Most improved position groups from the 2022 NFL offseason:

New Chargers defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day

Defensive line – Los Angeles Chargers

Additions: Khalil Mack, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Austin Johnson, Morgan Fox & Otito Ogbonnia

Departures: Linval Joseph, Justin Jones & Kyler Fackrell

If there’s one team in the NFL that showed major potential last season already and really boosted the roster at key spots that were looked at as question marks, it’s the Chargers. Offensively, they were focused on bringing back all of the pieces and used their first-round pick on my top-ranked guard prospect, but defensively they exerted all avenues to upgrade a defense. A defense which finished last season 29th in points allowed – which is really what it comes down to.

There were some issues with the back-end in terms of limiting big plays based on coverage structures under Brandon Staley and Renaldo Hill. They were largely basing it on two-high principles, where they would play top-down and put a lot of pressure on their defensive front. This would lead to nullifying box-count disadvantages in the run game, get opponents into third-and-long situations and then for their pass-rush to get home. That’s despite being dead-average in blitz rate (25.1%), while their secondary had to make tough open-field tackles, which led to the third-most misses in the league (127).

Looking at Staley’s scheme, that he devised as an outside linebacker coach under Vic Fangio in Chicago and Denver. His biggest accolade was leading the Rams D to being the top-ranked unit league-wide. I think the biggest issue for them last season was the lack of bodies up front that would allow them to stick with their philosophy. Since he first took over as defensive coordinator, he’s primarily run odd fronts, where a lot of times there will be uncovered offensive linemen. The guys across from them would be asked to play “one-and-a-half gaps”, meaning they don’t crash through but rather stay in position. This leads to falling off the gap next to them and slowing down the flow of offenses, as more and more teams run a lot of zone concepts.

Now, I would argue that even if he had some real difference-makers up front, Staley & company should self-scout themselves to some degree and realize when their principles get them into front looks. They allow extra gaps to form as offenses utilize pullers and now your safeties would have to rapidly fill from depth, making it nearly impossible to “win” those downs. I put out a video on a couple of key third downs against the Patriots last season, where pre-snap they basically had no shot at stopping rushing conversions on third downs. And looking through sharpfootballstats.com, it appears that opponents had a 78.6 percent conversion rate on runs in third-and-three-or-less situations.

Still, not only did they trade a second-round pick for Khalil Mack, who is one of the most physical edge setters to tighten up the creases. They can then develop on the interior and gives them a pass-rushing threat off the opposite edge from Joey Bosa, but they also added plenty of beef in the middle. Sebastian Joseph-Day was one of the biggest unsung heroes on that 2020 Rams defense. He consistently forced offensive lines to stick with combos on him to free up the second level and has that ability to come off late as the ball-carrier approaches. They get him at 8-million per over the next three years. Austin Johnson won’t be 30 until his two-year, 14-million dollar deal runs out, after starting all 17 games for the Giants last season. Morgan Fox was one of the sneakier signings late in free agency, who had six sacks and eight TFLs under Staley just two years ago, and now they get him at just 4 million per coming off a down-year in Carolina. Finally, they draft UCLA’s Otito Ogbonnia in the fifth round, who has great lateral movement skills and base strength to contribute on early downs, while at least adding some pocket-pushing value.

Other than Mack, these may not be huge sack guys, but they’ll allow L.A. to get to longer downs, affording their pressure players time to get home and be more creative schematically.

Also considered: Detroit Lions & Denver Broncos