Los Angeles Chargers midseason 2020 mock draft

Chargers sixth-round selection: Shaquille Quarterman, linebacker, Miami

The Chargers have so many linebackers that should have been good. Jatavis Brown, after a stellar rookie season, was highly thought of by fans, and the excitement was everywhere for the rookie. However, an injury in year two halted his development, and the scheme change to a 4-3 on top of that injury was too much to overcome for the young playmaker.

The Chargers have struggled to get consistent linebacker play ever since. Denzel Perryman is often injured, and the Chargers seem to have zero clue about what they want to do with Kyzir White. You have Drue Tranquil in the middle, but surrounding him are a lot of question marks. Will Denzel Perryman finally have a healthy season? Will White be able to find his role? Will Brown even be a Charger in 2020?

Enter Shaquille Quarterman, a 6-foot-1, 241-pound thumper out of Miami that is so much more similar to Brown rather than fellow Miami alumni Perryman. The big difference is you aren’t taking him in the second round, you’re taking him in the sixth. Now, Quarterman has some high upside in several areas, and the big one is run defense. Quarterman finished his 2018 season with 86 tackles and six sacks. Six sacks is the number I am looking at here, as I couldn’t care less for the tackles statistic.

Shaquille Quarterman has his struggles in pass coverage, but his instincts are intriguing. Early in this drive Miami blitzed him off the edge and it looked like he had another gear.

On this play, all I could think about is how the Chargers struggle to stop receiving backs. pic.twitter.com/Fe7Y1PSEPm

— Jason Balliet II (@Syntari13) November 14, 2019

Quarterman has displayed the ability to rush the passer and fill the gaps along the line of scrimmage to record the run stops. What he hasn’t displayed is consistent pass defense, something that is very necessary for today’s NFL.

As a freshman, Quarterman was a lot more popular among analysts due to instincts that could improve his pass covering potential, but it just never seemed to develop. The quick instincts do remain, however, and you could maybe develop something with Quarterman that helps him to improve in that category in the future.

Overall I feel like Quarterman is much more suited to play outside linebacker for the Chargers rather than inside. His speed off the edge is just a different side to him that pops on film much more than when he plays over the middle and reads gaps.

Put him in a position where he can use those instincts and he has the potential to flourish.