Bolts From The Blue
The Chargers had a strong front seven in 2024, but it could be a lot stronger if they continue to build in the trenches this offseason.
The linebackers and defensive linemen will hit the field on Thursday to begin their athletic testing in front of NFL scouts, coaches, and front office members.
Here are four players to keep an eye on that I like as potential Chargers come this year’s draft.
Green was recently added to the growing list of players who have been paired with the Chargers in the numerous mock drafts posted thus far during draft season. He’s been a quick riser on big boards over the last two months and the was only punctuated by a strong performance early on at the Senior Bowl which led him to pull out and focus on more pre-draft prep.
The one thing that stands out the most with Green is his flexibility around the edge. He looked like a character out of the Matrix at times in Mobile. But even with that elite flexibility, he still possesses more than enough strength to jolt blockers off of their spot. Scouts says he’s an instinctive rusher with a fairly wide toolbox of pass rush moves.
After questions about his size followed him to the Senior Bowl, Green officially weighed in at 251 pounds which checked that box many scouts wanted to see. Funny enough, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein says that Green sometimes plays so hard that he can run out of gas during games. Take that for what you will, but that’s a pretty good negative to have, all things considered.
He’s also not one to lack any confidence:
Here’s a new name I haven’t spoken about yet and I think it’s time we give him some love. Ezeiruaki is a prototypical standup edge rusher who showed out at this year’s Senior Bowl against the top tackles in the draft.
Scouts call him a smooth mover with easy change of direction skills. The film shows an ability to effortlessly counter inside with arm swipes to keep blockers from getting into his core. The football IQ stands out, as well, with the way he’s able to navigate the trash to find ball carriers in the box.
Ezeiruaku may struggle with the NFL’s elite blockers, however, as he stands just 6’2 and 247 pounds. The average weight of the top 10 sack producers in 2024 was 252 pounds so he’s not far off from there, but he’ll have to show more in his ability to take on and shed blocks if he wants to continue rounding out his game.
Grant is expected to be a very good tester this week at his position while also being one of the largest humans in Indianapolis. When he met with reporters on Wednesday morning, he noted that he’s actually lost 10-12 pounds in order to perform better in athletic testing.
The former...
