Tag: Nick Niemann

Chargers rookies understanding value of special teams

The first-year players get that jobs are won based on how they do on special teams units.

First-year players enter the NFL with the expectations of seeing the field at their perspective positions early on. However, the chances of that occurring are slim. Instead, they must prove their worths on special teams.

Special teams is important because it’s a stepping stool which works to help young players get acclimated to the speed of the game, one of the biggest adjustments to coming into this league.

For the Chargers, it’s especially vital after finishing as the worst special teams unit last season. The team is optimistic that this year’s rookie class will be able to aide in that department moving forward.

“All of the rookie class, they’ve really been good at absorbing the things that we’ve been putting in,” special teams coordinator Derius Swinton II said. “I think that they can all contribute at some point.”

In particular, two players highlighted by Swinton that have grasped the concepts quickly are Chris Rumph II and Nick Niemann due to their collegiate experiences at Duke and Iowa.

An undrafted rookie who is looking to earn a spot on the 53-man roster is Amen Ogbongbemiga, who has also caught the eye of Swinton.

While the majority of the rookies may not get snaps early on, that could change at any given time based on how they perform at simply covering a kick.

Chargers rookie LB Nick Niemann is special teams ace with starter upside

The Los Angeles Chargers may have themselves a gem in linebacker Nick Niemann.

The Chargers drafted linebacker Nick Niemann in the fifth-round with the intentions of him aiding a special teams unit that finished last in the league last season.

While the majority of his money will be made in that department in his first season, Niemann profiles as a player that can make an impact on the defensive side of the ball.

Niemann comes from a school that has a knack for producing quality NFL linebackers, with the likes of Ben Niemann (Nick’s older brother), Christian Kirksey, Anthony Hitchens, Josey Jewell.

Niemann had a solid career at Iowa. Even though he didn’t start until his last season, he was a key piece as an every-down weak-side linebacker, in which he posted 77 tackles (team high) and helped the team finish as a top-10 national defense in scoring and yardage.

Niemann, however, really turned heads at the Hawkeye’s Pro Day, where he posted a 40 time of 4.45, a shuttle time of 4.14, a 10-yard split in 1.48 seconds, which would have tied Jonathan Taylor for the fastest at the 2020 combine and a 6.67 second three-cone drill.

The testing numbers are eye-popping, but Niemann’s tape shows a player with the core traits that can contribute at the position at this level.

Niemann’s calling card is his tackling ability, as he ranked fourth in the Big 10 in tackles per game last season, averaging 9.6 hits per game.

Niemann is good interior run defender, showing very good mental processing to recognize blocking schemes quickly, which allows him to maximize his quickness to attack gaps, displaying physical toughness on contact to secure tackles in his gap.

Against outside runs, he shows the speed and range to be able to cover the field sideline-to-sideline. In addition, his processing ability helps him take good angles to intersect the ball carrier, helping raise his pursuit ability.

While Niemann does a great job of evading blockers in space and makes for a difficult second-level target for offensive linemen, he does lack technique and strength which will force him to struggle to match at the point of attack.

In today’s NFL, playing linebacker is more than just run defense, however.

Even though Niemann wasn’t tasked with a lot of responsibilities in coverage compared to other linebackers, he did enough sufficiently in that department to fare well in this league.

In man coverage, he has the speed to hang in space with slot receivers, and he should have no issue doing the same with athletic running backs and tight ends in the NFL.

In zone coverage, he shows comfort and route recognition skills across the middle as well as in the flats. When he sees the ball in the air, he has impressive movement skills to close the distance.

Finally, Niemann brings quickness and sufficient effort as a blitzer.

The bottom line is that Niemann is a talented linebacker who looks to fit the mold of the NFL’s new-age linebackers. He has the ability to make stops inside and outside the tackles and the coverage instincts and athleticism to stay on the field on third down.

Drue Tranquill, Kenneth Murray and Kyzir White stand above him on the depth chart at the moment, but if an injury were to occur, Niemann is the ideal guy that can be counted on to start in the upcoming season.

By Year 2 or 3, Niemann could be in a position where he is fighting for a starting job for the Chargers, given the fact that White will be a free agent at the end of the season and Tranquill will be at the end of the 2022 season.

With his skillset and developmental potential, Los Angeles might have a good one on their hands for years to come.

5 bold predictions for the Chargers’ 2021 rookie class

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez decided to put on his thinking cap and predict the future for some of the 2021 rookie class.

The 2021 NFL draft is in the rearview.

Now that we’ve been able to get accustomed to the Chargers’ draft class based on their collegiate careers, it’s time to project how they might fare at the professional level.

What better way to do so than making some bold predictions for their rookie campaigns?

Here are five:

Rashawn Slater allows less than five sacks

Making the smooth transition from the college to the pro level at the tackle position in Year 1 is not an easy task by any means. Very few are capable of maintaining the high level of play against NFL pass rushers right out the gate, but Slater’s college tape might suggest otherwise. In his first season at left tackle for Northwestern in 2019, Slater was a wall against elite competition, with the likes of Chase Young (Washington Football Team), Zack Baun (Saints), AJ Epenesa (Bills) and Kenny Willekes (Vikings), allowing only five pressures and zero sacks. Despite has lack of arm length, Slater’s light feet, balance and technically-refined and heavy hands are competent enough to slow the cream of the crop.

Asante Samuel Jr. leads team in passes defensed and interceptions

Much like his dad, Samuel Jr is a ball-magnet. He had 29 pass deflections and four interceptions during his time at Florida State. He breaks on the ball efficiently and always seems to be in the right place at the right time, which leads to the high production. Last year, Michael Davis led the Chargers in both picks (4) and passes defensed (13). With opposing quarterbacks knowing that Samuel Jr. is a rookie and they could underestimate him for his size, he will likely be targeted, but it would not be surprising to see him capitalize on a lot of those opportunities.

Josh Palmer finishes second among team’s receivers in receptions

The top target for the Chargers the past few seasons has been Keenan Allen and I don’t see that changing. Because Mike Williams is listed as WR2 and Jalen Guyton and Tyron Johnson are in front of him on the depth chart, it leads many to think that it will be an uphill climb for Palmer to produce. But I believe the former Tennessee product will emerge as one of quarterback Justin Herbert’s top targets. When you look at Palmer’s college stat sheet, it’s easy to think that he isn’t accomplishing the feat, but the reality is that the Vol’s offense did not do Palmer any favors and he rarely got targeted because of it. Palmer was 14-of-14 in catching the “catchable balls” against elite competition which included Jaycee Horn, Patrick Surtain II, Tyson Campbell, Eric Stokes and Kelvin Joseph. I could see Palmer finishing with 45-55 receptions in his rookie season.

Nick Niemann is top-3 in the league in special teams tackles

Niemann wasn’t drafted to be a contributor on defense early on in his professional career. Instead, he was selected to be an asset on special teams from Day 1. Given his sideline-to-sideline speed, physicality and tackling prowess, the former Iowa product has the ability to be an integral piece to turn around a special teams department that struggled immensely last season.

Mark Webb will be the draft day steal

There isn’t a lot of chatter surrounding Webb at the moment, but his name will be mentioned on a consistent basis at some point during the season. Webb, the seventh-round selection, is currently being seen as special teams ace. However, his versatility, athleticism and traits in coverage and against the run coupled with the coaching he will be receiving from head coach Brandon Staley, defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill and defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley will only enhance his game. Given the fact that the team is lacking safety depth and it’s a necessity in Staley’s defense, that could lead to him seeing the field a lot earlier than many are anticipating. With his skillset, he could make an impact.

Projecting the roles of the Chargers 2021 NFL draft class

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out what to expect from Los Angeles’ rookies in the 2021 season.

In the 2021 NFL draft, the Chargers selected nine players.

Here, we will look at each of Los Angeles’ additions and project their roles as rookies.

 

POLL: Who was your favorite pick of the Chargers 2021 draft class?

The Los Angeles Chargers strung together an impressive haul. Who was your favorite player selected?

The Chargers made nine selections in the 2021 NFL draft.

Five were spent on the offensive side of the ball, while the other four were on the defensive side of the ball.

Another look at Los Angeles’ haul:

Round 1 – OT Rashawn Slater

Round 2 – CB Asante Samuel, Jr.

Round 3 – WR Josh Palmer & TE Tre’ McKitty

Round 4 – EDGE Chris Rumph II

Round 5 – OT Brenden Jaimes

Round 6 – LB Nick Niemann & RB Larry Rountree III

Round 7 – S Mark Webb

We felt like L.A. brought in players that could make an impact right away as well as others that will be key pieces down the road.

We want to hear who your favorite selection was. Vote in the poll below to let your opinion be known.

[crowdsignal poll=10827424]

1 stat to know about each of Chargers’ draft picks

These numbers should make supporters of the Chargers feel even more intrigued about the incoming rookie class.

The Chargers came away with an impressive haul of draft picks last weekend.

We picked out one stat to know about each of the Bolts’ draft picks from their collegiate career. These numbers should make supporters feel even more intrigued about the incoming rookie class.

OT Rashawn Slater

355 snaps, 5 quarterback pressures, 0 sacks allowed in 2019

Slater didn’t play in 2020 since he opted out prior to the season, but the year before that was all he needed to solidify himself as a first-round talent. In his first season protecting the blindside, Slater was a wall against elite competition, with the likes of Chase Young (Football Team), Zack Baun (Saints), AJ Epenesa (Bills) and Kenny Willekes (Vikings).

CB Asante Samuel, Jr.

More passes defended (33) than games played (32) in college

There are a ton of cornerbacks that went drafted this year and are already in the league with more of an immense physical profile than Samuel Jr. but very few have the same caliber of cover skills, instincts and ball awareness to fill up the stat sheet like he does.

WR Josh Palmer

14-of-14 in catching the “catchable balls” against elite competition

The Vol’s offense did not do Palmer any favors and he rarely got targeted because of it. But when he was targeted, he made the most of his opportunities, showing up against some elite cornerback prospects, including Jaycee Horn, Patrick Surtain II, Tyson Campbell, Eric Stokes and Kelvin Joseph. Out of the 14, 11 went for first downs, four touchdowns, and 16 yards per reception.

TE Tre’ McKitty

Never surpassed 70 yards receiving in any of his 42 career games

Go ahead and label McKitty strictly as a blocker all you want, but the lack production in the receiving game should not reflect how he’s going to be in the pros. He has shown glimpses of becoming a receiving threat, given his athleticism, ability to separate at the top of routes, a frame and great hands to reel in everything thrown his way along with impressive power and contact balance to gain yards after the catch.

EDGE Chris Rumph II

20% pressure rate

Whenever Rumph was on the field, one out five times he was either hurrying, hitting, knocking down or sacking the quarterback. While he will need to get into an weight room to add strength to hold up against NFL offensive linemen and benefit in the run game, Rumph has the athleticism, bend, range and motor to be a top-notch pass rusher in this league.

OT Brenden Jaimes

40 games started

Starting a school-record 40 games for the Cornhuskers, Jaimes saw the field for 473 snaps this past season without allowing a single sack or hit, and just four hurries. Durability is key and Jaimes exemplified that in college. If he keeps that same kind of consistency in the NFL, he could eventually become a starter, most likely inside at guard.

LB Nick Niemann

Averaged 9.6 tackles per game in 2020

This ranked fifth in the Big Ten in tackles per game. At his best against the run, rarely would you ever see a ball carrier get past Niemann as he possesses a strong upper-body to keep everything in front of him. That will carry over well on special teams, where he projects to be an asset early on.

RB Larry Rountree III

1.4 touchdowns per game

If Missouri was playing, Rountree was scoring. In 48 games, he rushed for 3,720 yards and 40 touchdowns, averaging five yards per carry. Not only is he going to be a contributor in pass protection, Rountree should help pick up first downs and win at the goal line due to his toughness and body control to bounce off defenders.

S Mark Webb

82% of snaps came in slot

This marked the most out of any other safeties this past season. Webb had responsibilities of the “STAR” position for Georgia, where he lined up over the slot receiver – which is a spot that Brandon Staley covets.

1 thing to love about every Chargers rookie from 2021 NFL draft

The Los Angeles Chargers struck gold in the 2021 NFL draft. But what’s the main trait that makes the players so great?

The Chargers’ haul from the 2021 NFL draft continues to receive high praise from the general population.

While very few have mixed feelings, I wanted to give you one thing to love about every prospect that Los Angeles drafted.

Watch: Highlights of Chargers’ new linebacker, Nick Niemann

Get familiar with the newest member of the Los Angeles Chargers, Nick Niemann.

The Chargers needed to add depth to the linebacker position and establish special teams competency.

Los Angeles selected former Iowa LB Nick Niemann with the No. 185 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

To get familiar with the newest member of the Bolts, check out the compilation video of him doing work against the run and pass.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeeGyjUJZAg