlighting everything notable from the Chargers’ Week 4 victory over the Texans.

The Chargers beat the Texans in nail-biting fashion, 34-24.

To recap the game, here is everything to know.

4 offensive keys to a Chargers victory over Texans in Week 4

Here is what the Chargers must do on the offensive side of the ball to beat the Texans.

With Keenan Allen out for the third straight week, the Chargers may be utilizing the same short game-focused offense we’ve seen from Joe Lombardi, especially as Justin Herbert recovers from his rib injury.

Here are four keys on the offensive side of the ball against the Texans.

Get the run game going

Please, please, please get Austin Ekeler more involved on Sunday. Houston is giving up the most rushing yards per game of anyone through three games, allowing an average of 202.3 yards per contest. The defensive line has consistently been pushed off the line and safety Jonathan Owens leads the team in tackles. But the Chargers are also last in the league in rushing yards per game at just 59. Part of that has been getting away from it too early, part of it has been ineffectiveness, and part of it has, in my opinion, been about personnel. Isaiah Spiller is reportedly fully healthy, and if you want to inject some juice into the rushing attack, the rookie is the obvious choice. But Brandon Staley has said that Spiller needs to earn his spot on the gameday roster over Joshua Kelley and Sony Michel, citing special teams as their main area of concern. Speaking of Kelley, he’s looked like the best pure runner this season but was relegated to garbage time only against Jacksonville. Sunday’s matchup with Houston should give Los Angeles plenty of opportunity to get their rotation hammered out.

Exploit the size advantage

Mike Williams is one of the best jump ball receivers in the entire league, as evidenced by the toe-tap touchdowns he’s put together against the Chiefs and Jaguars. Against Houston, Williams should have a favorable matchup against rookie corner Derek Stingley, who has struggled with bigger receivers in his young career so far. Courtland Sutton, in particular, seemed to garner a target on every play he was matched up with Stingley, converting his eleven targets into seven receptions for 122 yards. Stingley has improved every week so far, but this early in his career, he’s still exploitable. Put Williams on him one-on-one and trust your guy to come down with it.

Make things easy for Jamaree Salyer

Salyer will make his first career start on Sunday, filling in for Rashawn Slater at left tackle. Before this week, Salyer hadn’t played left tackle since being drafted by the Chargers in April, which could make this week one full of growing pains if L.A. cannot provide him some help. Matt Feiler has struggled to start this year, but I think you have to have faith in him to hedge to his left to keep Salyer afloat. Keeping an extra tight end in to block in-line to the outside of the rookie is also a viable option: Richard Rodgers was signed to the active roster this week as a fourth tight end and profiles primarily as a blocking option at this stage in his career.

Limit the big play

Usually, this is a defensive key, but Houston’s defense has been pretty awful outside of a few big plays. We talked about how they’re the worst run defense in the league already, but the Texans have also created five turnovers and ten sacks, tied for fourth in the league in both respects. Part of that certainly has to do with aggressiveness: edge rusher Jonathan Greenard said this week that “we preach a lot of knocking the ball out when sometimes you just have to get the man down.” This is a porous defense that will give up yards and points if you stay mistake-free. Hold onto the ball, protect Justin Herbert, and it shouldn’t take too much else to keep the chains moving.

Georgia rookie named starting left tackle for Los Angles Chargers

Former Georgia Bulldog Jamaree Salyer is slated to be the Los Angeles Chargers’ starting left tackle after an injury

Former Georgia Bulldog Jamaree Salyer is slated to be the Los Angeles Chargers’ starting left tackle in Week 4 against the Houston Texans. Salyer was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Salyer started at left tackle for the University of Georgia during 20 games throughout the 2020 and 2021 college football seasons. Salyer has primarily practiced at offensive guard for the Chargers, but that changed after star left tackle Rashawn Slater suffered a torn biceps in Week 3 against the Jaguars. Slater is expected to miss the remainder of the 2022 NFL season.

Now, Salyer has a chance to play left tackle in the NFL. The 6-foot-4, 325-pound offensive lineman allowed only two hurries and no sacks during his final season with Georgia.

In the national championship game Georgia moved Salyer to offensive guard to give the Dawgs more push on the interior in the running game. Georgia put Broderick Jones at left tackle.

The Houston Texans already have 10 sacks this year. The Texans have a good, but not spectacular pass rush, so Jamaree Salyer and company will be tested in Week 4.

The Chargers must protect banged up quarterback Justin Herbert, who is dealing with a ribs injury.

The Athletic’s Daniel Popper broke the news on Salyer.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz2y40j067srkf player_id=none image=https://ugawire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Chargers’ causes for concern vs. Texans in Week 4

A look at some causes for concern as the Los Angeles Chargers gear up to face the Houston Texans.

It’s been a rough week for the Chargers, who not only lost to the Jaguars at home for the first time in franchise history but did so in embarrassing fashion while losing two of their best players for an extended period.

They now travel to Houston to face the Texans, who beat them in the trap game of the decade last season after Los Angeles had a COVID outbreak the week of the game.

While that’s not likely to be a concern this time, there are a few reasons to be worried come Sunday.

The replacements

Without Rashawn Slater and Joey Bosa and potentially without Corey Linsley, JC Jackson, and Keenan Allen for another week, the Chargers are lacking a ton of star power on both sides of the ball coming into this one. Slater will be replaced by rookie Jamaree Salyer, who hasn’t played left tackle since the National Championship game for Georgia. Chris Rumph will fill in for Bosa, which he did in Jacksonville to mixed results. Salyer and Rumph getting starts is not ideal, and leaning on them to have a big impact could spell disaster.

Rookie defensive backs playing well

Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre have gotten off to hot starts this season for Houston. Stingley has had his ups and downs, especially in zone, but you can see him learning and making adjustments practically play by play in every game. Pitre had two interceptions and a sack last week against Chicago in his big introduction to the NFL audience and has received plenty of praise from veterans in Houston for his play. With as much as Mike Williams has struggled to consistently find space to be thrown the football, the rookies could again have a big impact against LA. Expect Stingley to stick to Williams while Pitre roams around and covers Gerald Everett, who’s been a primary target in Joe Lombardi’s short passing game offense.

Constantly fresh rushers

Houston has four players who have at least 30 pass-rush snaps this season, per PFF. Of those, the lowest pass rush win rate is Jonathan Greenard at 12.3. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo is at 15.6, while Rasheem Green and Jerry Hughes are over 18 percent on the season. That puts all four of them in the top 70 in the league amongst players with at least 30 snaps, which means that Houston can keep everyone at their best. That’s especially important for the 34-year-old Hughes, whose reduced pass rush workload has resulted in a very efficient season thus far. Against a rookie making his first career start, the constant rotation may prevent Salyer from getting into a rhythm, potentially causing problems for Justin Herbert in the pocket.

Running game improvements

Houston hasn’t been great running the ball in 2022, but Dameon Pierce has shown signs of becoming a true No. 1 running back. He’s still splitting carries with Rex Burkhead, who beat up the Chargers to the tune of 149 yards last season. LA’s run defense has improved since then, of course, but Joey Bosa is a big part of that unit’s proficiency. With Rumph playing instead, we saw Jacksonville target the second-year player in the run game due to his lack of play strength. If Houston keys in on Rumph the same way, this could be Pierce’s national coming out party.

Browns: Myles Garrett gets another rookie LT vs. Chargers

If Myles Garrett is healthy enough to play next week, the #Browns will get their look at another rookie left tackle against the Chargers.

While looking ahead to next week against the Los Angeles Chargers is not on the minds of the actual Cleveland Browns, we cannot help but take notice of some news out of Los Angeles. As Myles Garrett has already gone against one rookie in Ikem Ekwonu (racking up two sacks in Week 1), he will get another as sixth rounder Jamaree Salyer has been named as the starting left tackle for the Chargers after the season-ending injury to Rashawn Slater.

Salyer was the starting left tackle for the National Championship-winning Georgia Bulldogs. However, his scouting report entering the NFL was that he was a guard at the next level given his length, build, and lack of flexibility. For an edge rusher who can bend the outside track like Garrett can, this could spell trouble.

Again, this may be counting the chickens before they hatch as Garrett is still recovering from a car accident earlier this week. However, seeing that he has not been ruled out for this week against the Atlanta Falcons, it seems likely he will be good to go by the following week.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbw33aqtym0ft0g player_id=none image=https://brownswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=79890]

How Chargers can replace Rashawn Slater for remainder of 2022 season

The Chargers have a few options for the next man up.

The Chargers will be without star left tackle Rashawn Slater for the rest of the season after he suffered a ruptured biceps injury in the loss to the Jaguars.

Still very early in the season, Los Angeles will have to figure out a plan to have Justin Herbert’s blindside protected.

They can stick with what they have in Storm Norton as the starting left tackle, but yesterday’s performance exemplified that he is not ready for that responsibility as he allowed eight pressures on 25 pass-blocking snaps.

Or, the team could move Norton to right tackle and Pipkins to left tackle. Pipkins performed admirably well last season at left tackle, allowing just three pressures on 43 pass-block snaps.

While replacing Slater’s skill level in a pinch is impossible, there are a few ways the team can still get competency from the position.

If they choose to look at outside options, let’s take a look at how the Bolts can replace Slater.

All-22 analysis: 5 offensive takeaways from Chargers’ preseason loss to Rams

Analyzing the notables on the offensive side of the ball in the Chargers’ loss to the Rams.

With the All-22 coaches’ film from the Chargers preseason opener now available, I revisited the game from a new angle to draw some more conclusions.

Here are some of the takeaways from the offensive side of the ball:

Joshua Kelley’s development

Watching the game live, it was clear that Kelley has made strides this offseason with the added pressure of an RB2 competition. The coaches’ film shows even more signs of that improvement:

This play calls for Kelley to follow fullback Zander Horvath through the hole between rookie linemen Jamaree Salyer and Zion Johnson. But Kelley sees that Johnson’s assignment is pushing him back into the hole, while Salyer is losing leverage against his man. Kelley takes one step and cuts hard to the outside, using his speed to reach the edge and turn it into a positive play. Previously, Kelley would follow his blocks and gain maybe a yard or two.

The other hyped area for Kelley this offseason has been receiving, where he’s had a limited role to this point. He’s always been a good pass blocker, but on Saturday he showcased his pass-catching chops:

Kelley does a good job securing the ball before turning upfield even with a defender crashing at his ankles. The balance to keep himself upright gains him an extra few yards. Ideally, he keeps his feet under him trying to juke the DB and follows the open field all the way home for a TD, but it’s still a good rep.

Zion Johnson looks pro-ready

It’s unfair to Johnson to expect him to play at the level of Rashawn Slater’s 2021 season, in which the tackle was named a second-team All-Pro. But those in the building have said Johnson’s approach to the game reminds them of Slater’s and have had high praise for the rookie’s potential.

Here, Johnson’s power is on display. With Will Clapp helping him out, Johnson drives the defensive lineman into the gap the linebacker is supposed to be defending, thus knocking both defenders out of the play as the linebacker is forced to readjust. Meanwhile, Johnson stays locked up with the lineman and continues to drive him off the ball through the whistle.

Johnson did get beat on a swim move in this game, but overall his play was that of a competent NFL starter. It looks more and more possible that the Chargers have struck gold for the second season in a row with their offensive line draft pick.

Jamaree Salyer is a future starter

Offensive line is hard to evaluate without the benefit of All-22, so it’s hard to blame you if you thought Salyer looked merely solid in his NFL debut. With the benefit of an end zone angle, however, Salyer looked like a player drafted three or four rounds higher:

This is the kind of hand replacement you see from multi-year NFL starters, not sixth-round rookies who played tackle in college. Every move from the Rams’ defensive lineman is perfectly countered, leading to a decisive victory for Salyer. He also had this picture perfect block against a stunt the Rams ran:

You simply cannot do any better than this as an offensive lineman. Salyer hits the interior defender directly into the clutches of left tackle Foster Sarell, then slides back over to drive the looping edge rusher completely out of the play. Pause the clip after Salyer latches on to his second block and you can see Easton Stick had a wide-open running lane if no receivers were open downfield.

Right tackle battle far from decided

Both Trey Pipkins and Storm Norton looked like improved players on Saturday. For Norton, the focus is pass blocking, where he had several plays that looked somewhat like this:

As he does here, Norton takes an incredibly wide set, which forces him to operate on an island. Last year, losing those reps led to instant pressures and flushed Justin Herbert out of the pocket. On Saturday, Norton showed that he has the chops to win those battles for just long enough. In the clip above, he stays connected to the defender even as his head dips and he bends at the waist, usually trademark signs that a tackle is losing ground. That allows Chase Daniel to make a play.

In this clip, Daniel does not have such an opportunity. But I still liked what I saw from Pipkins:

99% of the time, this is a win for the offensive tackle. With Justin Herbert in the game, this is a win. With anything short of perfect coverage, this is a win. But it just so happens that every receiver is covered up and the much less mobile Chase Daniel is under center on this play, forcing a throwaway and overshadowing the technique of this rep. Pipkins anchors well against the bull rush and straightens up to continue his block as the defender rises up to attempt a pass deflection. In regular season action, we would be praising this sort of play ten times over.

Michael Bandy is an NFL route runner

I assume that Bandy has been following Keenan Allen around everywhere he goes ever since the Chargers signed him out of San Diego as a 2020 UDFA. There’s really no other explanation for how he’s developed this kind of route running savvy:

This looks like a basic play, but it’s a good job by Bandy to execute. With the DB showing off coverage, Bandy knows he has a free release. He shows good tempo, forcing the DB to stay honest against a potential vertical route. Then, with no wasted movement, he gets to the middle of the field, hauls in the pass, and makes a linebacker miss before being wrapped up by a host of Rams tacklers.

Of course, there was also his touchdown catch:

This one made the rounds even before the All-22 was available, but with the benefit of the sideline angle, you can see just how much space Bandy creates for himself on this play. The Rams line up in single high, meaning all Bandy has to do is beat his man, and he’s home free. Again, his tempo is what wins him the battle here: the hard sell on an in-breaking route followed by a quick pivot back outside breaks his DB’s ankles, and he has five yards of space around him in every direction. It’s an easy score.

Ranking Chargers’ rookies by potential 2022 impact

Ranking every rookie draft pick in order of their potential impact in 2022, beginning with the top pick, Zion Johnson.

With training camp set to start on July 27th, Chargers fans will soon get a true first look at the 2022 rookie class, which features at least one full-time starter in first-round guard, Zion Johnson. Meanwhile, the rest of the class will battle for rotational snaps throughout July and August.

Here’s a quick overview of the entire draft class, with players ranked by their potential impact as rookies.

1. G Zion Johnson

As mentioned in the introduction, Johnson is already cemented as a starter. Part of the reason for that is the lack of talent opposing him in a competition, but part of it is that Johnson has the talent to be an impact player right away. He may not get off to a scorching start the way 2021 first rounder Rashawn Slater did at left tackle, but Johnson also has the unenviable task of creating chemistry with both Trey Pipkins and Storm Norton during training camp as their battle for the right tackle spot unfolds. Matt Feiler’s presence a year ago has been cited as a big reason Slater’s transition to the NFL went so smoothly, and Johnson will not have that benefit (although center Corey Linsley is a top-tier running mate on the other side). Even so, the expectations will be high for the Boston College product, and early returns from OTAs suggest he’ll be up to the challenge.

2. RB Isaiah Spiller

Despite being the Chargers’ third pick of the draft, Spiller clocks in second here because of how wide-open the competition for touches is behind Austin Ekeler. It’s a situation that’s been discussed at length this offseason: Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree have struggled, Spiller was billed as a top back in this draft before ultimately falling to the 4th round, etc. OTAs didn’t give us much in the way of definitive rankings between the three of them, which means training camp will be all-important in determining what exactly Spiller’s role will be. If he performs well, Ekeler could finally have the running mate LA has been searching for since Melvin Gordon left in free agency after the 2019 season.

3. S JT Woods

Many people were surprised to hear Woods’ name called as early as it was when the Chargers picked him up in the third round, which seems to suggest they have big plans for him. As a rookie, I’d guess his primary role is going to be backfilling Derwin James’ safety spot when the All-Pro moves to dime backer or into the slot. However, he’ll first have to prove he’s more capable in that role than Alohi Gilman. Woods will also be valuable injury insurance if James or Nasir Adderley is forced to miss time, which represents a massive upgrade on the razor-thin group the Chargers put on the field in 2021 when similar issues struck them. With a 4.36 40, expect him to also make an impact on special teams right away.

4. FB Zander Horvath

It may seem ambitious to name a fullback drafted with the team’s last pick of the cycle in the top half of these impact ratings, especially when he’s still facing a competition with incumbent Gabe Nabers to make the team. But teams rarely draft fullbacks unless they have a vision for them, and Horvath profiles as an immediate impact player on special teams, an area where Nabers has been serviceable but not a standout. Daniel Popper of The Athletic also believes that the fullback spot is Horvath’s to lose heading into training camp. With his background as a running back at Purdue, Horvath may also get a few goal-line touches if the bruiser-type running backs continue to struggle this season.

5. DL Otito Ogbonnia

We’ve entered primary backup territory, as Ogbonnia will likely be a rotational player at best with the likes of Morgan Fox and Jerry Tillery soaking up most of the snaps at 5-tech. It’s possible that Tillery ends up as a surprise cut or trade before the season starts, but I think it’s more likely that he makes the roster and plays out his rookie contract before leaving in free agency next offseason. Fox wasn’t a huge impact player in Carolina, but performed much better with the Rams, when he was in the same defensive system as the Chargers’ current one. It’s a testament to how improved the defensive line is that Ogbonnia won’t be playing a lion’s share of the snaps, but it also means that the fifth-rounder likely won’t make a significant impact as a rookie. Considering he’s just 21 this season, with Tillery and Fox on expiring contracts, year two may be his chance to shine.

6. CB Ja’Sir Taylor

Popper has Taylor making the roster as LA’s fifth corner as of right now, citing his inside/outside flexibility and special teams upside. I tend to agree, although the competition on the back end of the roster between Taylor, Deane Leonard, Tevaughn Campbell, and Kemon Hall will be a fierce one. The former Demon Deacon has an unreal amount of college experience under his belt, with 62 career games played over 5 seasons at Wake Forest. That seasoning could be enough to take him over the top. With an elite speed grade and experience as a returner, Taylor should be one of the favorites at gunner as well.

7. OL Jamaree Salyer

I was a huge fan of Salyer coming into the draft, primarily because of his ability to play all five spots along the offensive line. For a brief while, people theorized that he may even be in the mix for a starting spot if Matt Feiler moved to right tackle to quash the battle between Norton and Pipkins. With Feiler staying at guard, it’s more likely that Salyer is the team’s primary backup there, with the loser of the right tackle competition serving as the swing tackle and free-agent pickup Will Clapp backing up Corey Linsley at center. With that hierarchy all but established heading into training camp, Chargers fans should almost hope that Salyer’s impact is low. Because if he is asked to be a high-impact player as a rookie, it likely means that one of Feiler or Zion Johnson have gone down with injury.

8. CB Deane Leonard

Leonard still faces a bit of an uphill battle to make the roster, although he was making plays left and right in OTAs. Carrying that momentum into training camp could be enough to catapult him over Taylor, Campbell, and Hall for that CB5 spot, but I think it’s more likely he becomes a priority practice squad addition. Leonard is a bit more of an unknown than Taylor, simply because the former played three seasons at Calgary in Canada before transferring to Mississippi. While the game has grown tremendously in recent years north of the border, adjusting to the level of competition in the NFL may take an extra year or two for Leonard, and that’s okay! Luckily, the Chargers aren’t in a position where they need to ask him to contribute right away.

NFL contracts for all of Georgia football’s 2022 draft picks

11 former Georgia Bulldogs have signed their NFL contracts. Here’s a look at each player’s deal.

In April, the Georgia Bulldogs made history when they had 15 players selected in the 2022 NFL draft. That is the new record for a 7-round draft, beating out Ohio State (2004) and LSU (2020), which both previously held the record with 14.

Less than a month later, 11 of Georgia’s drafted players have signed their rookie contracts with their new NFL teams. We are currently still waiting on the news of contract signings from running back Zamir White (Raiders), linebacker Channing Tindall (Dolphins), punter Jake Camarda (Bucs) and cornerback Derion Kendrick (Rams).

We will update this list when news breaks that those guys have signed their contracts, but in the meantime here are contract details for the 11 Georgia Bulldogs who have inked their rookie deals, in order of which they were drafted.