NEW Chargers Position Grades (2026) | Director's Cut

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[00:00:21]Chargers fans, we got ourselves a fun time of year. I think the dust has settled down. the anxiety of the draft has come and gone and the roster for the most part looks to be in much better shape at this point, right? And I think that it's also important to realize that at this stage, there is more that the Chargers could do to improve the roster.

[00:00:41]We just saw David and Jooku come in for a visit. We'll see what happens with that. But, you know, now that there's not anything counting against the compensatory pick formula, I would expect the Chargers to make a couple of more moves. And that's what I wanted to focus in on on today was the state of the roster where we could still use some help, but overall how much improvement that we've made over the off seasonason cuz let's be honest, last year the Chargers had a lot of strengths, but the weaknesses were in your face. They were bleak. They were terrible. And for the most part, I feel a lot better going into this season at a lot of those different positions. Now again, there's still work that could and should be done, but it's hard to deny that guys like a Keem Mestor are not going to come in and make a an immediate difference at hoping that it helped the Chargers, you know, into a deep playoff push this season. I really do think they are a legitimate threat this year and and uh this video will point out all the reasons why, man. So, we're going to go over my Chargers position grades in this one. It should be a fun one. Before we do get started, shout out to the the sponsor, Underdog. Use code directory.

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[00:02:16]my Chargers position grades for the 2026 season. Of course, this video is being recorded uh just as OTAAS and stuff are kicking off. We're hearing early and should say now getting close to the the first quarter of of May. And again, a lot of moving pieces. I'm starting to see some some rookies out there for the first time in Chargers powder blue at at practice. And it's really exciting, man, to see these pieces in motion. uh really adding that element to the to the offense that I think especially on offense is going to be really really fun to follow this season. I think one of the biggest things I wanted to go over real quick but we don't forget is the the whole idea of offense cuz defense spoiler alert is going to be a pretty big strength of this whole roster in terms of their overall grade. Um the offense has seen a lot of movement and none more important than the addition of Mike McDaniel. I think a lot of us, you know, we move on to the next thing really quickly. We have all these expectations to get the roster where we want it, but at the end, man, we we walked away uh this off season with the best offensive coordinator on the market. He's coming in here and taking the reigns and and building an offense that honestly has a pretty good chance of bouncing back in a pretty dramatic way this season, dude. And and I think that's what the whole idea of this offense being built pretty much with him in mind, uh is going to look like in this video. So, let's kick things off here at quarterback. And of course, we're going to go position by position and give you guys my grade as well as a little sneak peek at some of the new pieces and depth that we've brought in.

[00:03:43]Um, of course, the quarterback position led by Justin Herbert. We brought back Trey Lance, I think, on a one-year deal.

[00:03:50]Um, there's DJU also backing up these guys. And of course, I'm not going to get too far into the deep depth of these, you know, maybe practice squad guys. But, uh, in terms of your starting quarterback, not much to say here, right? Justin Herbert, a top five guy in the league. It's going to be an A+ for me. And the whole idea of building this offense around him and giving him the the weapons that he needs to operate in this new offense is is going to strengthen that grade even more as we go on through. Uh because of course last season we saw Justin Herbert needing a lot of help out there, of which he did not get. And this year there's a lot of new pieces that should really really help him uh getting that ball downfield a bit easier with some, you know, exciting speedster weapons as well as some better blocking up front. It's pretty exciting to think about what he's got in the uh in the tank there. So yeah, Justin Herbert quarterback position, it's a great of an A+. It doesn't really get much better than that. Let's move on to the running back position led by Omari and Hampton backed up by new addition Katon Mitchell formerly of the Baltimore Ravens and Kamani Videll. Honestly, dude, that position group is looking strong as heck. Kamani Videll, our RB3, saw a pretty good season last year. Of course, unfortunately having to play because of the injuries up front to our starting two running backs, but my goodness, did he look good. And it just keeps getting better the further you climb that uh that position group. Katon Mitchell, man, one of the most exciting players uh in free agency to get signed to the Chargers due to his speed. A lot of comparisons to him and Devon A Chan of the Miami Dolphins and of course now reunited should say United with uh the McDaniel, which is going to be the case with a lot of these players. The potential there is very exciting even at our RB2 spot. And you're going to see, I think, a bit more of Katon Mitchell than a lot of us had expected. Of course, this backup running back role, you know, you you expect one thing of it or another. And I think Katon Mitchell is going to be really utilized towards his skill set of of getting out in open space, utilizing that speed and uh uh basically a lot of the ways we saw Devon A Chan use. But the real primary guy to focus in on this one that is gotten me so excited for the season really is Omari and Hampton. And you guys remember I was the biggest Samari Hampton fan in uh uh the pre-draft process last year, dude. I was so hyped when we took him at 22 and 2020 uh uh the 2025 draft and uh it's because of what I saw in him as a as a is like one of those next generational running backs, you know what I mean? Like he possesses everything. He's a he's a bruiser. He can uh kick out. He can go outside. He's fast. Uh uh he's got the strength. He's got the agility. Uh he's got the receiving skill set. He's got the blocking was better in college. I will say that he needs to improve it here in the NFL, which of course some things transition a little slower, but hey, the potential is there. And the thought of him and and what the Chargers have set up with Mike McDaniel and uh now the new and improved offensive line and the new system overall, which is very friendly to running backs. Um I'm very excited to see what happens to Amari and Hampton.

[00:06:53]Some of the best running backs in the league operate in this offense and they find some big big success. So, I'm going to say too, dude, is is I drafted this guy, I think, in the fourth round of my fantasy draft, my big fantasy draft, the league that I'm in with the whole bunch of my friends and family for going on like 13 years or so. Uh, I got him in the fourth round, and I I really do think that, uh, he's going to be in keeper contention for me, uh, considering the potential that he has in this offense. I mean, the thought of of what he can do uh uh in in a zone running offensive system. Of course, the Chargers have been trying this man gap thing for the past couple of years. They brought in the appropriate kind of guys.

[00:07:30]And I do believe Amari Hampton was a was a decent fit for that, too, considering he is a very physical running back when you ask him to be, but I think his true skill set does lie in this zone system where he can get out in space, you know, follow his blockers and just try and chomp down on that open field, dude. And I'm I'm very excited to see what is unleashed in Omari and Hampton this season. Of course, last year hampered with injuries. We're hoping to see that put behind him. He's one of the most healthy running backs coming into the NFL last year. Him and and and Naji Harris hilariously went down with some of the best track record you'll find in terms of health. So hopefully, knock on wood, everybody's good this season. And we see that Omarian Hampton season that I've been praying for since we drafted him because he is going to be great. All right, next up at wide receiver, this position group, um, there's some ups and downs here. There's a reason why Lad Mankey isn't on the screen. Lad, okay, let's just go over it real quick. At number one, Lad Mani, Quinton Johnston, Trey Harris, Brennan Thompson, who I'm going to put up here, KLS, and Darius Davis. Now, there's no denying that uh uh Lad Mani is this team's number one.

[00:08:35]He's their best wide receiver, and he's really, really good. He's he's going to see a whole lot of success, excuse me, in this new offense, dude.

[00:08:43]He's going to look awesome. He's got the separation, the speed, uh the after catch ability, the shiftiness. He's he's going to be everything that Mike McDaniel wants and more. Okay? And I think you're going to see a really nice season from him. But the reason I got Trey Harris up here is because somebody's going to have to step into that X roll eventually, right? And this is why a lot of Chargers fans were wondering if we were going to get a big trade this season. and they were going after AJ Brown. They were trying to they were the highest bidder for Alec Pierce.

[00:09:10]There was all these players that fit the mole of X. I think Mike Evans was in the was in the conversation at one point, at least rumor-wise. Um that the Chargers were trying to bring in this new big X uh weapon and it just didn't materialize. Instead, what I like that the Chargers did do was they uh they put in the the fifthear option for Quentyn Johnson. I think he's got a lot of potential in this new offense, but again, it's like a Z uh not as an X. Uh uh and they drafted Brennan Thompson who adds another element to the offense. It doesn't replace or add redundancy, you know, to what we already have. Uh he's just going to be that speedster, that burner, that field stretcher, which is very, very exciting. Um Trey Harris, though, there's a lot riding on this guy, and I think he's up to the challenge. If you guys remember the second half of the season, he had some spectacular grabs uh everywhere, sideline, middle of the field, whatever.

[00:09:58]he looked like uh that product that we drafted uh uh in the second round last year. And I really feel like with that sort of experience now and that uh uh that development that he could be ready for that X role that that I think the Chargers have been looking for a lot this offseason, but I'm not going to take off the table the fact that, you know, we we don't have a proven guy quite yet. I have a lot of faith in Trey Harris, but um the Chargers actions give me pause a little bit. Okay, my faith in Trey Harris doesn't overwrite the fact that they were aggressively looking for wide receiver. They may still be in the uh the conversation for AJ Brown, all that, even though I think it's, you know, not as likely, but they could go out there and still add somebody uh to that room to to strengthen the X role a little bit cuz let's say Trey Harris is really good and maybe there's some, you know, availability issues there. You want somebody, right, to be able to step in and take over that. And you don't want to ask Quinton Johnson to do that. I I think everybody knows by this point QJ is QJ and asking him to play the perimeter too much is going to result in a season similar to his rookie year. Um he does what he does best in the role that he plays and I think that Trey Harris could absolutely have the potential to take over the outside the perimeter role for us. But um yeah, I don't know. I I think it could still use a little bit of work. I think there's still a little bit of lack of experience in this room a little bit. I think that you could use a veteran. Um whether it be Keenan Allen or there's been talk about Debo or, you know, Jawan Jennings just got signed by the Vikings. They got a million receivers over there. Uh but I think some experience would not be a bad idea either. Uh so for that, I'm going to give it a grade of a B minus. I think it's a good room. I think it's solid, but I think there's a lot writing on, you know, how these guys transition into this new offense and and what the X position looks like that was so aggressively, you know, pursued this off seasonason for and uh a lot of that good grade, the B minus, you know, in the terms of of positive outlook is because I do have faith that Trey Harris can do it. Okay. Uh next up, let's move into the tight end group led by Aronda Gat and Charlie Kolar. And again, a lot of background guys that are probably going to be practice squad dudes. Um, and for that I'm going to say right off the bat, it's a great of a C++. Some of you guys might be really offended by that, like a director, this guy is so great and this and that. And yes, he is. Aronda Gaston is an awesome receiving tight end, and he's going to be just so fun to watch in this offense, dude. Uh, what's funny enough is when he was drafted, his big comp player, uh, in terms of, you know, NFL comps was Darren Waller, who we know was awesome in this offense because he came back from the shadow realm last year to put up a pretty nice season. you know what I mean? And and uh we know that Mike McDaniel knows how to use a tight end like this. Probably Kolar, also one of the very best blocking tight ends in football, was added via the Ravens uh this off season. One of the only like, you know, money moves that we made this season. And uh that really gives us two opposite sides of the spectrum in terms of tight end that look really good. A really good receiving tight end at Gadston and a really good blocking tight end in Colar. The only reason it's a C plus grade right now is because we need that one guy to kind of bring it all together. You know what I mean? We need that guy that can kind of play both roles. That hybrid that's a decent blocker and a decent receiver. We saw David and Jooku come in for a visit.

[00:13:11]That was like the perfect fit if you ask me. Uh playing in in in in uh uh conjunction with both of these guys. Um but I do anticipate something to happen there. There's been a lot of talk about previous connected tight ends, including Darren Waller, who I think would be an awesome pickup in the progression and development of Aronda Gadston. Uh there's uh Janu Smith, who's a really good option, who also played under Mike McDaniel, had a really good season with him in Miami, too. So, I I personally believe that there's going to be another player added to this group soon before camp. And uh it's it's going to bring that letter grade up, you know, at least to a B or a B+, man, depending on who the Chargers uh pick up because Gasson and Colar are very good at what they do.

[00:13:56]We just need to complete that group a little bit more. So, I'll give it a grade of a C++ for now, but absolutely the potential of a B or B+ uh with another signing here soon. Next up at fullback, Alec Ingold. This is really fun, dude. Again, I don't want to compare too much of what last roster's, you know, grades and stuff looked like, but you know, Scott Matlock, fun idea in a man gap system. Uh, it's something that Harbaugh played with a lot in Michigan and and these hybrid role players, but I really did like uh uh the idea of the Chargers bringing in a true fullback that fits this new system.

[00:14:29]That's also really good, guys. Ingold is like one of the better fullbacks in the league. And uh I think it's going to be fun to see fullback an actual like focal point of the offense at some point again. And and I like it a lot, dude. Al Kingold, it's a B+ for me. He's a little older, but he's still very very good.

[00:14:44]And I'm very excited to see him added to the roster, man. It's going to be fun.

[00:14:47]Let's move on to offensive line. Now, I'm going to say this right now. Um video already pushing 15 minutes long, but I I wanted to break up this position group like by individual position. We're not just going to go overall offensive line. We're going to go left tackle, left guard, etc., etc., all the way left to right because I think it's very important to get a a contrast idea of where we were last year to where we are now with the new offensive coordinator and uh to what the potential could still be in the future. Okay. And with that being said, let's start off at left tackle with Rashawn Slater.

[00:15:20]No mystery here as to why the Chargers O line grade's going to be much better. It It's the return of your premier tackles.

[00:15:28]What happened last year all over the roster, man. So crazy. I never in a million years would have guessed the the insane amount of injuries that we had that completely derailed the season in so many different ways. It felt like the season was built for the run game. And from your running backs to your guys up front, everything fell apart and it was just a a mad dash to the finish line uh and limping to the finish line uh uh to get through the season, which of course the Charge, you got to commend them for 11 wins despite all the setbacks, man.

[00:15:59]Imagine if they can have themselves a better season in that aspect of availability, you know, knocking on wood. Um, yeah, dude. Rashan Slater's a huge, huge freaking deal. Okay, backing him up is Travis Burke. I'm kind of going through some some of the loose depth chart stuff that I'm seeing, but of course, all this is going to look a lot different, you know, come the official depth chart release. But in terms of the tackle position, Rashawn Slater at left tackle and Travis Burke look awesome. Of course, Rashan Slater, we all know, one of the very best in the league. He is coming off a pretty serious injury. I'm not going to sweep that under the rug. I will say that we're all eagerly awaiting to see how he hits, you know, training camp and all that kind of stuff and how good he looks and how, you know, mobile he looks and and uh from everything that we're hearing, the the recovery process has been a lot better than we had expected.

[00:16:48]and and we're hoping that it's just plug and play and he looks, you know, 90% of what he was last year cuz at 90% he's still like a top left tackle in football. Um, but that's the one asterisk there. Other than that, he's one of the best in the league. Backing him up now is Travis Burke. Travis Burke, Memphis, uh, huge, agile, strong, big, tall ceiling, big upside guy, uh, that I think was a great pickup for the Chargers, uh, in the fourth round. And I I think that uh he could end up being the swing tackle of the future and and really gives you some good insurance in case fate is a beehole again and uh uh puts us through the ringer once more.

[00:17:30]Travis Burke an awesome backup for that.

[00:17:32]I'm going to give the position group or should say the position of left tackle a grade of an A minus. The only asterisk there is the injury. If we get back to training camp and it looks like he's good, you know, we're green lit, everything's fine, uh, then it's an A+ for me, but we got to see a little bit more with the injury, but the backup and Travis Burke is great. I don't know.

[00:17:50]It's It's all lining up beautifully. I I like it a lot. Okay, so A minus for the left tackle position. Next up at left guard, this is the biggest controversy you're going to see perhaps in this entire video. What are the Chargers doing at guard? Man, this was the biggest point of emphasis Chargers fans demanded be uh addressed. There was even a clip out there of Joe Hortis saying I call him a guard so shut the fans up.

[00:18:14]Okay, you know what I mean? And that was in terms of uh Alex Harky I think is it was in that pick. In the terms of the second round pick though, this is where the controversy comes in. Jake Slaughter uh longtime center for the Florida Gator.

[00:18:30]One of the very best centers in the nation, dude. Like every single year you look at the top five centers in football. Jake Slaughter. Jake Slaughter. Jake Slaughter. Jake Slaughter immediately as soon as he started uh uh starting for them, he was just among the best centers you'll find in football. And for that reason, he was one of my favorite players in this draft. I will admit in the third round, but we have to remember the Chargers traded down. We got extra players. We still got Jake Slaughter. So, for all that like evening itself out, um the player and Jake Slaughter absolutely phenomenal. And I was so excited to hear his name. I was conflicted because, you know, uh uh Pregnon was still there and and it was it wasn't a guard and we were all like really shaking in our boots like what's going to happen to to Justin Herbert if we don't get a guard by day two. Um, but then they announced him at at guard when they when they handed the card off to uh to uh Shawn Marman who was announcing the pick in the second round. And that opened up a whole plethora of questions and storylines and interest for me as to what in the heck is going on with this Jake Slaughter story line. And it from what we've seen in all of the uh the behind the scenes footage and from pressers and everything, the plan is to move Jake Slaughter to guard.

[00:19:44]His agility, his I guess maybe needs to work on the power a little bit, but his understanding of the line, his intelligence, all this stuff does feel like it will translate very well to uh guard. And the Chargers seem very confident that it's going to work. Like guys, it's it's like the plan here. It's not like, oh, what if we'll see what happens at camp? Like, no. He's probably going to be listed as guard as your starting guard uh uh when the official dep chart comes out. That's I'm that's what they're hoping happens right now.

[00:20:10]And um I've saw my first clip of him. He was at center in OTAAS, but he looked so good, dude. And it does build my confidence that he could translate. Of course, we did see a couple of reps from him at the Senior Bowl that did not look so good at guard, but the Chargers seem very confident they can get something out of him out of him this season. And uh if not, you know, you're looking at maybe a combination of Trevor Penning or Coyote Oasisa, one of those guys who who are backing up there, which of course, you know, comes with questions as well.

[00:20:40]Um but Jake Slaughter such a good football player. I'm happy with the pick. Whatever happens, whether or not he turns out to be a good guard or if he's simply the center of the future, I'm very happy to have him on the team.

[00:20:52]Um and I will say this as we move into the next position. Okay, I don't know if Tyler Bottish's job is completely safe anymore. And that is crazy to think about, right? Like, let's say the the Jake Slaughter thing doesn't quite work out at guard and everyone's like, uh, Jake Slaughter right now in camp and I'm sure as you're going to see throughout the entire process of of of the off seasonason, he's going to be really good center, dude. And so, if anything, Jake Slaughter, the guard/c center, gives you some really good depth at center as well as starting posh potential at guard. And I again I'm very excited to see and follow that storyline and I'm hopefully see him prove the world wrong cuz a lot of people did not like the pick. I I loved the player confused by the pick. You guys can go see my live reaction to the selection there from my live stream. But Jake Slaughter was a very interesting one.

[00:21:38]Now at center by the way uh left guard the grade there is going to be a C just simply because of the question marks of the move. Okay. I'm hoping that it's a B or a B+, you know, by week three or four. And Jake Slaughter is the man there at guard. But again, question marks, they they they will come with the letter grade of the room. Uh Tyler Bottes, the new addition from the Washington Commanders. Very solid center, guys. Just remember what we went through the last few seasons with Boseman. Dude, again, Boseman seems like an awesome person. The team absolutely loved him. seems like a great guy, but absolute garbage center situation that we were in for a long time. And to go from that to Tyler Bottes, who is a a much above average uh center in the league is is absolutely so fantastic. And again, with the potential of him and Slaughter, that's fantastic. I'm going to give that a grade of a B. Um Bottish and Slaughter, such a massive uh improvement over the last few seasons. And Biottish, I'm excited to see him in action. Next up, right guard, we got Cole Strange, Ben Cleveland, Logan Taylor, and Alex Harky. Two rookies and two vets. A former first round pick is slated to take that first uh uh the snaps there.

[00:22:52]And and that is uh crazy considering it's still a C minus grade for me.

[00:22:56]Again, so many question marks here, but one thing to consider and maybe a big reason why they're so high on Jake Slaughter moving to guard is the scheme fit. Mike McDaniel runs a crazy amount of zone that asks a ton of its guards in terms of athleticism and the guys that we saw brought in are generally pretty athletic. Trevor Penning who was resigned early, freakishly athletic for his size. Um I mean I know Travis Burke at tackle also athlet a lot of athletic guys on this line dude and um Cole Strange for the things that he lacks he makes up for in his athleticism. We'll have to see how much that translates, but um that is something that I think is a wait and see thing. It's not my favorite area of the roster. Right guard and and left guard are probably the two where I'm like I don't know what's going to happen, but I'll give it a grade of a C minus. But as a reminder to you guys, the interior offensive line last year was Zion Johnson at left guard. I was that was probably like again probably still a C for me. The center position was an F with Boseman. the right guard position, which started with some potential but ended the season in absolute f with Beckton. We're we're we're moving up a little bit, okay? And we'll see how much that affects the roster with Mike McDaniel now at the the reigns there. And then finally to wrap up the offensive line, which is taking way too long, but maybe the most important group that we go over is right tackle with Joe Alt backed up by Trey Pipkins. Um, and by the way, I kind of skimmed over the other guys that we have, Logan Taylor and Alex Harky in terms of the uh and Coyote Oasea. Lots of competition. So, we'll wait and see what happens in camp as well for the interior. As far as the outside guys, again, absolutely fantastic. Joe Alt, Trey Pipkins. There is an asterisk of uh of injury here for Joe Alt. Again, the the kind of injury is not as concerning as what Rashawn Slater is coming back from. So, it's not going to affect the grade as much. But, this is one of the reasons I have to imagine why Mike McDaniel chose the Chargers. Those those tackles are absurd. And the fact that Joe Walt can can kick to to left tackle and there's flexibility there all over the line, too. Everybody can play every role. It's insane. Um it gives me a lot of confidence that that position is going to look great. And Trey Pipkins is Trey Pipkins. I think he'll be fine for the next year, maybe two, uh before uh Travis Burke steps in and is becomes the permanent swing tackle. And him and Travis World, by the way, guys, I know Alex Harky, there's some some potential there, too. Travis World. Um, that guy could end up being a pretty good pickup in free agency. He's going to be red shirting this year. He's injured, but next year, man, got to wait and see. Got to wait and see. Uh, anyway, right tackle is going to get a grade of an A for me. Um, again, Joe, the injury is not as concerning. Uh, but, uh, the little asteris otherwise, it would be an A+. All right, let's move into the defense. This shouldn't take as long as this is the strength of the roster in my opinion. in the Chargers last year. He looked awesome. Uh, of course, new defensive coordinator is going to come into play here. Maybe a reason why they made some moves that they did, but honestly, the the roster itself looks really really strong defensively and and I expect to see uh a good bounceback this year towards the same potential as we saw last year.

[00:26:10]Starting at defensive line, Tier Tart, awesome dude. I knew the moment that we grabbed him that he would find good foundations here and he did. Uh, he he was kind of a guy that wandered around for a while, found a home with the Chargers, got an extension. Awesome.

[00:26:22]Good for him. He's been a great player.

[00:26:24]Love the guy when he's out there on the field. He's got all the attitude. We brought in Davlin Tomlinson, formerly of the Cardinals, right? And I always think of him as I think a Ner, but uh awesome.

[00:26:34]Good addition there. Justin Boyby has been seeing some pretty good improvement over the last season. Jamari Codwell looked awesome in his rookie season.

[00:26:42]Nick Barrett, the newcomer this year at tackle as well. I like it a lot, man. I feel pretty good about the group. Um, there's no like crazy outliers here, but everyone looks pretty solid with pretty solid, you know, ceilings and and Tier Tart and Don Thomasson, I think, bring the veteran and stability leadership that you need there and and the the upside guys of a boy being called Caldwell and Barrett all all get me excited of what the potential of the line could be. I'm going to give it like a B minus or maybe even a B. Like, I feel pretty solid about that group. The one thing that I'm thinking is is going to need to to shine early that I'm hoping shines early is the run defense.

[00:27:15]Now, Tier Tart we know is a really good run defender. Everybody else we're kind of thinking like, okay, there could be some potential in Caldwell. Um, Barrett has some potential, too, but I need to see the run defense step up just a little bit despite the fact that Tier Tartar graded as one of the best run defenders in football last year. All right, but like a B, I'll say is is not too shabby. Uh, next up, the guy that's likely on the thumbnail of this video, we got Edge. We got Tuli Tua Palo, Khil Mack, Meador, and Bud Dri.

[00:27:44]Man, dudes, this is so fun. I I the Chargers, in my opinion, needed to hit on edge in the draft and they absolutely did it. Okay. And in a way that I didn't think would be possible. I was expecting a TJ Parker. I was expecting a Zion Young, somebody to come in to to to groom into that role for the future. and instead the Chargers, they got lucky with a key messador at 22 and picked up a plugandplay ready now age-wise veteran that can step in and become a a a impactful player in his rookie season.

[00:28:17]And that is huge, dude. That is awesome.

[00:28:19]The Chargers edge position is the engine that runs the the the defense. It really is. It all starts there. the pressure, the time the quarterback has to throw, the time that the DBs need to cover. Um, it all is affected by what the Chargers do in terms of of their pressure up front. And these guys, um, who it's become a necessity at this point. You need three solid guys. They are some of the best you'll find in terms of like a combo in the league. Tulie has been climbing dramatically. Great season last year. Uh, he's due for an extension here very soon. Khil Mack comes back in a one-year deal. He looks awesome. Yes, we do lose Adaf Ooway, but we get a Keem Messador who in my opinion, I know he's 25, but still has a higher ceiling than Adafay, and he should look really good this season, and then perhaps step into that Khil Mack role in the future if Mack were to hang up the cleats. Really, really love this this pick for the Chargers. Really love the thought of of what he's going to look like on this defense. I chose this picture specifically because this is what I think is going to happen, but in powder blue, you know, just a domination off the edge. Hakee Messidor in on rotation.

[00:29:23]And you're going to have Tulian Mack just, you know, helping him him uh speedrun his development in his rookie season. It's a fantastic situation.

[00:29:33]Fantastic pick by the Chargers. I'm going to give it a grade of an A minus for the edge position. Uh just because it's it's so good. There's a little bit of, you know, question marks with, you know, Mack and the age team obviously with the age. Got a rookie in there now, but it's it's great, man. Awesome position group for the Chargers. Next up at linebacker, Deion Henley, Denzel Perryman, Junior Coulson, Troy Dy, Marlo Wax, and Delshawn Phillips. Solid group of players. Denzel Perryman coming back.

[00:29:58]I think was a good idea. He can help these uh uh the run defense from the inter or from the inside uh uh uh a bit more than some other situations I was looking at. Excuse me. And then uh Dion Henley, I think one of the best linebackers in football. Not a lot to say here other than we have to wait and see what happens to Junior Coulson. I was gutted to see Junior Coulson not play last season uh and the season prior, man. Just like in terms of his his availability very limited due to injury. If he can really kick back this season and and find some momentum, I would be just so happy to see that and I really do believe that it exists. Right now, it doesn't look great, but it doesn't mean that all hope is lost. We have to wait and see what happens with Junior Coulson, but the rest of the group looks pretty solid. I'm going to give it a grade of a B. mainly held up by Dalon Henley who's a very good player at his position. Next up, cornerback Dante Jackson, Tarheep, still Cam Hart, Dean Leonard, Nico Reed, and Eric Rogers making the end of the list here. A very solid group of players once again. Dante Jackson, excellent pickup by Joe Hortiz last season. Playmaker for the Panthers for years. Had a couple of good seasons with the Steelers and really bounced back with the Chargers. Really exciting addition. uh Tarheep still and Cam Hart of course fifth round selections absolutely shine for the Chargers in their rookie year had a really good second season as well and then after that we did lose Benjamin St.j um we still have Dean Leonard, Nico Reed, Eric Rogers, all guys with pretty good upside but I wouldn't be shocked to see the Chargers add another player in free agency at some point. There's a guys, there's a lot of really good free agents still out there in terms of like names that could use a bounceback and I think the Chargers are among the player or among the teams that should be looking at one of those veterans to step in and uh uh turn back the clock a little bit but more so bring some stability to the position there. But honestly, you know, Dante Jackson, Tar still Cam Hart, solid three right there. I'll give it a grade of a B. They could use a little bit more stability in terms of depth, but I like the position group. It's not a weakness as it once was a few seasons ago. Then finally to wrap up the defense, we got safety. Derwin James, Elijah Molden, Tony Jefferson, RJ Mickens, and Genesis Smith. Wow, dude. That is a loaded position group at safety. Highlighted by Derwin James, of course, the best safety in football. Uh complimented by Elijah Molden, who's been pretty solid since we signed him, dude. Uh Tony Jefferson again turned back the clock. I I don't know if you guys remember this moment.

[00:32:22]This is why I chose this photo. Tony Jefferson getting talked down by Derwin James. You guys know the moment. It was awesome.

[00:32:28]Um, and then R.J. Mickens, Genesis Smith. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R.

[00:32:31]R.J. of course the rookie last season.

[00:32:34]Really nice season for him. Man, I was very very excited to see his potential reach uh uh a point where, you know, I thought it took might take a couple of years, but he really hit the ground running. And then Genesis Smith, another player that I was uh pretty excited to see the Chargers select late. Um, he looks really really good, too, man. And I think that in terms of what you have from the young guys, you got a guy that can play the box really well in R.J.

[00:32:53]Mickson, a guy that can play high safety very well in Genesis Smith and and uh you combine that with the veterans on this team, that safety position is extremely strong. Um I'm going to give it a grade of an A. I'm going to give it a grade of an A+. Actually, I'm going to change it on the spot right here. That I don't know how many safety rooms in the NFL look as good as the Chargers. It's a ridiculous position group. Love it.

[00:33:16]Derwin James is insane. The depth is insane. All of it's insane. So, I'm going to say safety and quarterback. the only two position groups on this list that have an A+. All right. Uh and to wrap up the video, we got special teams Cameron Dicker, JK Scott, Josh Harris, and Darius Davis, the returner, who's going to be challenged, by the way, this season. I see a lot of uh competition.

[00:33:36]You might see uh Katon Mitchell. You might see uh uh Brandon Thompson. Who knows? But um we'll see what happens there. Outside of that, you know, JK Scott maybe not his best season last year, but Cameron Dicker really does carry the grade here for me. Of course, kicker being the most important position on special teams, at least in terms of, you know, your long snap of your punter.

[00:33:56]Uh returner can be a big impact guy, too. But Cameron Dicker, one of the best in the world in terms of kickers. Um he's going to bring the letter grade up to an A minus for me. Uh which ultimately when you add all the letter grades up together and uh uh you take an overall look at the roster, it's going to even out to a B+ for me. A B+ the Chargers roster. Um which is definitely not bad. I I think that they are a couple of signings away from truly turning this into an A minus roster, at least for me. You get a veteran guard in there, which I know there's so much competition. I doubt that they do that just because of how many guys that they have on the roster now. I'm I'm counting Harky, Taylor, Cleveland, Aika, Penning.

[00:34:39]Those are just the backups, right? They they could go out there and get a veteran. There's a couple of vets out there that I do like. I don't know if they do that, but if they were to in terms of guard, I'd feel a lot better.

[00:34:50]Okay. Uh, but tight end actually would bring up the grade probably to an A minus if they get a solid one. If they get a solid tight end, if they get uh a John Smith, if David and Jooku ends up calling back, you know, and we add one of those guys to the roster, I I think that you are treading into the A minus territory, which is really, really, really solid. Um, but the areas of concern, like I talked about at the top of the video, that the Chargers, there's still time. Okay, once again, this the the guard position is going to need a little bit more attention in my opinion.

[00:35:23]Hopefully, we can find the the calming, you know, news of them looking good in in training camp. That alleviates some of our concerns there.

[00:35:36]But I still think that a signing isn't a bad idea. Um, I would still, once again, like I said, I would go after tight end.

[00:35:44]I think tight end is something that we just need to round out the group with.

[00:35:47]The guys there are good, but we just need to round out the group with. And lastly, the last thing I would sneakily kind of look at, um, oh, one more thing, the quarterbacks. Cornerbacks I do think need a little bit of help in terms of depth, maybe the only position group on defense where I'm like, hey, we need to add somebody. Um, defense looks just so solid. But lastly, the last thing I would kind of sort of look at is is maybe wide receiver. Um, and it's just adding another X. Okay, let's say the Chargers do find a pretty good returner uh in Brennan Thompson or or Katon Mitchell or something like that and Darius Davis who's on the bubble in my opinion gets pushed out. You you may replace him with another ex uh who can maybe share the role with Travis uh Trey Harris just a little bit. But uh more so insurance for Trey Harris who I think is going to be uh uh pretty good in the role. But um yeah, I don't know. Those are the position groups I think could still need help. Again, wide receiver, tight end, and uh guard, and cornerback, I think could all see a little bit of movement. And there's guys out there that I still think uh could make a pretty good um difference here. Let's see. Cornerback free agents. I wanted to look at this with you guys really quick, too, because the list is actually pretty interesting when you look at it here. Let's see. Let's go to spot track.

[00:37:01]Let's see. It would be the 26th season.

[00:37:03]Cornerback, free agent.

[00:37:06]All these guys have been signed. Where is the uh available? Right there. Look at these veterans, man. And the Chargers have been a team that have been really good at guys bouncing back and finding new life and and there's guys all over this list that I think the Chargers should really consider bringing in.

[00:37:21]Marshon Latimore, I remember pounding the table for. He's older. Didn't have a great season last year. Whatever. Bring in that veteran leadership. Trevon Diggs, Jarius Sneed, Kenny Moore, uh Tradavius White, Jeff Okuda, the busted first round pick. Like that is something the Chargers do all the time. Adori Jackson, uh Russul Douglas. Uh yeah, there's there's a ton of corners. So I would I would expect if you're looking for like predictions from the director, I think the Chargers bring in a veteran cornerback and I think they bring in a veteran tight end. We'll see what they do at center or should say at guard. Um, but those are the and maybe wide receiver, but those are the two moves I think do happen. I think the Chargers bring in a corner. I think the Chargers bring in a tight end and uh that would really help the position group in terms of that grade in term in terms of the overall grade, I should say, for the roster quite a bit. I think you're looking at like an A minus uh depending on who they bring in uh to help fill out those roles. Well, guys, thank you so much for joining me. This has been the director. Let me know your grades for the Chargers uh roster for this season.

[00:38:22]I think it looks pretty solid. There's still some work that can be done, but um I think we've come a long way since last year and if the Chargers won 11 games last year in the situation that we're in.

[00:38:33]What's the potential look like in the 26 season? We'll have to wait and see. OTAA starting, rookie mini camp starting, uh training camp around the corner. It's it's a fun time of year, man. I'm very excited to see how all these moves come together. Well, guys, thank you so much for joining me. This has been the director. If you like what you saw here, hit us up with a like and sub on your way out. We'll see you next time. And as always, bolt up and stay frosty. Get excited, man. I I I really think, dude, that uh that Omari and Hampton season's going to be something special this year.

[00:38:59]I can feel it.