Los Angeles Chargers undrafted rookie spotlight: DE Tevin Lawson

An undersized defensive lineman who began his college career at TCU and then transferred to Nicholls State, Tevin Lawson looks to find a role with the Los Angeles Chargers.

At 6-4 and 280 pounds, Lawson’s size likely knocked him down and probably off the draft boards of many teams as he’s too small to play inside, but the Chargers contacted Lawson’s agent late on day three of the draft to inform him the team would like to offer Lawson a deal.

The Chargers hadn’t spoken to Lawson in quite some time before offering that deal, according to William Weathers of The Livingston Parish News.

Lawson will likely play on the end for the Chargers, where the team is looking for solid depth behind Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram.

Those two obviously provide one of the league’s best pass-rush combinations, but there isn’t much behind them. Other defensive ends on the roster include Darius Philon, Chris Landrum, Isaac Rochell, Whitney Richardson and undrafted rookies Pat Afriye and Albert Havili.

Though it will be an uphill climb for Lawson to make the team, the door is open for an unheralded player to do so when you look at that list.

Lawson wasn’t much of a factor at TCU as a pass rusher, notching just 2.5 sacks at the school before transferring to Nicholls State. There, he had four sacks in 2017 after sitting out the 2016 season due to NCAA transfer rules, but the uptick in numbers could be chalked up to the level of competition he played against.

More from Bolt Beat

• LA Chargers: 3 early takeaways from 2021 minicamp thus far
• LA Chargers: Drue Tranquill takes a jab at Gus Bradley’s defense
• LA Chargers second-year players: Nothing lose and a lot to gain
• LA Chargers: Why running back could be a big issue for the Bolts
• LA Chargers: Chris Rumph’s upside is Melvin Ingram-like, but better

My Take

I don’t know that Lawson is the guy to do it, but one of the undrafted defensive ends on this team has a legitimate chance to make the 53-man roster due to the fact that the team just doesn’t have great depth behind its studs, Bosa and Ingram.

Whether it be Havili, Afriye or Lawson, one of them will have to stand out as a useful special teams player.

In the case of Lawson, he is going to need to add more weight to his frame and show that his strength can keep up against players at the professional level. I don’t see him as a player currently capable of making the roster and the Chargers may have already made that decision as I don’t see his name currently listed on the team’s roster page but also can’t find any record of the team moving on from him.