The Chargers retooled their roster this offseason, adding players to various positions. But among them, what is arguably the most superior one?
In a recent article by ESPN’s Mike Clay, he wrote that the edge rusher group is the Bolts’ biggest strength heading into the 2024 season.
Edge rusher. Joey Bosa should be the headliner here, but injuries have been an issue, as he’s been limited to 14 games over the past two seasons. Of course, he was a superstar during his first six seasons (58 sacks) and was effective in nine games in 2023 (6.5 sacks). Opposite Bosa is Khalil Mack, who is now 33 years old but still playing elite ball, having recorded 17.0 sacks last season (fourth-most in the league). Second-year man Tuli Tuipulotu and veteran newcomer Bud Dupree add solid depth.
One of the best moves of the offseason was retaining Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack, who both took pay cuts to come back.
Bosa has missed 20 games in the last two seasons with various soft tissue and lower body injuries. The Chargers are hopeful he can stay healthy and replicate his 2021 season when he had double-digit sacks and started in all 16 games.
Mack is coming off a season in which he set a career-high in sacks with 17 and became the 43rd player in NFL history to reach 100 sacks.
Quarterbacks not only have to feat Bosa and Mack but also second-year Tuli Tuipulotu, who had an outstanding rookie season. He finished second in quarterback pressures (51), only behind the Texans’ Will Anderson, while also providing a high level of play against the run.
But the positional room doesn’t stop there, as the Chargers added veteran Bud Dupree in May. Across nine seasons, Dupree has 305 tackles, 53 sacks, 70 tackles for loss, 90 QB hits and 12 forced fumbles.
Under new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Mack and Bosa’s contributions and those of Tuipulotu and Dupree will go a long way toward forming a dominant defense.